As more states allow for the use of medical marijuana, the University of Vermont is offering a course in the science of the drug — and the professors say they are challenged by a lack of research on what has long been a taboo topic.

Other institutions have offered classes in marijuana law and policy, but the university's medical school is likely the country's first to offer a full course on medical cannabis, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Other medical schools have touched on the topic.

Note: The laws referred to in this post reflect current Canadian law. While there are many similarities, American readers should refer to their own state's policies and procedures.

There are a number of reasons why you might approach your employer about your medical marijuana use.

The first, and most obvious, is that you hold a safety-sensitive position at work and are acting on your duty to report a potential hazard. If you are impaired by medical marijuana, meaning there is a chance it impacts your ability to do work safely, then you need to come forward to your employer. This is your responsibility under occupational health and safety legislation.

Growing pot is really easy, and it will make you filthy rich, rich beyond your wildest dreams! In fact, you should quit your job, move to California or Colorado and fill your house with lights! What could go wrong?

Does this sound a little naïve to you? It should, but unfortunately that has been the mentality of so many pot entrepreneurs since the Ogden Memo de facto “legalized” medical marijuana in 2009. The problem is that in order to live off of growing or selling pot you absolutely have to treat growing and selling pot, well, like an actual job. 

Cannabis treatment is helpful for some diseases. Some countries legally approved use of marijuana.

3 Surprising Industries That Would Benefit if Marijuana Was Legalized

When it comes to fast-growing industries, there may be none with better growth prospects than marijuana. Based on some estimates, legalizing marijuana across the country could lead to a $35 billion market. Separately, NerdWallet has suggested that legalizing marijuana would generate around $3.1 billion in annual tax revenue for states and potentially the federal government.

A former member of Canada’s elite counter-terrorism unit has emerged from the shadows to promote medical marijuana for ailing veterans.

Kevin Whitenect hopes that his message promoting medical cannabis will bring hope to those former soldiers dealing with emotional or physical pain as well as reduce the stigma surrounding its use.

“I saw a value for veterans,” said Whitenect, who spent most of his 17 years in the Canadian Forces with the Ottawa-based Joint Task Force 2 counter-terrorism unit. “I started speaking with veterans who were using (medical cannabis) and started hearing the great stories about how it is getting them off the mind-numbing narcotics they are being issued.”

We keep hearing the cannabis industry is poised to be North America's first blllion-dollar industry dominated by women, who make up 36 percent of executive positions.

With the legal marijuana industry starting to heat up in Chicago, a monthly cannabis meetup is launching to connect medical marijuana enthusiasts and give resources to budding entrepreneurs.

The Science of Cannabis Institute Hopes to Offer the State's First Accredited Program for Medical Marijuana Consultants

A couple Saturdays ago, I took a class for the first time in years. It wasn't to relearn algebra (although I have definitely forgotten it), but to become a certified cannabis worker. The four-hour course, which is offered by the Science of Cannabis Institute (SCI) and is held on the University of Washington campus, is the first of its kind in Washington State, part of a growing cannabis education industry. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) recently announced that it would create a medical marijuana consultant certification program, and SCI hopes to be the first accredited institution to offer it.

From December 2015, all second-year undergraduate students at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) will begin to study the war on drugs, through the School’s innovative LSE100 course. LSE is the first university in the world to require all of its undergraduates to study this topic.

LSE100 is the School’s flagship interdisciplinary course for undergraduate students. It is designed to introduce students to the fundamental elements of thinking like a social scientist, by exploring some of the great intellectual debates of our time from the perspectives of different disciplines.