Marijuana legalization has been a political issue in the United States for some time, and while it remains illegal in most states, others have softened their stance in recent years. Colorado and Washington both passed initiatives by popular vote to decriminalize and legalize cannabis in 2012. In 2014, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., followed suit. Many states including Massachusetts, California, Missouri, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Ohio have flirted with legalization for a few election cycles, with buzz growing.

The United States isn't the only country where people use marijuana legally or illicitly. In fact, it isn’t even the country with the highest reported marijuana use.

A landmark ruling by a B.C. judge has cleared the way for medical marijuana users to grow pot at home, but recreational marijuana use remains illegal across Canada -- a fact that interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose says is unclear to most Canadians.

On casual marijuana use, Ambrose said that “everyone thinks it’s legal because Justin Trudeau has been elected and he’s for legalizing pot.”

“(The Liberals) moved ahead with signalling that pot is legal all across this country. That’s what everyone actually thinks, when in fact the law doesn’t say that yet,” Ambrose told CTV’s Power Play on Wednesday.

As the federal government moves cautiously (and, at times, clumsily) toward fulfilling its promise to legalize marijuana, one of the key questions is: Where will pot be sold?

There are several options:

Keep an eye on the changing marijuana laws and the vast economic potential of the cannabis plant.

Cannabis is enjoying a major public-image improvement. After all, we've learned that the THC in marijuana has medicinal uses, while the plant fibers in hemp have countless uses in manufacturing. The legitimacy of marijuana is growing as states legalize it and corporations invest substantial resources in cannabinoid research and development.

No matter your stance on cannabis, you should get to know the world's most high-profile plant. So here are some facts and figures on marijuana that may surprise or impress you:

Cannabis seeds may all look pretty much the same, but within those brown, speckled hulls, the potential for infinite variety is captured. From industrial hemp to carefully refined sativas, from the most modern autoflowering strains to the most ancient cannabis seeds discovered to date, it all starts from a seed! Here we present ten interesting facts about cannabis seeds for you to enjoy and share.

Just 10 years ago, who would have imagined that by 2016 some form of medical marijuana would be legal in the most states in America, recreational marijuana would be legal in a handful of others, and the legalization of marijuana would be a viable issue in the presidential campaign?

You can now add coffee to the growing list of foods and drinks that are available as products infused with marijuana.

Several companies have started selling cannabis-laced coffee, claiming to give users an added "buzz" to their cup of joe.

But what happens when you combine two psychoactive substances: marijuana and caffeine?

The effects of using these two substances in combination have not been heavily researched, said Dr. Scott Krakower, the assistant unit chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York. But using two drugs in combination can always potentially be a problem, he said.

Whether your favorite Girl Scout cookie is a Samoa, Tagalong, or Thin Mint, everyone knows their sugary goodness is the perfect cure for the munchies.

That’s what led one enterprising Girl Scout to sell her cookies outside a Portland pot shop this weekend in the hopes of raising enough money for a summer trip to horse camp.

Along with her aunt, the Girl Scout set up her cookie stand outside Foster Buds Marijuana Dispensary in Portland and quickly sold more than 35 boxes. According to KATU 2 News, customers started lining up almost immediately.

DENVER — Nestled between a 7-Eleven and a store selling Broncos jerseys, the door to the generic-looking retail establishment is easy to miss. But once inside, the smell is unmistakable.

At Euflora, tables are filled with glass containers of marijuana next to interactive tablets describing each strain (“sweet floral aroma,” “intoxicatingly potent”). An array of marijuana-infused products beckon behind locked cases: from energy shots to sour gummies, brownies to bacon bites. And if you’re 21 or older, it’s all legal to buy.

Created to destigmatize cannabis and the people who use it, The 420 Games athletic event has experienced great success in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for the past two years. This March, The 420 Games will debut in Los Angeles, the first leg of a four-state, six-city tour. Participants are “Going the Extra Mile for Cannabis” in this 4.20 mile race that is longer than a typical 5k.   The course takes runners from the Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach and finishes back at the pier.  Tickets can be purchased at420Games.org