Canadians buying legal marijuana have a much slimmer selection than their American counterparts. That’s because Health Canada-licensed producers are allowed to sell only dried cannabis through the mail to registered patients and must stay away from “edibles” or other forms of the drug that are regulated south of the border.

However, like medicinal and recreational pot sold in Washington State, Canada’s 17 licensed producers offer dozens of strains of dried leaves that help patients treat a range symptoms. Canadian producers must also display the potency of the batch’s tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) content, as enforced under the federal Ministry of Health’s current Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations.

The popular explanation for medical marijuana dispensaries that have popped up in states from Washington to New York is that marijuana is a wonder drug — treating not just nausea and lack of appetite, but also pain, anxiety, epileptic seizures, and the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia.

The federal government refuses to allow people to use it, proponents say. 

The story, however, isn’t quite so simple.

AURORA, COLORADO -- Sweet Leaf, a marijuana store in this Denver suburb, doesn't look like much from, the outside. Windows are blocked. A sign on the door announces that only people 21 and older can come in.

Inside, visitors are greeted with crisp, white walls splashed with cheery magenta polka dots. Jay Z provides the soundtrack. The shop hums from the time it opens at 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. when employees turn away customers still waiting to get in. On a recent afternoon, each of the dozen or so chairs in the waiting room was taken.

Sweet Leaf is a chain of five marijuana shops in the Denver area. The company includes a large scale marijuana grow operation and a mix of recreational and medical marijuana outlets.

Colorado Cannabis Tours has announced a new partnership with marijuana culture icon Tommy Chong. Over the past year, the marijuana tourism scene has steadily grown throughout Colorado. As Colorado’s largest city, Denver has become the epicenter of marijuana culture. As one of the first available Marijuana Tours in Denver, Colorado Cannabis Tours has taken a big leap forward with their new Tommy Chong promotion to commemorate the 2nd Annual 4/20 celebration since recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado on January 1, 2014.

MEDICAL use alone is filled with even more challenges than full legalization because it does nothing to stop or lower the marijuana crime rate.

We are already learning that medical use alone is creating new marijuana crimes on top of the old ones which is why states are now starting to forego medical use only and instituting full legalization of marijuana like Colorado and Washington (Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C. have just joined the ranks of full legalization and 8 more states have lined up for full legalization to avoid the pitfalls of medical use only. Legalization is not just about helping sick people but about better controls, addressing the concerns of everyone and the revenues that can be earned from this NEW Industry.

Many marijuana advocates are saying 2016 will be the year for marijuana legalization, thanks in part to a new poll which finds that a majority of voters in several swing stats support legalizing marijuana.

According to the Quinnipiac survey,  55 percent of voters in Florida, 52 percent in Ohio, and 51 percent in Pennsylvania, are in favor of allowing adults “to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use.”

As for Medical Marijuana the numbers are even more staggering, with 84 percent of the voters in Florida and Ohio and 88 percent in Pennsylvania stating that they believe medical marijuana should be legal.

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 10, 2015) -

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS.

Nutritional High International Inc. (the "Company" or "Nutritional High") (CSE:NHL) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a binding letter of intent ("LOI") dated April 8, 2015, to acquire a 51% equity interest (the "Transaction") in Zephyr Management Inc. ("Zephyr"), an exclusive management company being established to provide management and real estate services to Sacred Garden ("Sacred Garden"), an entity licensed to produce medical cannabis in New Mexico.

On Tuesday, April 7, 2015, Sen. Rand Paul officially announced, to no one’s surprise, that he is running for president. Like many contenders, Paul has created a muddy trail on marijuana legalization, but investors would do well to parse through his statements even if only to come up with an agenda that better suits the needs of the legal industry. Candidates may catch up, but they will have to be asked to do so.

CINCINNATI -- A majority of Ohioans favor making it legal for adults to possess a small amount of marijuana for recreational use, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University .

The poll surveyed voters in three swing states -- Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio -- and found support for legalization of the drug for both medical and recreational use.

Support for medical marijuana in Ohio is overwhelming, according to the poll, at 84-15 percent in favor, while support for allowing adults "to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use" is 52-44 percent.

ORLANDO, FLA. — Hemp ingredients may add protein, magnesium, phytosterols and fiber to products, said Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director for Datamonitor Consumer. Hemp is non-allergenic, and the plants are sustainably grown, he added.

Yet many people may associate hemp with marijuana, and that perception could put a buzz-kill on hemp’s entry into food and beverage product launches.

“Hemp is misunderstood,” Mr. Vierhile said in an April 9 presentation at Ingredient Marketplace in Orlando. “That is really one of the key problems with hemp going forward.”