In less than three months' time, tens of millions of American voters will head to the polls to decide who will become the 45th president of the United States of America. Who their selection will be remains a mystery.

Marijuana is breaking barriers this election cycle

However, the candidates aren't the only thing voters are interested in this election cycle; they want to hear about the topics, too. For the first time ever, marijuana is taking center stage as a major issue. According to Gallup's 2015 national poll, 58% of respondents support the nationwide legalization of marijuana, up from around 33% just a decade ago. A similar poll conducted by CBS News last year showed that 84% of American favored the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes.

The products accompany the release of a new single from the rap duo, 'We Have Candy' .

Though South African rap duo Die Antwoord are currently prepping the release of new album Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid, they appear to have found time to branch out with a little entrepreneurialism. 

The pair partnered with Northern California's largest supplier of medicinal cannabis products, Natural Cannabis, to bring out their own line of weed products called Zef Zol (via Channel 24); ranging from vapes, vape refills, lip balms, chocolates, and mouth spray. 

In November, voters in as many as 12 states will see a marijuana legalization initiative on their ballots. Marijuana is already legal for recreational use in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Washington, D.C. Another 25 states have legalized medical marijuana. The era of marijuana prohibition is rapidly coming to a close.

Unfortunately, lawmakers lack easy answers to tough questions facing the marijuana industry. Legalization presents challenges on a number of fronts, including distribution, taxation, consumption, security and public health.

The transparency of New York’s Medical Marijuana Program has been questioned by many New Yorkers, but on Aug. 19, 2016, the New York State Depart of Health released a two-year report on the state’s Medical Medical Use of Marijuana Under the Compassionate Care Act, as confirmed by a staff member with the NYS Medical Marijuana Program.

On June 15, 2016, the report’s data was obtained from the NYSDOH’s Medical Marijuana Data Management System and the Prescription Monitoring Program Registry.

The DEA schedules substances, chemicals and drugs into 5 classified categories. Between Schedule 1 to 5 the level of potential for abuse gets more likely as the number goes down, so Schedule 1 is listed as the most dangerous for the public and Schedule 5 the least. A schedule 1 drug has been identified by the government as a substance with no potential for medicinal use and a high potential for abuse. Aside from cannabis schedule I also includes ecstasy, peyote and heroin. This DEA scheduling makes cannabis highly illegal to carry without the proper permits and also bars any scientific research on the medicinal value of the plant.

The headline ”Smoking marijuana provides more pain relief for men than women” has recently appeared on a number of websites. What message do you get when you read this headline? Does it mean that smoking marijuana makes the pain go away more for men than women? If that’s what you think, you’ve been misled by headlines about a recent study that is currently in press in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 

The research

Bitcoin-accepting Trees, a former medical cannabis dispensary that made headlines with its vision to deliver dank buds via drone, has pivoted towards becoming a marketplace in conjunction with building a payment processor. Its emphasis is on allowing cannabis businesses to become their own banks through blockchain technology.

While exposure to the drug is not intended to be the "sole focus point" of the American Growth Fund Series Two Class E, the fund's prospectus on July 29 said it will now be focused mostly on “common stocks and securities convertible into common stock in companies involved in at least some way in the legal cannabis business." That includes legally registered, publicly traded companies in fields like agriculture, pharmaceuticals, hydroponic or tobacco companies, the firm says.

The Denver-based fund manager says the offering may also invest in REITs, "if the investment committee believes that it could be advantageous to the stockholders."

But some vets aren’t willing to wait for its official approval

The Army’s top doctor is skeptical that the first-ever federally-approved study will show that marijuana can help U.S. veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. “It’s been found that using marijuana has a lot of adverse health effects,” Lieut. General Nadya West says. In April, the federal government approved a three-year study to try to determine if actual marijuana, not merely chemicals extracted from it, can help those with PTSD.

From romantic comedies showing otherwise responsible adults taking a hit off of a joint at dinner parties to stories of "green doctors" handing out medical marijuana cards with a wink and a nod, it can sometimes seem like the battle of public opinion over marijuana is long over. Yet the drug remains illegal in the United States.