Cannabis cultivation need not be disorganized or dirty. And yes, this gives a whole new meaning to a “seed round.”

While public opinion in Israel and worldwide is divided about the legalization of marijuana, the technological experts are not waiting. Even the almighty Microsoft is already involved.  Leaf, a startup developing an automated system for cannabis cultivation, announced a $2 million seed (pun intended) funding round on Sunday.

It is said that about 50 percent of all chain-smokers will perish horribly as a direct result of their smoking habits during their lifetime. Considering that 1 billion people out of the gross world population of 7 billion are smokers, this number is big enough to give anyone the heebie-jeebies. What’s more, one person dies every 6 seconds due to a tobacco-related disease, and as of last year, 20 percent of all deaths in the US alone were from smoking. Keeping these facts in mind, it is no wonder that smoking is now a matter of global concern, whereby any first-world country is under socio-political pressure to take mandatory action against this frightful addiction.

Although the legal framework of the marijuana industry in Los Angeles is strictly medicinal for the time being, it is still one of the largest marijuana markets in the United States. This creates a complex web of marijuana vendors, buyers, workers, and employers that needs to be navigated to most effectively meet their cannabis needs, especially when looking at the plethora of delivery services and small storefronts vying for competition.

Much of the media focus on cannabis research is on the people side: the medicinal advantages, the addictive risks, the socioeconomic impacts. Because people stories sell! They evoke emotion, inspire action, make great headlines, and are relatable to the masses, all of which bring media attention.

In 2014, you could walk into a medical marijuana dispensary in Seattle and pick up a gram of cannabis. Then, you could walk a few blocks and get the same product for half the price.

To Daniel Nelson, founder and CEO of Wikileaf, shopping in the medical marijuana marketplace was frustrating.

“I originally built Wikileaf for myself back in 2014, really to find transparency in a marketplace that was so in the shadows,” said Nelson, who uses medical marijuana to manage lower back pain.

His vision for Wikileaf was a site that emphasizes price transparency and allows marijuana users to easily get their money’s worth.

The makers of the MediPen vaporiser are confident that by setting a precedent for testing cannabis products with this reputable body, it will have a huge impact on the public’s perception of cannabis.

A cannabidiol (CBD) vaporiser that has helped thousands of people suffering from a variety of conditions is being tested by an NHS unit, an unprecedented step that could increase scrutiny on cannabis’ medical benefits and have a huge impact on the UK’s draconian legislation on it.

Cannabis Science, Inc. ( OTC PINK : CBIS ), a U.S. company specializing in the development of cannabis based medicines, is happy to announce their first batch order for the previously announced cannabinoid based inhalation medicine for Asthma/COPD has been placed. It is expected to be received by the company within a week and released initially in select California dispensaries and available for delivery. The CBIS MDI Rescue Inhaler dosage is targeting 100 - 200 dose MDI with cannabinoid level variations ranging from 10mg, 25mg, up to 100mg THC, CBD, and other cannabinoid variables as patient/consumer analysis moves further down the road.

Tuatara Capital has raised a $93 million fund to invest exclusively in the legal marijuana industry, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Two of Tuatara's principals, Al Foreman and Mark Zittman, believe that it's the largest fund in the marijuana industry.

"Our understanding is that we have the largest pool of capital by fund and firm size in space," Foreman told Business Insider during a joint call with Zittman.

Founded in 2014 by Zittman and Foreman, the private-equity firm, based in New York, exclusively focuses on the legal cannabis industry.

When Krista Ledbetter put some furniture for sale on Craigslist last month, the inquiries that started coming in from would-be buyers were puzzling.

“One of the first, all he said was to ask if I was ‘OMMP friendly’ for a trade,” Ledbetter said. “I didn’t even know what that meant, so I had to Google it to figure out he wanted to trade my furniture for weed.”

OMMP is shorthand for the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Dig through the listings on Craigslist and other online marketplaces long enough, and you’ll find scattered references to ‘OMMP’ and ‘MMJ,’ evidence of a barter economy where marijuana serves as currency.