A cannabis spray used to treat epilepsy, pain and multiple sclerosis will be considered for public funding next month.

Pharmac, the agency responsible for deciding which medicines get subsidised, plans to discuss the Sativex spray with its primary clinical advisory committee, according to a letter from Pharmac released on Friday.

Pharmac said Sativex contained cannabidiol with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis.

The agency said consideration from the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee was the first step in assessing the funding of a new medicine.

Edgbaston ground staff using cannabis plant lamps

The sun has not always shone at Edgbaston in recent days so the groundsman has sought some extra help

Such is the pressure on groundsmen in an Investec Ashes series in which pitches have dominated the agenda, Warwickshire have turned to an unlikely source of inspiration ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston. Head groundsman Gary Barwell, who is preparing his first Ashes surface, is using lights normally used for the cultivation of cannabis in the hope of preparing the perfect pitch.

Medical cannabis, recreational cannabis; it's getting hard to tell the two apart -- even in states where only the former is allowed. Just look at your local dispensary. If it's anything like my local weed shop, your cannabis choices are governed more by the brand name and relative THC content than they are the other active cannabinoids -- you know, the ones with the actual medical benefits. This is great for your average stoner recuperating from a backiatomy, but for patients who really do need these complementary cannabinoid effects, guessing whether Blue Dream or Vallejo Sour Diesel will best help alleviate the effects of their chemo simply won't do.

Whether you realize it or not, the perception of marijuana is changing at an extremely rapid pace.

The drug, which is still classified as schedule 1 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, meaning it is illicit and has no medically beneficial qualities, has gained both the public's favor and that of quite a few legislators. As it now stands, 23 states plus Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes ranging from glaucoma to terminal cancers. In addition, four states (Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington), along with Washington, D.C., have legalized the recreational use of the drug.

An new app that claims to reveal whether you are too stoned to drive has been released.

Just like drink driving, drug driving is illegal in many US states and the UK - but often only if there's a certain amount of the substance detected in your system.

In some US states, confusion has arisen as a result of the decriminalisation of cannabis use.

But the new My Canary app, currently only available for iPhone, claims to help drivers make an informed decision before getting behind the wheel.

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ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., -- The creators of Sprig -- the delicious, refreshing, THC-infused citrus soda -- announced that distribution of the product has begun in Southern California and is now available in select medical marijuana dispensaries. Sprig is the first scientifically made, low dose THC beverage in California. Sprig advocates a safe, social, light-use message for new and experienced cannabis consumers.

Entrepreneurs are trying to boost sales by steering pot toward the Whole Foods crowd.

Upon entering Dixie Elixirs's headquarters in Denver, you're greeted by a big sign that reads: "The Future of Cannabis." Since its 2009 founding, Dixie has updated its image from a "pot soda" company to a gourmet THC edibles manufacturer whose carbonated drinks and snacks, containing ingredients like pepita and sea salt, look like they could be found on a shelf at Whole Foods. 

It's just one example of how marijuana businesses are rebranding the plant to distance pot from its hippie-stoner-outlaw culture and show off its appeal to a health-conscious, kale chip-eating crowd.

GrowBLOX Sciences is Making Big Moves in Anticipation of Opening Nevada Cultivation Facility

LAS VEGAS, July 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GrowBLOX Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB:GBLX), a biopharmaceutical company with state-of-the-art technologies in plant biology and cultivation designed to produce consistent medicinal cannabis, today announced that over the course of the next few weeks certain changes in management personnel and operating procedures would soon be implemented in preparation for the commencement of cultivation operations through our majority-owned subsidiary, GB Sciences Nevada, LLC.

Investors and financial institutions have shown great interest for publicly traded cannabis companies, but many are afraid to invest in them because most trade on the over-the-counter (OTC) exchange. The OTC exchange, also known as the Pink Sheets, is comprised of startups, defunct public shell companies, scams, and a few good companies.

There are more than 300 publicly traded cannabis companies, but only a few trade on an exchange regulated by the SEC. The cannabis stocks that trade on a national exchange have outperformed the market during 2015 and we attribute some of this growth to the lack of investment opportunities available for investors and institutions. The cannabis related companies that trade on a national exchange include, but are not limited to the following: