A lot of people use marijuana because it's fun. But it's also serious business, and last week entrepreneurs looking for a piece of the marijuana market convened at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo in New York City. (image credit: Karsten Strauss)

At regular intervals throughout the year, just about every industry takes time out to get its ranks together to network, entertain potential clients and show off new products. The burgeoning U.S. cannabis industry is no different, and the 2015 Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition, held in New York from June 17-19, displayed more than a few crossover companies: those with know-how in other industries, hoping to show how their products can play a part in the weed world.

DUBLIN -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "From Illicit To Legal And Beyond To Pharmaceuticals - Global Markets, Competitors And Opportunities: 2015-2020 Analysis And Forecasts" report to their offering.

Two of Canada’s largest medical marijuana firms are combining in a deal that will create a dominant domestic producer and reshape the fledgling industry.

The merger between Tweed Marijuana Inc. and Bedrocan Cannabis Corp. is the first of its kind in Canada’s medical marijuana sector. It certainly won’t be the last.

Tweed Marijuana Inc. and Bedrocan Cannabis Corp. have agreed to merge, the companies said. It is an all-stock acquisition by Tweed that values Bedrocan at about $58 million, or 84 cents a share, compared to its closing price of 66 cents on Tuesday.

Last Thursday in New York, pioneer venture capital known as Viridian Capital Advisors conducted its first ever cannabis-investment conference, known as the Viridian Capital Cannabis Investor Conference.  Viridian is blazing all sorts of trails when it comes to the intersection between venture capital and the cannabis industry, serving as a central hub for companies in need of financing, as well as eager investors looking to cash in on such a burgeoning market.  A self-described ‘boutique banking and strategic advisory firm’, Viridian seeks to efficiently funnel resources to help capital-hungry cannabis companies get from the seed to the weed.

One small step for lawyers, one somewhat bigger step for cannabis legitimacy.

Marijuana at a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana.

People who buy medical marijuana products might not be getting what they paid for, a study finds. And evidence remains elusive on benefits for most medical conditions, even though almost half the states have legalized medical marijuana.

If you're looking to strike it rich with pot stocks, you need some patience.

The industry – while showing huge growth potential – is still limited in what it offers investors.

"Barring probably a couple of exceptions, the publicly traded space is probably one to avoid at this point," 4Front Ventures Co-Founder and Managing Partner Kris Krane toldMoney Morning. "It's just too volatile. There are too many shell games and reverse merger games, and it's not a great space to look at right now."

There just aren't a lot of legitimate investments in what is largely an over-the-counter market for pot stocks.

In November 2014, Joe LaMarca invited media members for a sneak preview of what he hoped would be the first dispensary in Nevada to begin legally selling medical marijuana to patients.

Construction had just begun, with workers tearing up floors, putting in new walls and installing security systems that would turn the building, located next to a bar and a dentist's office in a shopping center near Jones Boulevard and Robindale Road, into a Fort Knox of pot.

Ever optimistic, LaMarca anticipated the store, dubbed Euphoria Wellness, would be open to patients in early January.

An estimated $7.1 million would be spent on television and radio commercials in an effort…

A prospectus designed to persuade deep-pocketed Cincinnatians to back a $20 million campaign to legalize marijuana suggests their return on investment might not be limited to pot farms in Ohio.

If the marijuana proposal makes it onto the Nov. 3 ballot and is approved by voters, the investors might try to replicate the effort in other states, suggests the prospectus circulated last year by Ian James, CEO of the ResponsibleOhio political action committee.

President and CEO of the Canada-based Timeless Herbal Care Courtney Betty (left) makes a point to Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr Wykeham McNeill at the 6th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James last Monday.

ROSE HALL, St James -- The president and CEO of Canada-based company Timeless Herbal Care Courtney Betty is confident that yearly tourist arrivals to the island could surpass the three-million mark if Jamaica is promoted as a health and wellness destination, featuring marijuana.