A groundswell of support among everyday Americans has led to the passage of medical marijuana legislation in 23 states; however, Florida dragged its feet in approving medical marijuana legislation last year.

Although 57% of Floridians voted in favor of passing the medical marijuana measure, the total vote fell shy of the 60% required to make changes to the state's constitution.

The world’s scientific community seems to be re-evaluating its relationship with the plant Cannabis, popularly referred to as dagga in South Africa. Studies that range from the medicinal benefits of cannabis to the societal effect of the legalisation of cannabis have been published by internationally respected journals such as PLOS ONE and Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. The general consensus points towards a relaxation of Cannabis related legislation and a need for increased funding for further study of the field.

ADDY, Wash. – Chris Van Hook bent over a shrub-sized marijuana plant at Mountain High Farm with a magnifying glass last month, looking for imperfections in the fan-shaped leaves.

A few of the fronds were “chewed on,” which is what Van Hook expects in a pesticide-free crop.

Pot grown at the state-licensed operation can’t be certified as organic because the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t recognize marijuana as a legal crop. Advertising it as organic would be a federal labeling violation, inviting hefty fines.

But if Mountain High passes Van Hook’s inspection, the Stevens County farm can advertise its product under the “Clean Green” label, an alternate certification Van Hook developed for pot growers touting the naturalness of their product.

Is the push for legalization of marijuana due to a conspiracy between GMO giant Monsanto and the U.S. government? Some people in the organic food community seem to think so.

James Hull recently went back to his roots as a 3rd generation horticulturist after a career in high-tech engineering.  The result? Catapult, a Marijuana-infused coffee which according to Hull makes you feel blissful and energetic at the same time.

It seems only natural that Hull runs his company, Fairwinds Mfg., just a few hours south of America’s coffee capital, Seattle.

(Catapult coffee from Fairwinds Mfg should not be confused with Fairwinds coffee from The Rogers Family Company which makes traditional coffee in California)

Eight-year-old Vedd Raaj has severe epilepsy and autism. His most violent seizures come once a month, triggered by infections he catches due to low immunity. They can last hours.

His parents, Bengaluru-based business consultant Amit and homemaker Rakhi Raj, 34, have been doing the rounds of hospitals, trying to find a doctor that can help him procure cannabis oil. This controversial flowering plant is indigenous to India, but its cultivation is banned because an extract can also be used to produce the intoxicant marijuana.

Yet the Raj family believes it is their son's only hope. There are many within and outside the medical fraternity that would agree with him.

The legalization of recreational marijuana use has led to the creation of dozens of publicly traded companies seeking to carve out a space in what may be a potentially large growth industry. Now that the initial blush has worn off, however, these dozens of companies face the demands that all publicly traded companies have to confront: a sustainable business model led by a management team that has the experience and skill to execute to that model.

BISMARCK -- Former MHA Nation Tribal Chairman Tex Hall has joined a company focused on producing marijuana on reservations.

Native American Organics LLC will help tribes who want to enter the marijuana products industry set up legal growing and distribution systems. The company is a partnership between Hall's Red Tipped Arrow LLC and Wright Family Organics LLC, a California-based medical marijuana research and operations company.

The company will work on regulation and compliance issues with tribes located in states where medical and recreational marijuana is legal, helping to break down barriers to entry. It will help tribes make law governing the industry on their reservations.

FORT LUPTON, Colo. (AP) — The newly legal hemp industry is entering its second growing season with some big questions for producers experimenting with marijuana's non-intoxicating cousin.

The federal government has allowed limited imports of hemp seed — in Colorado's case, this month — for research and development purposes. Companies trying to create a U.S. hemp industry are seeking investors not only for unproven products but for a plant that is still classified under the federal Controlled Substances Act with marijuana and thus cannot be patented.

As a result, it's too soon to tell whether hemp will become a boon for farmers or stay in mostly boutique products that use imported hemp.

CHICAGO -- In any business, personal relationships often are the key. In the marijuana business, that could be even truer, especially when it comes to banking needs.

Marijuana largely is an all-cash business. Banks are skittish because growing and selling marijuana still is illegal under federal law, which classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug. But some store owners and others in the marijuana business who have had pre-existing relationships, especially at small community institutions, have been able to convince bankers to work with them, said Chris Walsh, managing editor of Marijuana Business Daily, which sponsored the Marijuana Business Conference and Expo here May 19-21.