When the state of Ohio goes through the process of selecting the 24 growers who will cultivate cannabis for medicinal uses, the selectors will not know the identities of the applicants. The state wants to ensure there is no pressure, political or otherwise, in the granting of permits.

That’s how it should be, given the very lucrative nature of this flourishing industry nationwide.

In 2016, legal marijuana sales – for medicinal and recreational purposes – topped $6.7 billion, a 24 percent increase over 2015.

There are 26 states that allow the use of cannabis. Ohio joined the list in 2016 when Republican Gov. John R. Kasich signed into law a bill passed by the GOP-controlled General Assembly.

The term “medical marijuana” could soon be scrubbed clean from state law and replaced instead with the phrase “medical cannabis.”

Lawmakers passed a bill this year that requires the state to make the change in state statutes, Hawaii Administrative Rules and in all state Department of Health documents, websites and medical marijuana program materials. The bill is awaiting approval by Gov. David Ige.

Supporters of Senate Bill 786, which was introduced by state Sen. Mike Gabbard, D-Oahu, say the word “cannabis” is most appropriate and accurate. Bill language says the word “marijuana” “carries prejudicial implications rooted in racial stereotypes” from the early 20th century, when the drug was first criminalized in the United States.

Twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico now allow medical cannabis, with eight states plus D.C. permitting legal use of recreational weed and Canada on track to do so next year. More publicly traded marijuana stocks are now available, which presents opportunities for investors.

However, there are challenges alongside those opportunities. Here's what you need to know about marijuana stocks before investing.

Some marijuana stocks have greater risk than others

Investing successfully hinges on managing risk effectively. Be aware that some marijuana stocks have significantly greater risk than others.

As a doctor at Tigard-based American Cannabinoid Clinics, Rachel Knox said her job is taking the guess work out of medical marijuana

“Patients have been using cannabis like throwing darts at the wall,” said Knox. “They hope it lands on that bull’s eye which is their medical condition, whether it's pain or cancer or anything in between.”

That notion was something digital marketing professional Rick Bakas  could relate to. His mother, a medical marijuana patient, has multiple sclerosis.

The Associated Press reports that NASCAR Monster Energy Cup driver Carl Long's team on Friday had to remove the hood logo for the Colorado-based Veedverks from Long's No. 66 Chevrolet.

A NASCAR spokesman said the logo and sponsorship by Veedverks had not been approved beforehand, which is standard procedure for the sanctioning body.

However, a spokesperson for the Denver-based Veedverks said in a Facebook post that NASCAR had approved the sponsorship.

Top state lawmakers are trying to work out a system allowing Iowa residents to start buying medical marijuana oils and pills in Minnesota, a novel arrangement that could raise issues with the federal government.

Iowa could join more than two dozen states with medical marijuana programs under a bill awaiting Gov. Terry Branstad's signature. That legislation would expand a limited 2014 law, allowing more patients to buy the low-dose medication from in-state dispensaries by December 2018.

But in the meantime, Iowa residents could look to Minnesota. A provision of the bill specifically references that state as a potential source of medication and directs Iowa regulators to contract with Minnesota's two manufacturers of medical marijuana.

The founders of the Cannabliss retreat in Ojai, California, claims that pumping guests with the drug from morning till night will help to awaken the spirit and expand the mind.

Guests will be fed cannabis-infused meals and take part in cannabis-influenced acitivities like yoga and painting.

In addition to cannabis, they will also take part in ceremonies with cacao, kava kava and other “conscious awakening herbs.”

The retreat’s founder Sari Gabbay said: “This is not just a smoke-weed-and-do-yoga type of retreat.

If you’re a recent college graduate, how do you go about finding a job in the cannabis industry, and what does it mean to work in a field that’s still technically federally illegal?

I asked myself those questions last year before I dove head-first into the industry. As a recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, I found that making the jump into cannabis was nerve-racking, especially if the state you’re coming from is still sour on legalization.

As Leafly reported earlier this year, America’s legal cannabis industry now supports more than 122,000 full-time jobs in 29 states and DC.

The grapevines that line rolling hillsides and sweeping valleys in Northern California’s wine country have become iconic – a symbol of the region’s rustic charm that helped California earn its reputation as a world-class wine and food destination.

But winegrapes have new competition: weed.