Take a second to appreciate this picture.

If you’ve seen cannabis before, we’ll forgive you for not recognizing it here.

That bowl of what looks like stuff you might dig out of an old lawnmower is actually government-approved medical marijuana. Since the 1960s, the United States has required that  all cannabis used for research be sourced through the government.

And there it is, in all its glory.

Whether you're based in the North with only a tiny balcony cannabis garden in Milan or have a countryside haven in rural Sicily. We've got 5 amazing weed strains for the outdoor cannabis hobby grower in Italy to consider cropping in 2017.

CAN CANNABIS BE GROWN OUTDOORS IN ITALY?

The short answer is yes, absolutely. Moreover, Italy as a whole probably has the best-suited climate in all of Europe for outdoor cannabis cultivation.

It’s no secret that Italian food is some of the best in Europe, if not the world. What’s less well known outside of Italy is that some of the finest weed cropped in Europe is farmed in Southern Italy.

Ira* has a condition called multiple sclerosis, which debilitates her brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Every attack is different: Sometimes, upper and lower extremities weaken. On some days, she goes blind. Often, Ira cannot stand, or walk, which for MS patients, can become extremely painful. Due to her illness, Ira has wrestled with bouts of depression and helpless agony. So when a cured epileptic patient told her his story about the miraculous effect of cannabis oil, she had to try it. She uses it sparingly: Two drops before sleep, and her tremors dwindle.

Lawmakers have been busy introducing a variety of marijuana bills since the election. While there is no guarantee that any of these bills will actually become laws, a perusal of the bills introduced offers useful insight into how the decisions made regarding cannabis might affect our lives more immediately than the slow churn of Washington, D.C.

In the current political climate, it more important than ever to spend some time getting familiar with these bills. Please click on the links to get more information about each proposed bill. We strongly encourage you to get in touch with your elected representatives to express your views and opinions.

Below are six (6) cannabis-related bills that are worth following closely:

State lawmakers will hear public testimony Monday on House Bill 81, which would reduce penalties for low-level marijuana possession.

“House Bill 81 would eliminate the arrest, the jail time, and most importantly, the criminal record currently associated with small amounts of marijuana,” explained Heather Fazio, the Texas political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “The bill will recalibrate penalties for low-level possession, making it a simple ticket, rather than jail time and a criminal record.”

A town hall meeting was held Sunday at the Buffalo and Erie Public Library's Hamburg Branch to discuss medical marijuana, and what's currently legal under New York State's health laws. 

The organization WNY NORML, a local chapter of a national marijuana reform organization,  hosted the event. A panel of speakers were at the meeting, including medical professionals, a lawyer, and patients and caregivers experienced with New York's Medical Marijuana Program.

Attendees had a chance to get information and input on the Compassionate Care Act.  

Advocates for Medical Marijuana want it to be more accessible as a treatment option in New York. 

The federal prohibition of marijuana is blocking medical experts from studying weed’s uses in treating Alzheimer’s Disease, a problem facing a growing body of medical research.

Marijuana legislation

A recap of the medical marijuana-related bills filed by the state Legislature during the 91st General Assembly. All bills must be approved on the floor of both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being sent to Gov. Asa Hutchinson to sign into law. Any bill changing the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. All statuses are as of Monday morning:

HB1026 Pushes deadline for state agencies to publish marijuana regulations to May 8. Status: Signed into law as Act 4.

Farmers in a region of Italy once known for cheeses have turned to cultivating a type of cannabis -- not to smoke or sell -- but to decontaminate polluted soil.

The hemp they’re growing contains very little THC -- the compound that makes people high.

Vincenzo Fornaro showed CBS News an empty farm, once packed with more than 600 sheep.

“For generations, our family produced ricotta and meat,” Fornaro recalled.

It wasn’t until 2008 when Italy’s government discovered the toxic chemical dioxin in his sheep and slaughtered the entire herd.  The culprit was just a mile away.

Sometime next year, Ohioans will be able to visit any of 60 medical marijuana shops open up to 14 hours a day.

They will be able to buy plant material to vaporize and inhale, plus marijuana-infused oils, tinctures, edibles and patches.

There are still some no-nos. Home delivery of pot will not be permitted, smoking and home-growing are not allowed, and your favorite local marijuana shop won't be allowed to sell you a T-shirt.

But the Buckeye State's foray into marijuana for medical purposes is well underway six months after the law took effect.