Dear future nominees:

Eight months from today one of you will be inaugurated the 45th President of the United States. There is much to think about between now and then, but one issue with a penchant for falling between the cracks is marijuana policy. Marijuana policy is no longer just a punchline, reserved for the attention of activists. Marijuana policy will be a serious part of the next administration’s domestic policy, and it is critical that you create a strategy accordingly. 

Iowa senator Charles Grassley is fighting back after one of his challengers claimed that he’s blocking a bill that would create meaningful medical cannabis legislation.

Last Friday, State Senator Rob Hogg joined supporters of a bill that would move cannabis from a schedule one drug to a schedule two.

Hogg claims that by not taking action on the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respects Act — Grassley is keeping medicine out of the hands of families that need it.

Grassley says if cannabis is a schedule two drug, we could end up with 50 states, with 50 different laws on the matter.

After years campaigning for the right to use a medical-marijuana extract to treat her daughter’s seizures, Dana Haddox-Wright is now planning to wean Ella, her six-year-old, off of the potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals she’s been taking for years. 

At the same time, marijuana producers across the state are making liquified and edible forms of marijuana that children will be able to use. And state officials are creating an expedited application process to help those patients under 18 years old get signed up for the program. 

As countries around the world have started to relax their laws on medical marijuana, cannabis is still completely outlawed in Serbia. While studies show that the drug—specifically in the form of cannabis oil—can have positive health effects for people suffering from terminal illnesses, doctors in the country remain skeptical. 

Serbians looking for an alternative way to treat terminal illnesses like cancer and multiple sclerosis are forced to illegally obtain the highlyexpensive cannabis oil or attempt to make it themselves, despite the threat of jail time.

As a European, it’s been exhilarating to watch how the cannabis industry is sweeping across the U.S. The new brands, technology, science, culture, and great products are awe-inspiring. As much as I would love things to follow the same path here in Europe, I just can’t help but feel that things are not going to.

A Winding Road

The Georgiadis’s dog, Bernie, who hasn’t had a seizure in four months. Photograph: Courtesy of Anthony Georgiadis

Bernie, a 130-pound Swiss mountain dog, began having grand mal seizures when he was six months old. About once a week he would violently convulse, foam at the mouth, and urinate on himself for several minutes before recovering an or so hour later. The medication he was given seriously disoriented him, was harmful to his liver and for the most part didn’t work.

At the end of their rope, Bernie’s parents decided to put him on a pet supplement derived from cannabis. Gradually, his seizures became less severe and less frequent, before disappearing altogether.

Millions of Americans suffer from migraines each year, creating a major loss in workplace productivity and immense pain for the victim. One way to ease the pain of migraines is to smoke marijuana, research has shown.

We are constantly learning of more and more conditions that might benefit from the use of medical marijuana. Since the discovery of the endocannabinoid system, it has become clearer how marijuana is able to benefit so many ailments. One of the less discussed is Parkinson’s disease.

Autism and Cannabis at a Glance

The 55-and-older crowd is now the fastest-growing demographic of pot users in the country. Between 2013 and 2014, the number increased from 2.8 million to 4.3 million.

In California, where medical marijuana is legal, seniors are learning how to fill their prescriptions -- at a pot shop. They want to know the highs and the lows of marijuana use for the aches and pains of growing old, reports CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen.

Eva Aguillara, 80, uses it to help with mobility.

"Every medication has a risk. I've made my choice," she said.