Medicinal cannabis has become a fast-growing multi-­billion dollar global industry. But Irish people with MS and other conditions are still in a legal limbo, left to buy the drug on the street.

Six months after Marie Fleming passed away after a long battle with multiple sclerosis, her partner Tom Curran revealed she had been smoking cannabis to help ease her pain.

After Fleming died in December 2013, shortly after losing a landmark case against the State to lift the ban on assisted suicide, Curran said he had grown cannabis for his partner.

Tripp Keber can’t roll a joint. “But I can certainly pour you a glass of an effervescent adult-flavored sparkling pomegranate soda, and we can experience the benefits of cannabis that way,” says the 46-year-old CEO of Dixie Brands, Inc., whose Dixie Elixirs and Edibles brands are among the biggest names in Colorado’s legal pot business.

Bruce Barcott became an expert on the cannabis industry while researching and writing “Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America” (Time Books, available Tuesday) — a book that reflects the ways in which many Americans' outlook on the drug has changed in recent years.

Barcott recounts his own marijuana experiences. They didn't go beyond the sort of youthful experimentation that Americans typically leave behind with the rest of campus life when they move on from college and take on real-world adult responsibilities — until Washington state asked voters about legalizing, regulating and taxing recreational marijuana.

LONDON: If you want the benefits of medical marijuana without the "unwanted side effects" of cannabis, here is a piece of news for you. 

A new research suggests that fenofibrate - a common drug used to control cholesterol levels in patients - activates the same receptors as cannabis and may become a viable treatment option for relieving pain, stimulating appetite, reducing nausea and preventing depression. 
"By illustrating the relationship between fenofibrate and the cannabinoid system, we aim to improve our understanding of this clinically important drug," said researcher Richard S. Priestley from the University of Nottingham, England. 

Lindsey Clark of Darien thinks medical marijuana could make her 7-year-old twin sons, Jeremy and Miles, less reliant on pharmaceuticals that have undesirable side effects.

For Dana Haddox-Wright of Wilton, getting her daughter, Ella Wright, 5, into the state's medical-cannabis program could mean fewer trips to the hospital to treat epileptic seizures that can last as long as two hours.

But current state law does not allow children younger than 18 to be treated with the drug. So Jeremy, Miles and Ella, who all have a rare childhood epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome, cannot be prescribed marijuana products that seem to help youngsters in states where it is allowed.

Canadians can claim a wide array of medical expenses on their tax returns — from wigs to gluten-free bread to medical marijuana — yet the Medical Expense Tax Credit is among the least used.

While the paperwork may be complicated, the return can be worth it for many people, says John Crawford, a chartered accountant and chief financial officer of Pacific Blue Cross.

Among the more surprising deductible expenses are:

CHICAGO  •   Illinois residents have petitioned the state to add more than 20 medical conditions to the medical marijuana program, including anxiety, migraines, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Petitioners identifying themselves as veterans of Vietnam and Iraq asked that PTSD be included, making emotional pleas for help, according to 269 pages of petitions obtained by The Associated Press through the state's Freedom of Information Act. The state blacked out the names of petitioners before releasing the documents to protect patients' privacy.

Privateer Holdings is well on its way to becoming one of the country’s top marijuana investment firms.

The Seattle-based holding company today announced the closure of a $75 million Series B round, money that Privateer will use to grow its three marijuana-related startups and expand the firm’s portfolio further.

“This positions us to build a family of global brands over the coming years,” Privateer CEO Brendan Kennedy said of the fresh cash.

AUGUSTA — The group with national clout in Maine’s marijuana legalization battle has an early money lead over advocates for a rival proposal, but almost all of that money came from one backer.

The Committee to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol in Maine says it has raised more than $50,000 between January and the end of March, said David Boyer, who is leading that group as Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. That’s well ahead of the $30,000 raised by Legalize Maine.

A bill to warn pregnant women about the dangers of using marijuana had some Colorado legislators on Monday questioning whether that would be constitutional, since the mandate from voters who passed 2012′s Amendment 64 was to regulate pot like alcohol.

After a rigorous debate, House Bill 1298 passed on a voice vote, but just barely. The House of Representatives will take a roll call vote within the next few days to determine if the bill dies or advances to the state Senate.

The legislation would require pot shops to “display in a conspicuous location a sign that warns pregnant women about the potential risks caused by marijuana.” The state health department would determine the signs’ language.