With interest in topics like “marijuana” and “cannabis” hitting all-time high levels according to Google Trends, nine states in the U.S. will vote on marijuana measures in the world’s most important general election Nov. 8, according to the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.

Voters in California, Florida, Nevada, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona, and Arkansas will definitely be casting a ballot to affect cannabis policy in their state. Voters in Missouri, Montana, and North Dakota have submitted signatures to place marijuana proposals on the ballot, while Oklahoma has cleared to circulate a last-minute measure.

As voters go to the polls this November, at least four states will consider ballot questions on marijuana legalization. Pending proposals in Nevada, Maine and California would authorize recreational marijuana use, while Floridians will vote on whether to allow medical marijuana use.

A group of Nevada lawmakers and industry leaders recently traveled to Denver where Marijuana has quickly grown into a billion dollar business.

But with the successes come challenges and Colorado regulators are still working with lawmakers to shape the state's marijuana industry.

Regulators there are trying to combat some of the same issues they faced a year ago, including some new ones.

When you ask state regulators and industry insiders in Colorado what the biggest issues are related to legal weed in their state, there are two that come up consistently.

One of them is a problem that plagued Nevada's fledgling medical marijuana industry -- regulating pesticides.

Something Colorado's Director of Marijuana Policy, Andrew Freedman knows all too well.

Nevada takes lessons from Rocky Mountain State.

One billion dollars in marijuana was legally sold in Colorado in 2015. Colorado has become a case-study for states, including Nevada, facing ballot initiatives this November to legalize recreational marijuana. A contingent of industry representatives and lawmakers recently traveled to Denver on a fact-finding trip. 8 News NOW also made the trek.

Nevada, California, Maine and Florida have recreational marijuana on the ballot in November. Other states like Arizona are waiting on signatures to be verified to qualify for the ballot.

These states are all watching Colorado. Medical marijuana has been legal there since 2000, and voters approved recreational use in 2012.

This is going to be a transformative year for the United States. Not only are we set to vote in a new president for the first time in eight years this November, but we could also see the most rapid expansion of marijuana ever, with eight states now set to vote on recreational or medical cannabis initiatives or amendments this fall.

What's at stake

The expansion of the cannabis industry was initially put in motion 20 years ago when California approved a compassionate use law for medical marijuana. Today, half of all U.S. states have approved a medical marijuana law. The two most recent approvals came from Pennsylvania and Ohio, which used the legislative process to pass medical cannabis laws.

Derek Peterson, the CEO of TerraTech, a publicly traded cannabis company with operations in California and Nevada, recently took up what is usually a very boring task: applying for life insurance. However, his application was rejected. On June 13, he received a denial letter from his insurer of choice, Mutual of Omaha, with the following terse explanation:

"We have discontinued the processing of your application for insurance due to company policy. We cannot accept premium[sic] from individuals or entities who are associated with the marijuana industry. We are regulated by agencies of the."

Science is starting to understand what marijuana smokers have known for years: how marijuana helps sleep. Because of this understanding, doctors are now able to legally prescribe marijuana for sleep disorders in seven states.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most active marijuana ingredient that affects sleeping patterns. We’ll look into exactly how marijuana aids sleep, delve into how our brains work, and offer insights on this fascinating subject.

Sleep Disorders and Marijuana

Sleep disorders include:

Last week Microsoft announced a software partnership to help states track marijuana sales and MedMen launched its private equity Opportunity Fund

It may not be your cup of tea, but marijuana could become a potent alternative for certain high-net-worth investors looking for an industry with strong growth potential.

Last week Microsoft announced a software partnership to help state governments track marijuana sales, and, come Election Day, at least four states, including California, will host ballot initiatives to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Four states already have — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington — and those states plus some 21 more have legalized cannabis use for medical purposes.

Instead of waiting as long as three months for access to medical marijuana dispensaries, prospective Nevada patients can now be approved on the same day thanks to a new Las Vegas-based Division of Public and Behavioral Health office. For medical marijuana officials, that's a step in the right direction to establishing a healthy and safe medical marijuana industry.

The office opened last week on 2300 W. Sahara Ave in partnership with the Nevada Dispensary Association — a group of over 60 dispensary owners in Nevada — and allows up to 25 patients to apply in-person for their medical marijuana cards daily instead of sending their applications to Carson City.

A Florida-based firm is opening three new offices in cities where cannabis is an emerging industry, and it has plans to open more.

Another sign of how the legal cannabis industry is growing and maturing: the arrival of established law firms, looking to represent those involved in what was once an outlaw enterprise.