Multiple stories over the weekend spoke of the challenges facing states in the wake of recreational marijuana legalization in both Colorado and Washington.

The New York Times printed a story on the rise of edibles. Sure, before Colorado’s legalization for recreational use, you had the random story of pot brownies. Funny? Definitely, but it also had unintended consequences.

Today, commercialism has taken hold of the industry. Why sell just the buds when you can sell the entire plant? Extract the THC and infuse the butter in a variety of products.

DENVER – It turns out selling weed is pretty hard. Contrary to popular belief, selling it legally, at least, isn’t all THC-infused lollipops and rainbows. Just ask David Schwartz.

The six-year cannabis-industry veteran came to Colorado in the '90s from Long Island, New York, after discovering Boulder on his way to a Rainbow gathering in Wyoming. For him, selling marijuana in a locale known around the nation for its liberalized pot laws is not just about counting money; it’s about taxes, regulatory compliance, inventory management, and above all, staying on the right side of Colorado’s “pot cops” -- the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED).

CASTLE ROCK, Colorado — In their new neighborhood park, Heather and Adam Benton look on as their giggling daughter races through the grass.

“Swing, swing,” chants 3-year-old Addyson, shouting her latest new word.

The surer steps, the expanding vocabulary — all milestones the Bentons feared they wouldn’t celebrate with their toddler who for most of her life has suffered from hundreds of epileptic seizures a day.

Until now.

Less than two months ago the Bentons left their Liberty Township home to make the 1,200-mile move to Castle Rock, where they can legally give Addyson medicine that’s derived from marijuana. Twice a day, the Benton’s apply tiny patches — among the latest advances in medical marijuana — to little Addyson’s ankle.

Colorado's efforts to ease regulations against the drug lead to a different type of discussion with dental patients who use it.

The headlines were splashed across all national media. Governor John Hickenlooper signed an executive order that makes an "official declaration of the vote" related to Amendment 64. That declaration formalizes the amendment as part of the state constitution, and makes legal the personal use, possession, and limited home-growing of marijuana under Colorado law for adults 21 years of age and older.

Considering that up until about 85 years ago, cannabis oil was used around the world to treat a variety of diseases, including cancer, it is not surprising that the phasing out of cannabis to treat illness coincided with the rise of pharmaceutical companies.

Rick Simpson, a medical marijuana activist, is on a crusade to help others heal. He regards cannabis as the most medicinally active plant on the face of the earth, and shared this apparent miracle with others — completely free of charge. He now has thousands of testimonials from those who were healed from ‘incurable’ disease to back up his claims ~ that cannabis annihilates cancer.

Will marijuana soon be on your menu? Steve Fox, director of VS Strategies, counsel at Vicente Sederberg LLC, and panelist for the 2015 National Restaurant Association Show's "Marijuana on the Menu" session thinks so. Since 2002, Fox has been a leading figure lobbying for legal, regulated marijuana. His efforts have included educating the public on the benefits of marijuana and de-stigmatizing its use.

When Fox and his team wrote Amendment 64 for Colorado to legalize recreational marijuana, the group had a goal: insert a measure for the restaurant industry that would allow patrons to use cannabis inside privately owned establishments.

Does morality matter in investing? Put another way, can amorality pay off?

Gerry Sullivan thinks it can. He manages the $298 million Barrier Fund (formerly known as the Vice Fund), which specializes in the types of stock that get a bad rap from morally-conscious investors and institutions.

Four of Sullivan’s top five holdings are in tobacco companies, and for all the hand-wringing over the health hazards of smoking – and the massive settlements the companies have coughed up – he still thinks the stocks are among his best bets.

Neutra Corp. (OTCBB: NTRR) will complete market testing this week on a new suite of products that could help cannabis growers avoid Colorado’s crackdown on pesticides.

"We're not seeing symptom reduction. We're seeing symptom elimination."

Medical marijuana(Photo: Josh Stephen / WFAA)

DENVER – Growing up in Texas, the threat of seizures always prevented Alexis Bortell from riding a bicycle.

"There's a big difference, because in Colorado I've had a decrease in seizures, and in Texas I had them every day," the nine-year-old told us.

No seizures means no restrictions on bikes.

A frightening seizure that Alexis experienced in February prompted the Bortells to move from Rowlett to a Denver suburb.