Oh, no big deal, it’s just a marijuana get-together.  A bunch of guys are chatting, about weed, yes. But the talk is also about revenue, and futures, and even the NASDAQ. Turns out, we’re at a convention center for a business expo on cannabis. And it’s crawling with straight-laced financiers and ex-Wall Streeters. The host, Scott Greiper — a former analyst and New York banker who’s president of Viridian Capital Advisors, the country’s first advisory firm and investment bank totally devoted to cannabis — is bullish: “This is going to be the cash crop of the world.”

Ohioans will vote this November on a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana now that a group backed by cannabis-industry speculators has collected enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot, the office of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced Wednesday.

Ten investment groups put up a combined $3.4 million to bankroll the initiative through a state-level group called Responsible Ohio, records show. In addition to legalizing the use of marijuana for adults over 21 and for medicinal purposes, the constitutional amendment would limit marijuana growing to just ten plots of land throughout the state. The investment groups backing the amendment own or hold options on all of that land.

First Crop to be Manufactured Into Ross' Gold™ Tea Line

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - August 13, 2015) - Ross' Gold™, a division of Green and Hill Industries Inc. (OTC PINK: GHIL) (the "Company"), today announced its partner Canna Products recently planted 4 acres of CBD rich industrial hemp to be used for production and distribution of all Ross' Gold™ full spectrum cannabinoid products. This is the pilot for a global operation that will continue to see more acreage of hemp planted each season.

A new analysis of data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has found that most American adults have experienced some level of pain, from brief to more lasting pain, and from relatively minor to more severe pain. The analysis helps to unravel the complexities of a Nation in pain. It found that an estimated 25.3 million adults (11.2 percent) had pain every day for the preceding 3 months. Nearly 40 million adults (17.6 percent) experience severe levels of pain. Those with severe pain are also likely to have worse health status. The analysis was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and was published in The Journal of Pain.

Pain in the United States

Conversations about cannabis policy are heating up. So it's no surprise that we suddenly seem immersed in claims and counterclaims on a slew of topics related to cannabis use and regulation.

Marijuana Legalization is in full swing in some parts of the country, and it’s clear that both laws and attitudes toward cannabis and prohibition are changing rapidly. With the past two election cycles producing four states with full recreational marijuana legalization laws, and 2016 set to bring us even more, marijuana is set to be a hotly debated topic among regulators and politicians for years to come.

With the release of a recent Gallup poll, the only thing going up in smoke faster than dank nugs of Green Crack in Portland are people’s support for the continuation of prohibition laws. Not only that, but the number of Americans who are willing to admit that they have had a toke or two is as high as it’s been since 1969.

Federal agents have charged another person in connection with bribery inside the California medical cannabis industry.

Today, the Chronicle reports that the federal government has charged Oakland union official Dan Rush with accepting bribes or kickbacks to both help and hinder unionization efforts in the multi-billion industry.

This summer, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) signed a bill that significantly decreases criminal penalties for marijuana possession in the state. But for some prisoners already serving time on marijuana charges, the state’s old draconian drug laws continue to apply.

We understand that where you decide to invest your money is not a decision you take lightly. If you’re wondering if there really is money to be made in cannabis, if this is an industry to be taken seriously, or simply if now is the time to jump in, we applaud you for taking the time to do the research. Some recent news may help make that decision easier.

If you’re seriously considering investing in the cannabis industry, we recommend you have a look at the MMJ state postings for patient gains from 2014 to 2015. They are explosive! There has been no better example of industry growth than these precise numbers.

Cannabis tourism is booming. Excited by the end of prohibition many travelers are choosing to spend their vacation dollars to experience cannabis where it’s legal and have fun while doing it. Entrepreneurs are popping up to serve that need. One of those entrepreneurs is with us today, Sean Roby of Bud and Breakfast. Welcome to CannaInsider Sean.

Sean: Hey Matt thanks for having me.

Matthew: Sure thing. Sean to give listeners a sense of geography, can you tell us where you’re located in the world today?

Sean: Sure, I live in Boulder, Colorado. Our website is international though. So I could be anywhere on the planet and still function pretty good.