National Institute of Health (NIH) spends an estimated $150 million per year on marijuana research. All of which is sourced from one farm at the University of Mississippi.

Even though marijuana stocks had a miserable 2019, cannabis momentum marches on in North America. For instance, by no later than April 30, we should see Mexico officially become the third country in the world to legalize adult-use weed. That follows the country's Supreme Court ruling mandating that Congress come up with rules to regulate a retail cannabis market in Mexico.

Mississippi became the latest state this week to add a medical marijuana question to its 2020 ballot.

Voters there will have the opportunity to decide on Ballot Initiative 65, which, if approved, will grant access to medical cannabis for patients suffering from various conditions like cancer and epilepsy. 

Mississippians for Compassionate Care, the group that spearheaded the ballot initiative, announced the news Wednesday on its Facebook page, saying that the Secretary of State in Mississippi certified the signatures submitted.

A proposed measure legalizing medical cannabis access in Mississippi has qualified for the 2020 ballot.

Mississippi’s Secretary of State’s Office notified lawmakers on Tuesday that petitioners, Mississippians for Compassionate Care, had gathered a sufficient number of signatures to place Measure 65 before voters this November.

This year has been momentous for cannabis reform, from the Illinois General Assembly becoming the first state legislature to pass a bill to regulate cannabis like alcohol to the U.S. House of Representatives passing the SAFE Banking Act and forging ahead with the MORE Act. 

It’s important to celebrate these victories, but with the end of 2019 comes the beginning of 2020, which is already shaping up to be the biggest year ever for marijuana-policy reform. 

The numbers 11 and 33 come up quite often when the topic of marijuana legalization is discussed. Currently, 11 U.S. states allow the legal use of recreational marijuana, while 33 states have legalized medical cannabis. But those numbers could soon change.

Nine states could be on track to hold key votes on some form of marijuana legalization in 2020. Here are the states that could be next on the marijuana map -- and the stocks that could be poised to profit the most.

An expert says growing hemp could be risky in Mississippi because of the wet climate and because there's no federally approved pesticide for the plant.

Mississippi lawmakers are turning back an attempt to legalize growing industrial hemp in the state.

The House Drug Policy Committee, on a tie vote Monday, rejected an amendment that would have changed state law to allow farmers to grow hemp.

Changes to the state list of illegal drugs were proposed as House Bill 1547 .

The U.S. Congress last year approved allowing production of non-intoxicating hemp in heavily regulated pilot programs.

Committee Chairwoman Patricia Willis, a Diamondhead Republican, opposes the change. She says Mississippi’s law shouldn’t change before federal changes take effect later this year.

Republican Rep. Dana Criswell of Olive Branch, proposing the amendment, says Mississippi should move now or farmers will miss out.