If you want to talk about marijuana, you need to speak the language. We've laid out some key phrases and questions that come up frequently in the marijuana debate.

Definitions:

Marijuana: The dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate (female) cannabis plant that yield THC.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): The principal active chemical in marijuana that supplies its narcotic and psychoactive effects.

Hemp: A cannabis plant containing very low amounts of THC, generally grown for its fiber.

Strains: Varieties of marijuana containing specific characteristics such as certain THC levels, physical effects, smells and colors.

The blue states have legalized marijuana for only medical purposes, while the red states have legalized it for both medical and recreational purposes. In all, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana in some form.

It's been almost 20 years since the first state legalized medical marijuana, but conflicting regulations between the states and the lack of federal direction on its rules and regulations have left the industry fractured and stunted.

From the website run by investigative journalist Ben Swann:

On March 24, cannabis oil activist Shona Banda‘s life was flipped upside-down after her son was taken from her by the State of Kansas. The ordeal started when police and counselors at her 11-year-old son’s school conducted a drug education class. Her son, who had previously lived in Colorado for a period of time, disagreed with some of the anti-pot points that were being made by school officials. “My son says different things like my ‘Mom calls it cannabis and not marijuana.’ He let them know how educated he was on the facts,” said Banda in an exclusive interview with BenSwann.com. Banda successfully treated her own Crohn’s disease with cannabis oil.

Their daughter's situation may cause them to move from their home. Everly, IA (ABC9 News) - For 13 years, Mike and Tammi Heuk have made adjustments to their home and lives for their daughter Shelby. Their cabinets are full of medicine, their van is specially equipped for Shelby, and they've spent 9-thousand dollars on a chair-system to help get her up the stairs. "Just about everything is planned around her and her needs," said Tammi Heuk, mother of Shelby.

Stephen Cornell smokes pot twice a day to keep the pain and stiffness in his neck away.

One year on, two systems for medical marijuana continue to (awkwardly) co-exist

What are you smoking?
Medical marijuana marketing rules are strict: no social media advertising, no colourful names and no allusions to its recreational use

Bob Morgan, the current head of the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot project is stepping down. Things that make me go hmmm??? Mr. Morgan stated that it had been a pleasure to serve. I can’t help but wonder if he is considering any possibility of the many lawsuits and (hopefully) investigations into the licensing procedure leading to service in an orange jumpsuit.

I’m not suggesting that Mr. Morgan was involved in any wrong -doing. I have no information and I haven’t heard any talk on the street. I will say that there are some interesting things developing.

Many of us realize the important of “balance” in our daily lives. Balancing work and play is a critical part of our physical and mental health. Nutritional scientists have shown that balancing omega-6 fats (which are generally, but not always, pro-inflammatory and therefore considered the “bad guys”) with omega-3 fats (the “good guys”) can impact a multitude of health outcomes. For example, replacing omega-6 rich processed foods (e.g., french fries, potato chips, and pastries) with omega-3 rich healthy alternatives (e.g., salmon steak, sardines, and fresh leafy vegetables) improves cardiovascular health, brain health, and metabolic wellness. A similar analogy can be used when discussing endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid “tone/balance.”

Last November's push to bring medical marijuana to Florida came up short. Amendment 2 just missed the 60 percent threshold, but advocates believe they'll do better in 2016.

They certainly don't have much faith in their elected officials. Even though the Florida Legislature passed a limited form of medical marijuana use in 2014, the state never put the program into effect. No wonder the push is on to let voters decide at the ballot.

While for many people epilepsy is a manageable condition, there are some forms of the disorder that can be debilitating, especially for young people who are not equipped to deal with their condition. Now, new research suggests that a marijuana extract could help to reduce symptoms in some of the most severe cases of epilepsy.