The past couple of years have been filled with marijuana milestones. In 2018, Canada became the first industrialized country in the world (in the modern era) to give recreational pot the green light. It was also the year we saw the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve its very first cannabis-derived drug.
Then, last year, we saw Illinois do something that no other state had previously done: it legalized the consumption and sale of recreational cannabis entirely at the legislative level. Many marijuana stocks also soared to all-time highs during the first quarter.
Now, all eyes are on 2020 and what milestones might be experienced in the marijuana industry this year. One of those finger-crossing hopes has been that the National Football League (NFL) would loosen or adjust its policy on medical marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) -- CBD being the nonpsychoactive cannabinoid best known for its medical benefits. Since the NFL is the world's most-watched sport, it would be viewed as a pioneer of new treatment options were it to allow its players the option of using CBD or medical cannabis as a pain-management tool. But according to a recent statements by the League, this now appears unlikely.