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To many, marijuana remains the “devil’s lettuce” or a predecessor to the oft joked-about munchies. To countless others, though, it and its non-high-inducing chemical compounds like cannabidiol (CBD) can lead to lucrative business or economic opportunities — and be used for numerous health benefits like relieving pain and reducing anxiety and seizures.

“If you look at the tremendous number of receptor sites for cannabinoids in the human body, it’s only natural to think cannabinoids can be used medicinally,” Dr. Stuart Titus, president and CEO of Medical Marijuana Inc., told Metro. “We think that the next 20, possibly as many 100 to 200 years, in the future, you’ll see a number of pharmaceutical companies moving into the cannabinoid space.”

It not as far-fetched as it may sound. “Going back to late 1800s and early 1900s, just about every pharmaceutical company had some form of cannabis-based medicine,” added Titus, who was initially one of the first investors in Medical Marijuana Inc., which developed the first legal supply of CBD on U.S. and world markets.

Medical marijuana and many other industry topics are on the docket for the 4th annual Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition, which takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York today and Friday.

The Cannabis World Congress comes just days after a letter from Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking Congress to repeal federal medical marijuana protections was leaked earlier this week.

Sessions cited the “historic drug epidemic” of opiate abuse, not pot, but his letter put many who rely on or work in the field of medical marijuana on edge nonetheless.

“Parents who have seen tremendous reductions in seizure disorders and improvement in quality of life for them and their children, to take this away from people, my gosh, I think it would be a terrible injustice,” Titus said.

But with Americans able to get “one form of legal cannabis or another in 47 of 50 U.S. states, it’s only a matter of time before we come to grips with this and tax and regulate cannabis just like we would alcohol,” he added.

On CWCBE’s agenda are sessions on where and how to invest or open a business in the industry, the latest in medical research, diversity, hemp processing, dispensary running and more. New York state Sen. Diane Savino and Rev. Al Sharpton are among the keynote speakers.

For more info on Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo, visit cwcbexpo.com.