More and more, medicinal cannabis is being recognized for its therapeutic purposes and state legislation is beginning to reflect that. Today, medical marijuana advocates in the state of Ohio took the first step towards the legalization of the use of pot for medical purposes.

A recent report indicated that thousands of signatures have been collected in support of the legalization of medical marijuana. The proposal, dubbed the “Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment,” aims to amend the Ohio state constitution to permit doctors to administer up to 3.5 ounces of medical marijuana to patients suffering from an ailment for which pot can be an aid.

The motion from the people of Ohio is indicative of the changing attitudes toward medical marijuana. There are movements across the country pushing for the legalization of medical and in some cases, recreational marijuana.  There will be a number of groups that will benefit from this, should legalization expand beyond the 16 states in which it is currently legal.

First and foremost, there are those patients for whom marijuana helps alleviate ills ranging from nausea to insomnia, chronic pain and anorexia. Second are the individuals who will be employed at the small businesses. The next group consists of public corporations like General Cannabis (CANA).

General Cannabis, a web-based company operating within the ancillary markets of the industry, has seen consistent growth and a high level of interest in its various endeavors from investors and the general public alike. It’s website WeedMaps.com, is the premier destination for connecting patients with suppliers while its credit card processing services help to make for more legitimate exchanges in an increasingly recognized field.

The investment opportunities and potential boon for local economies presented by medicinal cannabis companies offers even more of an incentive for legalization. It wouldn’t be surprising if many more states besides Ohio, in these dire economic times, chose to follow suit.