It's been another weird year and, depending on where you find yourself on this third rock away from the centre of our solar system, you've no doubt had to contend with all manner of madness.

From the knock-on effects of a global pandemic to rising global tensions and an increasingly-divided sense of society, it's easy to forget that there's more to life than what you see on the news or what people rant about on social media. For me personally, it's not always easy to stay sane in the face of adversity and I often feel that we have to seek out all the good things that happen simply to dilute all of the negative narratives we are exposed to. As we reflect upon another successful cycle round the sun, it's worth taking a moment to consider some of the positive things that have happened this year within the world of Weed.

Throughout the global response to the pandemic, researchers from across the world tried to make sense of Covid-19 and its continuously emerging variants in order to better protect populations from severe disease and to ensure that vaccines were adapted as these variations appeared. Incredibly, it was discovered that the spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 would bind to receptors in the body which were a match for the receptors that cannabinoids bind to in order to work on the body through the endocannabinoid systems. A paper published in the National Library of Medicine's journal (Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants, Van Breeman et al.) explained that "Cannabinoid acids from hemp (Cannabis sativa) were found to be allosteric as well as orthosteric ligands with micromolar affinity for the spike protein.

In follow-up virus neutralization assays, cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid prevented infection of human epithelial cells by a pseudovirus expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and prevented entry of live SARS-CoV-2 into cells. Importantly, cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid were equally effective against the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant B.1.1.7 and the beta variant B.1.351. Orally bioavailable and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2." Follow up research around the world has only served to strengthen the validity of these findings with many users of cannabis indicating that they have had little-to-no notable signs of infection throughout the pandemic. This also paves the way for extended and expanded research routes in the hope of exploring how cannabinoids can be used to prevent infection from a range of other dangerous viruses.In an astonishing turn of events, President of the United States, Joe Biden, made a number of positive proposals and promises in one of his White House briefings that outlined a change in stance from the US Government in relation to criminal prosecutions and incarceration for minor possession charges.

Leading the way for state governors to follow, he announced "a pardon for all prior offenses of simple possession of marijuana" with the hope of reducing the "collateral consequences arising from these convictions" that previously left millions finding themselves "denied employment, housing or educational opportunities as a result." This landmark moment also saw President Biden express to the Attorney General that he felt there was a need to consider the reclassification of  marijuana from the current Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act" which labeled it as more dangerous than drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine that are sadly "driving our overdose epidemic". In his closing statement, he went on to acknowledge that "too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we right these wrongs."At the time of writing, twenty one states across the US have moved towards relaxation of the laws surrounding cannabis usage. While there are still numerous opponents to this progressive mindset, mainly people who are not willing to accept that there are actually numerous health benefits to its consumption and instead continue to peddle the same old arguments for continued prohibition, supporters of the cause are finding it increasingly easy to access a range of factual evidence to support their point of view.

It's no secret that the lucrative black market sales of cannabis have caused untold troubles for communities around the world, with criminal interests often impacting on the lives of those who have to obtain their supplies through illicit channels, but the move towards decriminalization, legalization or prescribed medicinal usage will have a number of beneficial results. Social justice initiatives are pushing to see better support for those who have been affected by prohibition laws while local services are seeing huge financial boosts as a result of the tax gains made by states who have provided opportunities for pot-based businesses to become established. Moreover, health care and support programs for those people who need advice or treatment are beginning to flourish with the stigma surrounding cannabis usage gradually slipping out of the collective unconscious.

Being able to treat people in need is just one of the myriad benefits to a more forward-thinking society. In other parts of the world we are starting to see a greater range of countries reconsidering their stance on cannabis in response to the huge positives coming from the US and there is hope that the next five years will signal a significant shift across Europe and beyond.One of the biggest benefits of increased leniency towards business ventures linked to cannabis is that the fledgling industry offers ample opportunities for savvy investors. By the end of 2021 there was an estimated value placed on the medical cannabis industry of £700 million in the UK alone, after the move to allow companies to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) towards the end of 2020. While trading on the markets always carries a level of risk, there is the potential for this entire market sector to expand exponentially in the years to come and early investors who are prepared to ride the waves for a longer term could well see themselves making significant returns.

That being said, with the ever-increasing levels of interest we are likely to see a rise in the number of companies coming to market and not all of them will be make a worthy addition to your portfolio. If you think that this is something you might want to put your money into, as an alternative to the stagnated interest rates on savings, then make sure you do some research first to avoid sinking your well-earned money into a dud.So, while there is plenty of negativity, chaos and disruption going on all around us, there is at least some hope for these positive trends to bring more goodness in the near future. A number of people have made some interesting predictions for the next year, with some suggesting that 2023 will see something of a seismic shift towards widespread relaxation of regulations across the globe and, when you consider how far we've come in a relatively short space of time, it wouldn't take too much of a stretch of the imagination to see this becoming a reality sooner rather than later. Try to focus on the positives and see every obstacle as an opportunity to find a better route to success and maybe we'll all be reaping the benefits before 2024.