As you're probably aware, the marijuana industry is a big-money business. Even though more money is currently being spent in the black market at the moment, the idea is that as more countries push to legalize cannabis, consumers will steadily move into legal channels. In a decade's time, we could be looking at a global market that's capable of $50 billion, $100 billion, or even $200 billion in annual sales.

It’s the busiest week of the quarter for cannabis earnings, and investors appear prepared to generously reward companies that show they can turn a profit and punish those that don’t.

Key companies to report this week include Canadian licensed producers Canopy Growth Corp. and Tilray Inc. and U.S. multi-state operators Acreage Holdings Inc., Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. and Trulieve Cannabis Corp.

Aphria is a medical and recreational cannabis company that wants to educate people about not only the benefits and safety of cannabis, but also their different strains for different feelings.

The Solei Discovery Centre, hosted by Aphria, is a cannabis education pop-up booth at the popular Boots and Hearts Country Music Festival.

It has been open all weekend and will be open today from 1:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Based out of Leamington, Aphria is a licensed producer of recreational and medical cannabis; Solei is the name of one of their brands.

Megan McCrae, the vice president of marketing, said being at one of the biggest music festivals in the province just makes sense.

Farmers and drug-enforcement agents spent decades trying to rid Illinois fields of cannabis, considered both a noxious weed and an illegal plant.

But the star-shaped “cannabis sativa” is making the transition to commercial crop, now that the state has legalized hemp production and both medical and recreational marijuana use.

Just how easy is it to grow?

Cannabis can proliferate like a weed, but producing the THC-rich flowers favored by marijuana users can be “very challenging,” according to Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. “There is a little bit of a learning curve to it.”

In a week with relatively few cannabis news items, Florida state Rep.

Canopy Rivers (TSXV: RIV) (OTC: CNPOF) announced that its portfolio company Radicle Medical Marijuana received approval from Health Canada to expand its production facility in Ontario.

The approval will help the company to effectively double its production, increasing its capacity to 6,000 kilograms per year. With the Health Canada approval, Radicle will have 40,000 sq. ft. dedicated to indoor hydroponic cultivation.

The cannabis space is getting interesting again ahead of the legalization of edibles and other peripheral products this fall. With Aphria rocketing on an encouraging quarterly win (and creating a much-needed tailwind for other marijuana stocks in its wake), investors are eyeing the hegemony of the fledgling sector with their appetite for risk and upside renewed.

However, one stock in particular has been grabbing the attention of pot stock believers.

It’s been a crazy year for cannabis investors. After a roller-coaster ride from last summer until now, investors have seen their pot stocks rise to record-setting heights, only to come crashing back down. While some short-sellers out there are likely celebrating, lately there hasn’t been much to celebrate with share prices around half of where they were in the summer of 2018.

Canadian cannabis producer Aphria (NYSE: APHA) recently reported blowout fourth-quarter results that were wildly celebrated by investors. U.S.-based hemp cannabidiol (CBD) company Charlotte's Web Holdings (OTC: CWBHF) is only a few days away from announcing its latest quarterly results, which should also be very good.

Whether you're ready for it or not, it's election season in America. For the next 15 months we'll be hearing political ads and debates, and reading columns concerning which political candidates give our city, county, state, or country the best chance to thrive.

But what's particularly interesting about the 2020 elections is that, for the first time ever, there's likely to be a real focus and debate on cannabis reform.