By now, it's become no secret that legal marijuana offers a potentially once-in-a-generation growth opportunity for investors. After global cannabis sales nearly hit $11 billion in 2018, according to the newest "State of the Legal Cannabis Markets" report from Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, they're expected to soar to north of $40 billion by 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate of almost 25%.

If these various growth forecasts prove accurate and we do see relatively steady double-digit growth rates worldwide in the pot industry over the next 5 to 10 years, there's little doubt that a number of marijuana stocks will come out as winners.

Canopy Growth testing outdoor cultivation with Northern Saskatchewan pilot program

Testing for impairment from cannabis is no “magic bullet”. Rather, effective oversight, worker supervision and having an impairment-management program are key to navigating the post-legal-weed world. This was the message that Tom Brocklehurst, director of prevention practices and quality with WorkSafeBC in Richmond, Brit­ish Columbia, delivered during a session at the 2019 West­ern Conference on Safety in Vancouver.

“We are now six months after legalization. I don’t know if the sky has fallen — I don’t think it has,” Brocklehurst said. “Impairment has been around as long as there are impairing substances, and impaired workers have been around for as long as people have been working.”

The biggest of Canada’s booming pot growers, Canopy Growth Corp, has further to go on a string of acquisitions that has seen it suck up at least 12 smaller firms in a year, but it is done buying other producers, Chief Executive Officer Bruce Linton said.

Powered by a deal with Corona-maker Constellation Brands Inc that has left it with US$4.5 billion to invest, Canopy is in pole position to cash in on Canada’s legalization of marijuana for recreational use as well as expectations that the United States may follow.

Canada’s leading cannabis cultivator Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) disappointed the market, recently reporting worse-than-expected results for the fiscal fourth quarter. Its stock has fallen sharply in recent days to be down by 13% over the last three months. It is worth noting that even after this sharp decline, Canopy is still up by 41% since the start of 2019. While there is growing pessimism surrounding cannabis stocks, which has seen many dragged down in the wake of Canopy’s poor results, investors should not be deterred from investing in Canada’s largest legal cannabis cultivator.

A study published earlier this month shows data that identifies long term use of cannabis may prevent diabetes even after usage decreases or ends.

Researchers (Ngueta G. and Ndjaboue R.) from Laval University in Quebec analyzed data from the 2009-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and estimated the minimal lifetime marijuana use using the duration of regular exposure and the frequency of use.

Researchers used linear models to determine the association of marijuana use with both fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) for lean, overweight, and obese subjects.

Things are changing again in the cannabis industry after HEXO (TSX:HEXO)reported the third-quarter fiscal 2019 earnings report ending April 30, 2019, on June 12. Investors reacted negatively to the financial results, as they expected something better. As a result, HEXO’s wings were clipped, and the stock fell sharply by 8.44% to $7.81.

Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada for almost two decades, but with recreational’s entrance into the regulated space last October, rules around accessing medical cannabis changed. So how does a patient go about getting a prescription?

Cryptocurrencies have been among the best-performing asset classes over the past year, with returns on Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s leading cryptocurrency, outpacing even those of Horizon’s Life Sciences Marijuana ETF.

But while BTC and cryptos have certainly been hot to start 2019, here are three reasons why cannabis stocks still stack up as the superior investment opportunity — at least in theory.

Cannabis is a tangible good

The cannabis plant and its associated by-products, including capsules, gels, oils, and creams are real, tangible things. That means you can hold them, touch them, and feel them.

This Christmas Santa may be flying higher than his sleigh as he indulges on the goodies left out for him along his route.

New cannabis-infused products — edibles, beverages, extracts and concentrates — should be available by mid-December.

People will be able to purchase the new products at the Ontario Cannabis Store or licensed retailers in accordance with Health Canada regulations.

Here’s what you need to know:

Edibles

Cannabis edibles refer to foods that contain THC — the ingredient in marijuana that gets users high — and provide an alternative to smoking weed.

They are popular as baked goods, especially brownies, cookies, chocolates and candies. But you can also cook with cannabis oil (canna oil) or butter.