Retailers across Canada are struggling with a shortage of all cannabis, but there's one product they're especially desperate to keep on shelves: cannabidiol or CBD, a non-intoxicating extract vaunted for its purported health benefits.

The extract, most commonly sold as oil, has been promoted as a natural cure for pain, anxiety and insomnia, despite limited medical research. Many customers are coming in asking for it, especially first-time and older users, store owners say.

"I don't think the licensed producers really realized how popular CBD was, so there's none available, really,'' said Krystian Wetulani, founder of City Cannabis Co. in Vancouver.

Few industries have been kicking tail and taking names more so than marijuana. Having long been considered an illicit substance that was cast aside by legislators around the globe, cannabis is now a legitimate business model. Globally, over 40 countries have given medical marijuana the green light, with two (Canada and Uruguay) also allowing the recreational sale of the drug.

Shares of OrganiGram Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:OGRMF) have been back on the breakout radar in recent action, with new all-time highs logged last week. To further flesh out the story, the company just announced that it has received an expanded cultivation license from Health Canada in line with its previously announced Phase 4A and 4B expansion plans for its Moncton Campus.

According to the release, ”the perimeter expansion licensed represents an additional 163,000 sq ft of allocated space for 63 cultivation rooms populating the Company’s planned Phase 4A and 4B expansion, including the initial 13 cultivation rooms now approved. The approval of the perimeter for Phase 4B was received ahead of schedule, in tandem with the approval for Phase 4A.”

What happened

Shares of leading Canadian marijuana grower Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC) gained 16.5% in April, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The S&P 500 (including dividends) returned 4.1% last month. Canopy shares are up a whopping 82.7% in 2019 through Friday, May 3, versus the S&P 500's 18.3% return over this period.

Aaron Horn first came across cannabidiol, or CBD, about three years ago in Glastonbury – the town, not the festival. “I found it at this amazing hemp shop, Hemp in Avalon,” recalls Horn, a musician who is now 35. “It’s run by a guy called Free. His last name is Cannabis. He changed his name by deed poll to Free Cannabis.” Horn bought a tube of high-concentration CBD paste – “it comes out like a brown toothpaste, almost” – and it was recommended he put a tiny dot on his finger and pop it in his mouth.

Aphria (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA) is one of the biggest names in the Canadian pot sector, but the company has also had the worst publicity out of all of its peers. Indeed, the marijuana grower has fallen on tough times recently, and it is taking some time for Aphria to shake off the various negative storylines associated with it.

However, many investors see Aphria as a bargain, in part because its share price has been dragged down due to bad publicity. Could Aphria’s current struggles actually be an opportunity for investors? Let’s see whether the Ontario-based firm actually has more upside than it seems at first glance.

In case you haven't been paying attention, the marijuana industry is turning into a big business before our eyes. Once peddling a taboo product, the legal marijuana industry generated $12.2 billion in sales globally in 2018, and looks to be on track to grow sales by another 38% in 2019 to $16.9 billion. That's according to a report released by the duo of Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics.

With big money flowing into the marijuana industry, pot stocks have to be prepared to expand their production capacity, broaden their product portfolios, and even acquire new or complementary businesses.

Torontonians will soon have a fourth option when it comes to purchasing marijuana legally in the city.

Tokyo Smoke says it is ready to open for business Monday morning at 9 a.m.

Colin Campbell, one of the five lottery license winners from Toronto, partnered with Tokyo Smoke – which already operates cannabis outlets in Calgary and Manitoba – to set up shop in the old HMV building near Yonge-Dundas Square.

They will join Hunny Pot Cannabis Co., Nova Cannabis and Ameri which have already begun selling legal weed in their shops.

What happened

Shares of EnWave (NASDAQOTH:NWVCF)(TSXV:ENW) gained 25.4% in April, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The S&P 500 (including dividends) returned 4.1% last month. EnWave is a fast-growing small Canadian company that produces and distributes all-natural dried cheese snacks and licenses, manufactures, and installs equipment for dehydrating organic materials -- including cannabis. 

Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) and Charlotte's Web Holdings (NASDAQOTH:CWBHF) rank as two of the hottest stocks in the cannabis industry so far in 2019.

Aurora is up more than 70% year to date, while Charlotte's Web shares have gained more than 65%. But which of these two cannabis stocks is the better pick for investors now? The decision comes down to growth prospects and the ability to capitalize on those prospects. Here's how Aurora Cannabis and Charlotte's Web Holdings stack up against each other.