Of roughly 646,000 Canadians to try cannabis in 2019, 332,000 were 45 or older, data from the self-reported survey run by Statistics Canada shows. That brings that demographic’s overall rate of use up from 9 per cent last year to 14 per cent now.

The data released Thursday by Statscan is the first iteration of the National Cannabis Survey conducted exclusively after legalization in October last year. The study has been running since February 2018.

Overall, cannabis use among Canadians increased by three per cent, from 14 percent last year at this time, to 18 per cent, or 5.3 million Canadians aged 15 or older.

As recently as 10 years ago, the idea of recreational marijuana being legalized would have been somewhat laughable. In the U.S. in 2009, just 44% of survey-takers favored the idea of a broad-based legalization, according Gallup, and not a single country in the world had passed a law allowing the consumption of recreational cannabis. 

But what a difference a decade makes.

Today we have identified four Canadian cannabis stocks performing well above industry benchmarks Horizons Emerging Marijuana Growers (HMJR) and ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF (MJ) in terms of year-to-date returns.

While it has been a good year so far for cannabis companies, year-to-date, our four stocks have significantly outperformed these cannabis ETF benchmarks, increasing an average of 205.75%, compared to the average benchmark, which has increased 54.5%. In terms of average 2020E consensus multiples, our picks trade at 1.88x sales and 8.5x EBITDA, a substantial discount to peers, which trade at 7.9x sales and 29.9x EBITDA (Canadian industry mean).

In case you haven't noticed, big things are happening in the marijuana industry. Long considered a taboo industry that wasn't worth the time of day of lawmakers or investors, few if any industries have grown faster, or delivered greater returns for investors over the last three years, than legal marijuana.

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (“TGOD” or the “Company”) (TGOD.TO) (TGODF) is pleased to announce, in conjunction with Epican Medicinals (“Epican”), the opening of its second legal cannabis retail store in Jamaica . Located on Montego Bay’s “Hip Strip”, the flagship location will open for business on May 4, 2019 .

Cannabis stocks flattened out on Wednesday after steep declines on Tuesday. It's been a rocky week so far for cannabis stocks across broader North American markets. 

The North American Marijuana Index, which tracks the top cannabis stocks in the US and Canada, was flat at 297.7 points on Wednesday. The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF was up 0.4% at C$21.38.

Curaleaf Holdings Inc., the most valuable U.S. marijuana company, is making a big bet on cannabis oil.

The Massachusetts-based company is buying the regulated cannabis business of Cura Partners Inc., a maker of oil for vape pens, in a stock deal valued at about $1.27 billion (US$950 million). That makes it the largest acquisition so far between U.S. cannabis companies. Cura, based in Portland, Oregon, sells its Select brand marijuana products in more than 900 dispensaries, including in California, which is home to the world’s largest legal weed market. It had revenue of about US$117 million last year.

Acquiring Select gives Curaleaf a popular West Coast brand it can sell at its dispensaries around the U.S., according Boris Jordan, the company’s chairman.

2019 is shaping up to be the most profitable year yet for CBD – the medicinal compound derived from marijuana. And there's still time to make a huge profit on what's quickly becoming a billion-dollar industry.

The Hemp Business Journal reports that the CBD industry, worth only $170 million in 2017, could be worth $1.1 billion by the end of next year.

And that figure could balloon to even greater heights in just the next three years. According to the Brightfield Group, the CBD industry could be worth as much as $22 billion by 2022.

That 12,000% growth potential is simply unheard of. That's why we've been telling our readers all about CBD.

Last year, the marijuana industry made history at practically every turn. We witnessed Canada become the first industrialized country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis, saw the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve its very first cannabis-derived drug, and even had a pot stock go the initial public offering route on a major U.S. exchange.

People living on a quiet street in The Maples say they're tired of sharing the neighbourhood with a medical marijuana grow-op.

The house was purchased by a couple two years ago, according to land title documents, but neighbours say no one ever moved in. The owners live in another home on the same street and have only used this house to grow medical marijuana plants.

"They bought this house for a grow-op I guess," neighbour Rogelio Laoag told CBC News.

Laoag and his wife have lived in their home for about 20 years but since their neighbours' home turned into a grow-op in 2017, they haven't been able to enjoy their backyard. They say the smell of cannabis is so strong it makes them feel light-headed.