Two separate issues are plaguing these two big cannabis markets, but they have one thing in common: The government limiting the numbers of cannabis produced so that they somehow wouldn’t flood the streets with illegal cannabis.

Applicants aren’t transitioning

In the Canadian system, applicants trying to become cannabis producers are getting stuck in the limbo as they fail to transition to the new system.

According to HC, more than half of the cannabis site applications in Canada haven’t yet transitioned to the new licensing system.

As of December 31st, only 409 cannabis site applications in the queue to be cannabis cultivators had transitioned to the Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System.

With the cannabis boom just getting underway, analysts at Piper Jaffray believe we could be looking at a market value of between $250 billion to $500 billion a year. ''We believe the long-term growth can be significant - both from transitioning illicit trade to legal sales, medical sales, and from transitioning sales in health [and] wellness categories to CBD-infused products,'' said the analysts, as quoted by MarketWatch.

Most notably, as millions of people living all over the world look to embrace the medicinal properties of cannabis, related companies are quickly gaining the attention of cannabis investors.

In the first six weeks of marijuana legalization Prince Edward Island had the highest per capita legal sales in the country, and P.E.I. Cannabis is taking that as a sign it's getting something right.

Statistics Canada added cannabis stores to its retail sales figures in November.

The report released last week shows P.E.I. Cannabis stores sold $2.1 million worth of product in the first six weeks of opening. That's $17.22 for every Islander aged 19 and over. The next highest per capita spending was in Nova Scotia, at $13.80 per capita.

Manitoba sales were not included in the report.

P.E.I. Cannabis director of operations Zach Currie likes what he sees in the report.

If you're nervous there could be a crackdown on recreational marijuana companies because marijuana remains illegal in the U.S. at the federal level, then medical marijuana stocks could be a better investment option. Most countries still prohibit recreational marijuana use, but laws allowing medical marijuana use are becoming increasingly common. For example, medical marijuana markets are thriving in Canada and Germany, and in the U.S., 33 states have passed laws supporting medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana may not be as big an opportunity as recreational marijuana, but it could still be worth tens of billions of dollars annually to the top stocks. Here's how investors can profit from marijuana as medicine.

Large U.S. funds are exploring lending to Canadian cannabis companies as a way to gain expertise in the burgeoning market ahead of potential U.S. legalization, according to an investment banker who’s been holding weekly calls with the firms.

Funds with US$100 billion or more in assets under management are considering issuing loans to mid-tier marijuana producers, said Alfred Avanessy, managing director at Toronto-based brokerage Cormark Securities Inc., which offers cannabis investment banking, advisory and research. At least three other people at other financial services firms have been approached by the funds regarding cannabis lending. All declined to name the potential investors as the talks are preliminary.

Post-legalization marijuana earnings continue to trickle in as Canadian cannabis firms release their earnings reports for the periods covering post October 17 recreational sales. Two of the early quarterly financial reports to give the market a better glimpse into the adult-use market dynamics were from Aphria (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA) and most recently Organigram Holdings (TSXV:OGI).

If you're a fan of cannabis and a fan of kombucha, you'll be excited to hear that Calgary cannabis company, Zenabis has officially acquired a 51% stake in a True Buch, a Canadian kombucha company. In addition to this exciting news, the company has decided to release their own line of cannabis-infused kombucha drinks for Canadians to enjoy.

Kombucha and cannabis have been everywhere this year. Kombucha is a bubbly fermented beverage made out of tea elixir with Asian root and dates back nearly 2000 years. Filled with living probiotics, enzymes, and amino acids, this concoction is known by many to be the go-to healthy drink.

Two cannabis entrepreneurs who sold their first pot company to Canopy Growth Corp. for $430 million (US$324 million) may hit pay dirt again when they take their cannabis brand company public.

Slang Worldwide Inc., co-founded by Peter Miller and Billy Levy, begins trading at $1.50 a share Tuesday on the Canadian Securities Exchange for a market value of about $500 million, according to a company representative. That would be more valuable than Mettrum Health Corp. when Miller and Levy sold it in early 2017 to Canopy, the world’s largest cannabis company.

The head of Canopy Growth’s retail operation leaves company after less than six months on the job

Until late last year, Canadians could purchase legal medical cannabis through a licensed seller. None of those sellers, however, had a pharmacy as part of their operations.