The marijuana industry is coming off what could arguably be described as its greatest year in history. Last year, we witnessed Canada become the first industrialized country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis, and saw a handful of significant advances in the U.S., be it through the legalization of hemp and hemp-based cannabidiol, the approval of the very first cannabis-derived drug, or the continued legalization of medical or recreational weed at the state level.

Recreational marijuana legalization in Canada might only be two months old, but that doesn’t mean all insurers in the country are newbies to the cannabis insurance space. For Wynward Insurance Group, the decision to get into the marijuana marketplace came two years ago when the federal government began taking steps towards legalization. 

The 2018 year in cannabis was quite up and down in terms of volatility for the majority of the large stocks in the industry. As we inch into 2019, it seems as though marijuana stocks with lower levels of volatility may be the way to go. Of course, these picks are for the safer investor and for those who day trade, stocks with larger fluctuations may be a better choice.

Marijuana penny stocks are up and down this morning on the TSXV. While some are seeing slight losses today, there are others that are kicking off 2019 strong. Today, we’ll take a look at a pair of penny stocks that are making a strong push early in the year, Namate Technologies (TSXV:N) and Canopy Rivers (TSXV:RIV).

Marijuana became legal in Canada in October 2018. Like many states in the U.S., government officials are struggling with how to manage, measure and understand both legal and illegal use of cannabis. This is where the study of human excrement comes in.

Sewage in several municipalities will be studied to gain knowledge of cannabis use. The organization coordinating this activity is Statistics Canada.

A businessman from China hopped on a private jet last month, landed in Canada and went hiking on the Cascade Range in BC.

And then he smoked a fat blunt.

This experience cost $12,500. It’s part of a ‘high-hiking’ tour hosted by Butiq Escapes, a luxury weed tourismcompany based out of Victoria, where a hiking guide picks you up from a private airport, smokes with you in the mountains and feeds you (and up to a group of four), lunch and dinner.

The deadline is quickly approaching for landlords who want to restrict cannabis smoking on their properties — by Jan. 15 tenants need to be advised that their lease is changing to include a ban.

Once tenants receive notice of the proposed change to their lease, they have 30 days to contest it to the Régie du logement.

Kevin Lebeau, spokesperson for the Quebec Landlords Association, said there are many reasons a landlord might not want their tenants smoking pot. 

For one, they want to make sure their dwelling isn't seeped in cannabis smoke, he said. 

"Second of all, it can also constitute a nuisance for other tenants," Lebeau said. 

Watching Canadian marijuana stocks has become something of a fixture on the global investment scene — though doing so while actually being invested in them has caused more than a few pulses to raise, hands to sweat, and mouths to go dry. While the TSX index is undeniably still pretty young compared to other stock markets, you can be sure that nobody has seen anything quite like the legal pot stock phenomenon that’s been roiling Bay Street.

Let’s take a look at how two frontrunners fared over Christmas.

Cannabis stocks had a banner year in 2018. And thanks to a surfeit of landmark developments -- such as the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, Mexico's slow but steady march toward legalization, and Thailand's decision to suddenly decriminalize medical marijuana at the tail end of the year -- this emerging growth industry appears to be on solid footing heading into 2019.

There has been a slew of recent media reports, including reader comments to The GrowthOp, detailing disruptions in the supply of medical cannabis products. Although Health Canada insists current product levels are adequate to meet demand overall, there may be local shortages in the supply of certain products and strains.