Marijuana stocks are hogging the spotlight, with many investors asking if they should invest in marijuana stocks…and how to invest in marijuana stocks. And for good reason. Canada legalized the adult use of recreational pot on October 17, the first industrialized country to do so. Countries like Germany, Australia, and Italy are heading in the same direction.

Here in the U.S., recreational marijuana use is legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C. Medical marijuana use is legal in 33 states. And those numbers are growing.

Recreational marijuana use in the U.S. is still illegal on the federal level, but states that have legalized it are rolling in money. The U.S. marijuana market is projected to hit $22.0 billion by 2022.

Investing in the marijuana industry may have seemed taboo a few years back, but as more states are making recreational marijuana legal with Canada legalizing pot nation-wide (the first industrialized country to do so), it seems like a no-brainer to put your money where your mouth is — literally. This year is expected to be the most profitable one in the history of marijuana. Last year, the legal marijuana industry was worth $10 billion for the U.S. alone. Canadians spent just under C$6 billion on cannabis in 2017 and it is predicted that the U.S. marijuana industry could be worth $50 million within the next 8 years.

How quickly things change in the marijuana industry and with marijuana stocks.

After another week of marijuana stocks getting decimated, many investors are surely wondering if now is the time to establish positions in order to get exposure to this new and exciting business.

Canopy Growth Corp (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) stock has increased more than 300% since the fall of 2017 and 23% year-to-date.

But those investors who have gotten in more recently are down big, as the stock has plummeted 40% from highs of this summer, and down 8% in the last week.

Shoppers Drug Mart has been granted a licence to sell medical marijuana online.

Health Canada's list of authorized cannabis sellers and producers has been updated to reflect that the pharmacy can sell dried and fresh cannabis, as well as plants, seeds and oil.

A website has been set up by the company, which says that patients "with a valid medical document will soon be able to purchase a wide selection of medical cannabis products" from Shoppers.

A spokeswoman for Shoppers' parent company Loblaw Companies Ltd. said it's too soon to say when people will be able to start making orders.

She said the company is still working through a "technical issue" with Health Canada.

Aphria Inc. (NYSE:APHA) isn't the only marijuana stock that's tumbled since adult sales began in Canada, but a 63% loss since Oct. 17 seems a bit extreme. Aphria will soon be capable of producing enough cannabis to fill stadiums, or at least enough to gain a large share of a global market for legal cannabis expected to reach $57 billion by 2027. A recently depressed stock price has attracted some bargain shoppers and investors who missed out on this stock's tremendous run-up earlier this year. Has bad news pressured Aphria shares down to a lower price than they deserve right now? Let's measure reasons for and against adding this former highflier to your portfolio to find out.

Now that marijuana has been legalized in Canada, Statistics Canada released a new report on December 7th about the job force in the country in 2018. They reported that the marijuana industry has been a positive impact on the jobs in Canada and has created thousands of new positions for Canadians. 

Just as there are many strains of marijuana, you could say there also are various "strains" of marijuana stocks.

Two leading examples of this diversity are Cronos Group (NASDAQ: CRON) and GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: GWPH).

The former is one of the top marijuana producers, while the latter is the largest cannabis-focused biotech.

At the moment, you can purchase marijuana via OCS; come next October, cannabis-infused drinks including beers are expected to become legal.

Waterloo Brewing is currently preparing for that incoming legislation.

President and CEO George Croft says they're ready to take on this challenge.

"We've been mixing drinks, ready to drink ciders and beers, for an extended period of time," says Croft. "We think this is a real opportunity for our company."

The numbers for the potential revenue on this product are staggering, according to Croft.

"The belief is that it's about a $1.5 billion opportunity in Canada on an annualized basis," claims Croft. "That's just liquid infused drinks."

This has been a history-making year for the cannabis industry. Practically anywhere you look, marijuana firsts were occurring. In no particular order, here are some of the industry's most notable events in 2018:

It contains a forecast of the next 5 years, starting 2018 and ending 2023 with a host of metrics like supply-demand ratio, Medical Cannabis market frequency, dominant players of Medical Cannabis market, driving factors, restraints, and challenges. The report also contains market revenue, sales, Medical Cannabis production and manufacturing cost that could help you get a better view on the market. Get to know the economic background and financial problems faced by the industry as well. A SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) has been made for companies working in the sector too.