CannTrust Holdings Inc. ("CannTrust" or the "Company",TSX: TRST), one of Canada's leading licensed producers and trusted brands of medical cannabis, today announced the appointment of Peter Aceto as Chief Executive Officer of CannTrust, effective immediately. Eric Paul, CannTrust's Co-Founder and leader, has stepped down from his role as Chief Executive Officer, and has been named Chairman of the Board and Special Advisor to CannTrust's management team. Mark Litwin is assuming the role of Vice Chairman.

Mark this date down: October 17th.

That’s the day that Canada fully legalizes recreational cannabis.

And that’s also the date that the best kept story in the cannabis sector could be revealed.

A team that has already built two cannabis companies to a $340 million and $5 billion valuation.

But now, they are involved with something that could become much bigger... Scythian Biosciences (CSE:SCYB, OTCMKTS:SCCYF)

So, what’s going on?

First, Scythian has just closed an incredible $260 million deal with Aphria, the third-largest cannabis company in the world.

It’s now the first day of October, and Canadian cannabis penny stocks are moving in the green on the TSXV. Canadian cannabis companies have made a monumental rise in the markets this year after parliament passed Bill C-45 mid-June 2018.

Adult-use recreational marijuana use will become legal across Canada on October 17th. Cannabis companies are scrambling to keep up with demand. With so many new companies transitioning to the industry, it’s hard to keep up with the companies that stand out from the rest. Let’s take a closer look at a few cannabis penny stocks that are trading in the green today.

Canada’s October 17th Legal cannabis – On June 20th 2018 the Government of Canada passed the final vote on Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act – given Royal Assent on June 21st. Since then, each province and territory in the country has been scrambling to put together their own set of guidelines on its sales and use, trickling all the way down to the municipalities, who in turn are creating their own rules. Canada’s October 17th Legal cannabis is enough to make everyone a bit dizzy – without even having inhaled that first puff.

High Park Farms™ Ltd., a subsidiary of Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY), announced today that it has received its sales license from Health Canada to sell cannabis under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). The license will allow High Park Farms to supply and sell finished cannabis products within the ACMPR as well as sales in anticipation of the launch of the adult-use market in Canada upon its legalization on October 17, 2018.

Recent $300 million deal by Canadian Cannabis Company Aphria, Inc. signals strategy to leverage generations of regional expertise to produce superior products.  

Latin America has emerged as a hotbed for cannabis investors and companies. Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia have all passed medical marijuana legalization laws and legal cannabis sales in South American markets are expected to surge from just $125 million in 2018 to $776 million by 2027.  

The opening of the Canadian recreational cannabis market is just around the corner, and investors are wondering which marijuana stock is best positioned to deliver big gains in the coming years.

Let’s take a look and HEXO (TSX:HEXO) and Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED) (NYSE:CGC) to see if one might be a better buy for your portfolio.

Cannabis stocks were mostly sharply higher Monday, with India Globalization Capital Inc. a standout, adding another 18% on excitement about its plans for the CBD-infused-energy-drink market.

Maryland-based India Globalization’s stock IGC, +26.61% gained 27% on Friday after it revealed the plans, pulling the stocks of other companies already involved with the cannabinoid higher with it.

If past performance was the best way to pick stocks, Aphria Inc.(NASDAQOTH:APHQF) would be the hands-down winner over MedMen Enterprises (NASDAQOTH:MMNFF).

In less than three years of its stock trading publicly, Aphria's share price has multiplied by nearly 20 times. MedMen isn't up nearly that much in its first year of trading.

Of course, past performance isn't the best way to pick stocks.

It's much more important to evaluate companies' business prospects. Which is the better marijuana stock between Aphria and MedMen?

Here's how their prospects stack up against each other.

“I think a lot of people who want to have a bottle of wine in a public park on a Sunday are probably going to be doing that anyway,” said Mitchell Kosny, interim director of Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning.

The idea of legalizing alcohol in parks and on beaches has come up in Toronto and Vancouver, both of which are in the midst of municipal elections and both of which are in provinces that will allow people to toke in public come Oct. 17.

Kosny said he suspects the idea is floating around now because election candidates and front runners may want to appear “open-minded.”