After the M&A wave died down in 2018, many analysts thought the so-called "Green Rush" was over, but we think they were wrong. With a combination of newcomers and veterans vying for market share, it's safe to say the competition is getting intense. And with competition comes innovation. Included in today's commentary are: Auxly Cannabis Group (OTC:CBWTF) (TSX.V:XLY), merald Health Therapeutics (OTC:EMHTF) (TSX.V:EMH), Curaleaf Holdings (OTC:CURLF) (CSE:CURA), OrganiGram Holdings (OTC:OGRMF) (TSX.V: OGI), CannTrust Holdings Inc. (OTC:CNTTF) (TSX:TRST). 

Gone are the days of simply cutting, drying and selling organic cannabis…Now there are hundreds, if not thousands of new products to manufacture, market and move. From THC and CBD oils to edibles and even beverages, the industry is evolving. 

Technology is taking over, with automation, data and artificial intelligence quickly becoming a necessity in the next stage of the Green Revolution. But it's not only about technological know-how. 

Staying relevant in today's cannabis markets requires grit, but more importantly, a global perspective. And the best positioned of the bunch are the ones with their feet on the ground, wheeling and dealing across the globe to snatch up the best opportunities at the right time.

Here are 5 cannabis companies investors should be following closely going into 2019: 

#1 - Auxly Cannabis Group (OTCQX:CBWTF) (TSX.V:XLY)

Auxly is a newcomer to the marijuana industry, with a growing presence in Eastern Canada, especially Newfoundland. Through 2021, however, Auxly expects to capitalize on the massive supply shortage in Canada's newly legalized markets. Eventually supply will catch up with demand. In response, the company is aggressively climbing the value chain.

Investors are bullish on Auxly primarily because of its rapid rate of growth. And its recent strategic partnership with Atlantic Cultivation highlights that sentiment.  In the $2.5 million deal, Auxly gained a 50 percent equity stake in Atlantic, in addition to a hefty agreement to purchase up to 30 percent of dried cannabis and trim at Atlantic's Newfoundland and Labrador Facilities

Hugo Alves, President and Director of Auxly commented: "This partnership with Atlantic, coupled with our premium craft producer Robinson's Cannabis in Nova Scotia and our world class innovation and extraction hub at Dosecann in PEI demonstrates Auxly's commitment to Atlantic Canada where we are building meaningful cannabis businesses that have a positive impact on the region."

#2 - Wayland Group (WAYL.CN, MRRCF)

The Wayland Group is leading a technological progression in the cannabis space that looks set to bring the next wave of profits for companies. The low hanging fruit has very much been picked in this space - and it is now the companies that can produce efficiently and with low costs that will lead the way into the future.

By partnering with Rockwell Automation, Wayland Group became one of the first companies in the space to automate its facilities using AI - giving it the ability to produce product with roughly 10 percent of the workforce of some of its competitors.

But it didn't just improve its automation, this innovator also focused on renewable energy and recycling of resources which significantly cut costs. Its Langton facility, for example, has been categorized as "88-percent-to-net-zero," meaning that it doesn't have to rely much on external sources of water and power. A natural gas well on-site means electric charges have been reduced from $0.20/kilowatt hour to $0.05/kilowatt hour.

All of this efficiency and cost cutting combines with a business and growth strategy that will likely see Wayland Group become one of the biggest cannabis names in many countries. It has already succeeded in becoming a GMP certified producer in the EU - only one of 5 companies in the world to have such a certificate. The other 4 companies all have market caps of over $5 billion.

Wayland Group has the potential to become a major global player during the second cannabis phase, focusing on efficiency and the globalization of a product that has proven to have insatiable demand. With a solid base and an impressive growth target, Wayland group is certainly a company to watch in 2019.    

#3 - Emerald Health Therapeutics (OTCQX:EMHTF) (TSX.V:EMH) 

Based in British Columbia, Emerald Health is fully licensed by Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) and provides high quality medicine of different varieties. With a focus beyond dried plant matter, Emerald Health offers a variety of solutions for its patients. 

Its primary "Endo" brand provides supplements focusing on pain relief, insomnia, anxiety, memory and more. The supplements utilize different combinations of herbs, not just cannabis, allowing users to find a more targeted solution to fit their needs.  

Most significantly, however, Emerald Health has also just received the green light from Canadian regulatory officials to sell its award-winning Endo product line of endocannabinoid-supporting nutritional products across the country. 

The company's unique approach to research is what really sets the company apart from the competition. With the razer-sharp focus on isolating the most important qualities of each plant and creating new products for patients, it is no wonder their supplements are so popular. In 2018 alone, Emerald Health secured over 500 acres of hemp harvest for the extraction of low-cost cannabidiol, and the company plans to double that in the next few years. 

#4 - Curaleaf Holdings (OTCPK:CURLF) (CSE: CURA) 

Curaleaf is a multi-faceted U.S. cannabis company, operating both in the East and West of the U.S.

After a much-heralded debut on the stock exchange, Curaleaf stocks fell in what has been a general correction in global cannabis markets in the last two months. Currently, the company is operating in 12 different U.S. states and has just opened its 35th dispensary. Next to operating dispensaries, cultivating product, and marketing, The company also produces a wide range of cannabis products, including concentrates, edibles, tinctures, capsules, vaporizer cartridges, and dry natural marijuana. 

Despite the fact that the company only just went public, it has seen a lot of attention from investors, securing a valuation of over $2.8 billion. Its Florida dispensaries were the first in the industry to receive the Safe Quality Food certification under the Global Food Safety Initiative, setting a new standard of excellence. 

Curaleaf's third-quarter financials shocked analysts, with Q3 revenue soaring by 289 percent. "Boasting the largest retail dispensary footprint under a single, unified brand, with now 33 locations across 10 states, Curaleaf has established itself as a leader in the burgeoning U.S. cannabis industry," CEO Joe Lusardi noted.

#5 - OrganiGram Holdings (OTCQX: OGRMF) (TSX.V: OGI) 

With strains like Low Tide, Hunter's Corner and Wabanaki, and a number of cannabis oil and vaporizers, OrganiGram is aiming to corner the Canadian cannabis markets. The holding company represents a number of subsidiaries from which it produces and distributes recreational and medical marijuana, OrganiGram is well positioned to ride the next Green Wave into profits.

The company has carved out its place in cannabis royalty by securing deals across Canada, from Saskatchewan to British Columbia. In addition to its in-person sales strategy, OrganiGram also offers another unique method of distribution. Online and over-the-phone options. More than that, however, OrganiGram and its partners knows how to manage the surging Canadian demand that has left other distributors without product for periods of time.

While its share price has fallen a bit since early October, the company expects that Q1 results alone will exceed the total of entire 2018. OrganiGram's is a market leader in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and also has a strong presence in Alberta and Ontario. The company has made several key investments in European medical marijuana companies in countries such as Germany and Serbia.