Infused beers and wines are offering consumers a new alternative to alcoholic beverages.

To put a dent in the sales of cannabis on the black market, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce says it will encourage the Ontario government to allow for the opening of more retail locations that sell cannabis products.

The chamber plans to launch, on Thursday, the Ontario Cannabis Policy Council (OCPC), a lobby group that they say includes cannabis producers, legal experts and the dean of the University of Guelph's school of agriculture.

The marijuana stock market has shifted dramatically over the course of the past few years. In that time, we have seen the industry become more friendly to outside investors, allowing pot stocks to flourish, and new technology to become more available than ever. With so many different pot stocks to watch in the market, it can be a daunting task to pick just one.

A panel of three Ontario judges have pushed their decision on whether a group of disqualified cannabis store applicants should return back to the application process to next Monday. 

The ruling, which came after a two-week wait that delayed the opening of new cannabis stores in the province, came after a full day of deliberations between lawyers representing the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, 11 disqualified candidates and another 11 people on a waiting list. 

The ruling will be released Sept. 30, no later than 5 p.m. ET, a panel of judges at the Ontario Divisional Court in Toronto said. The presiding three-member judicial panel consisted of Justice David Corbett, Justice Katherine Swinton and Justice Robbie Gordon. 

With cannabis booming in states such as Colorado and California, other states have begun to legally sell medical and recreational marijuana. Naturally, some might say the next move is to go beyond the plant and invest in the marijuana stock market. As most investors know, the pot stock market is changing.

As an investor, allocating some of your portfolio to the cannabis sector is a prudent move. With cannabis 2.0 right around the corner, it’s critical for investors who have the risk tolerance to expose themselves to the sector to not miss out on any gains made.

This brings us to the ultimate questions: Which stock should you buy, and which strategy should you use?

There are three ways you can go about it. For starters, you could find the largest companies that are expected to dominate the industry.

Secondly, you can look for value, investing in a company that is clearly undervalued to its peers and wait for it to appreciate.

An Ontario court is expected to hear the case today of 11 people who won the chance to apply for a cannabis retail licence only to be disqualified shortly afterwards.

The applicants are requesting a judicial review of their rejection, as well as the procedures involved in the lottery that has been used to grant all Ontario’s pot shop licences.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said in August the group had missed a deadline in the application process but the group says that’s not the case.

Earlier this month, a Toronto judge paused the licensing process for the latest round of cannabis stores until the case is resolved.

Lawyers representing the commission had contested the stay, saying it would interfere with the integrity of the lottery system.

At a recent investment conference in Toronto, the next phase of growth for the nascent cannabis industry — and the key players within it — was the talk of the event.

During a discussion at the MoneyShow conference in Toronto, equity research analyst at CIBC Capital Markets John Zamparo and Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) CEO Steve Hawkins discussed projected markers of growth for US and Canadian cannabis equities.

The expert duo also talked about the challenges for the US and Canadian markets, as the players in these sectors continue their maturation process.

When it comes down to the two countries, Zamparo said that, internationally, the US will leverage its branding know-how, while Canadian companies will ship out proficiency at the operational level.

Should B.C.’s alcohol industry be worried?

In October, the federal government will celebrate a year of recreational cannabis becoming legal. There’s no word on how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and company plan to mark the occasion. (Or if Trudeau will be in office long enough to enjoy the day.)

A year later, the only real differences for those who consume the drug recreationally are that they can get it in nice, government-approved wrapping and (ostensibly) don’t have to make small talk with scraggly dealers or hide in public. How people actually use marijuana hasn’t changed much.