Few industries have been kicking tail and taking names more so than marijuana. Having long been considered an illicit substance that was cast aside by legislators around the globe, cannabis is now a legitimate business model. Globally, over 40 countries have given medical marijuana the green light, with two (Canada and Uruguay) also allowing the recreational sale of the drug.

Shares of OrganiGram Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:OGRMF) have been back on the breakout radar in recent action, with new all-time highs logged last week. To further flesh out the story, the company just announced that it has received an expanded cultivation license from Health Canada in line with its previously announced Phase 4A and 4B expansion plans for its Moncton Campus.

According to the release, ”the perimeter expansion licensed represents an additional 163,000 sq ft of allocated space for 63 cultivation rooms populating the Company’s planned Phase 4A and 4B expansion, including the initial 13 cultivation rooms now approved. The approval of the perimeter for Phase 4B was received ahead of schedule, in tandem with the approval for Phase 4A.”

What happened

Shares of leading Canadian marijuana grower Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC) gained 16.5% in April, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The S&P 500 (including dividends) returned 4.1% last month. Canopy shares are up a whopping 82.7% in 2019 through Friday, May 3, versus the S&P 500's 18.3% return over this period.

Aphria (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA) is one of the biggest names in the Canadian pot sector, but the company has also had the worst publicity out of all of its peers. Indeed, the marijuana grower has fallen on tough times recently, and it is taking some time for Aphria to shake off the various negative storylines associated with it.

However, many investors see Aphria as a bargain, in part because its share price has been dragged down due to bad publicity. Could Aphria’s current struggles actually be an opportunity for investors? Let’s see whether the Ontario-based firm actually has more upside than it seems at first glance.

In case you haven't been paying attention, the marijuana industry is turning into a big business before our eyes. Once peddling a taboo product, the legal marijuana industry generated $12.2 billion in sales globally in 2018, and looks to be on track to grow sales by another 38% in 2019 to $16.9 billion. That's according to a report released by the duo of Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics.

With big money flowing into the marijuana industry, pot stocks have to be prepared to expand their production capacity, broaden their product portfolios, and even acquire new or complementary businesses.

What happened

Shares of EnWave (NASDAQOTH:NWVCF)(TSXV:ENW) gained 25.4% in April, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The S&P 500 (including dividends) returned 4.1% last month. EnWave is a fast-growing small Canadian company that produces and distributes all-natural dried cheese snacks and licenses, manufactures, and installs equipment for dehydrating organic materials -- including cannabis. 

Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) and Charlotte's Web Holdings (NASDAQOTH:CWBHF) rank as two of the hottest stocks in the cannabis industry so far in 2019.

Aurora is up more than 70% year to date, while Charlotte's Web shares have gained more than 65%. But which of these two cannabis stocks is the better pick for investors now? The decision comes down to growth prospects and the ability to capitalize on those prospects. Here's how Aurora Cannabis and Charlotte's Web Holdings stack up against each other.

Aurora Cannabis' (NYSE:ACB) growing cannabis empire spans five continents. The company operates in two dozen countries. But the U.S. isn't one of them.

The problem with Aurora's lack of a U.S. presence is straightforward. Currently, nearly 80% of the world's total legal marijuana sales are made in the United States.

That amount will decline as the Canadian adult-use recreational marijuana market and international medical cannabis markets pick up steam, but the U.S. is likely to dominate global marijuana sales for a long time to come.

You won't find too many hotter marijuana stocks right now than HEXO (NYSEMKT:HEXO) and The Green Organic Dutchman (NASDAQOTH:TGODF). HEXO has skyrocketed a whopping 125% so far this year, while The Green Organic Dutchman (TGOD) has soared nearly 80%.

But which of these stocks is the better pick for investors over the long run? Here's what you need to know about HEXO and TGOD.

Canopy Growth plants stake in Germany with $343M acquisition of synthesized cannabis maker 

Canopy Growth is moving further into Europe after signing a $342.9 million deal to buy C3 Cannabinoid Compound, a German company that specializes in cannabinoid-based medical therapies used by European physicians. The company’s main medicinal offering is dronabinol, a compound with standardized concentrations of THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis.