Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering hemp and cannabis stocks releases a snapshot focusing on how the cannabis industry continues to force technology innovation as it faces new challenges with the sector’s continuing rapid growth.

The cannabis industry has begun to fully affect the beverage, food, medical and pharmaceutical industries but one area cannabis has helped drive forward from inception has been the tech industry. Due to the complexity of the cannabis plant as well as the strict regulations surrounding it, technological innovations have been a “must have” for any cannabis company that hopes to expand and grow.

It’s an exciting time for the cannabis industry. After sustaining heavy losses in the second half of last year, marijuana stocks are back and kicking, with Canopy Growth Corp (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) having gained 63% in the first 25 days of January.

An independent cannabis retailer in Clarenville is closing shop after accusing suppliers of giving first dibs to larger corporate stores, along with a slew of other supply issues.

The manager of Puff Puff Pass Head Shop, one of six independent marijuana retailers in Newfoundland and Labrador, said it's impossible to compete in a market for an under-supplied product — especially when that product is being offered to corporate suppliers first.

"From our personal experience here, I know that at least two of the licensed producers have made special deals with the larger corporate sites," said manager Tina Greening.

"Right now, I have virtually nothing in stock … The Esso store here in my town got an entire shipment of product when I had nothing."

Marijuana investing is back in the spotlight in 2019, with many major marijuana-production stocks seeing nice bounces after a tough showing last year. As interest in cannabis has grown, more and more companies have sought to profit from the craze, and that has led to companies making efforts to get their shares listed on public markets both on exchanges in Canada, as well as on major stock markets in the U.S. like the NYSE and Nasdaq.

Many Canadian pot stocks have been fighting for positioning across the globe in the hopes of securing first-mover advantages in key countries. However, I’m not sure that is the correct strategy with so many opportunities in North America alone.

While pot sales totaled $54 million in November, in what was the first full month of recreational pot being legalized in Canada, supply issues have continued to plague the country. Sales weren’t all that impressive given how strong the numbers were in October with just two weeks of sales totaling $43 million. It’s therefore no surprise that a province like Prince Edward Island was able to claim the highest per capita sales in November, especially since Ontario and B.C. are nowhere near running at full capacity.

Canada’s pot czar says cannabis supply sufficient despite retail issues

High Hampton Holdings Corp. (CSE: HC) (FSE: OCHN) ("the "Company") today announced that it has filed its Consolidated Unaudited Financial Statements for the quarter ended November 30, 2018. The Consolidated Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

With the cannabis boom just getting underway, analysts at Piper Jaffray believe we could be looking at a market value of between $250 billion to $500 billion a year. ''We believe the long-term growth can be significant - both from transitioning illicit trade to legal sales, medical sales, and from transitioning sales in health [and] wellness categories to CBD-infused products,'' said the analysts, as quoted by MarketWatch.

Most notably, as millions of people living all over the world look to embrace the medicinal properties of cannabis, related companies are quickly gaining the attention of cannabis investors.

If you're nervous there could be a crackdown on recreational marijuana companies because marijuana remains illegal in the U.S. at the federal level, then medical marijuana stocks could be a better investment option. Most countries still prohibit recreational marijuana use, but laws allowing medical marijuana use are becoming increasingly common. For example, medical marijuana markets are thriving in Canada and Germany, and in the U.S., 33 states have passed laws supporting medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana may not be as big an opportunity as recreational marijuana, but it could still be worth tens of billions of dollars annually to the top stocks. Here's how investors can profit from marijuana as medicine.

Large U.S. funds are exploring lending to Canadian cannabis companies as a way to gain expertise in the burgeoning market ahead of potential U.S. legalization, according to an investment banker who’s been holding weekly calls with the firms.

Funds with US$100 billion or more in assets under management are considering issuing loans to mid-tier marijuana producers, said Alfred Avanessy, managing director at Toronto-based brokerage Cormark Securities Inc., which offers cannabis investment banking, advisory and research. At least three other people at other financial services firms have been approached by the funds regarding cannabis lending. All declined to name the potential investors as the talks are preliminary.