Two of the biggest Canadian marijuana producers announced important new deals last week. Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB)said on Monday that it was buying privately held Whistler Medical Marijuana for up to 175 million Canadian dollars (around US$132 million), including potential milestone payments. Later in the day, Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC)announced that it would invest up to US$150 million in hemp operations in New York state.

Big business is coming for cannabis. Huge multinationals such as alcohol giant Constellation Brands, which owns a stable of major wine, beer, and spirits; and Altria, Marlboro's parent company, are already pouring billions of dollars into the industry in Canada.

The battle with possible resistance – and potential bullish breakout trigger – at the 50-day moving average in Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd (OTCMKTS:TGODF) is now underway. And the outcome in terms of the tone of the tape over coming days may decide much for how this stock trades during the first half of 2019. To further flesh out the narrative right now, the company just announced the appointment of Dr. Rav Kumar, PhD as its Chief Science Officer.

Yet another recent ripper in the MJ space so far in 2019 is CannaRoyalty Corp (OTCMKTS:ORHOF). Shares are up as much as 40% off their recent pivot lows following a strong breakout above major moving averages.

To further flesh out the story, the company just announced that it has signed a binding term sheet with Alternative Medical Enterprises, LLC to convert the Company’s 3.5% royalty interest on the sale of AltMed’s MÜV branded products into a combination of cash and 125 units of AltMed’s equity raising Origin House’s aggregate equity position in AltMed to 5.1%.

New York moves one step closer to legalizing cannabis

Last year saw the legal marijuana industry take steps that had never been taken before. More specifically, our neighbor to the north, Canada, legalized recreational cannabis, becoming the first industrialized country and only the second country in the world other than Uruguay to have done so.

More so than just bringing in billions of dollars in added annual revenue in the years to come, the passage of the Cannabis Act in June and the official legalization date of adult-use pot on Oct. 17, 2018 made the weed industry a legitimate business model. In other words, cannabis is no longer considered taboo, and the red carpet has been rolled out for investors big and small.

For some, the recent stock market volatility is a sign of a crash to come. While pulling your money out of the market is obviously one move you could make, so is investing in businesses that not only survive a downturn but thrive in one. Three Motley Fool contributors see American States Water(NYSE:AWR), Cronos Group (NASDAQ:CRON), and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) as companies that are uniquely positioned to handle whatever the future throws at them, particularly if it is the next market crash.

Cannabis stocks are enjoying a nice recovery to start 2019, and investors are wondering which marijuana companies might be the best picks right now.

Let’s take a look at Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY) and Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) to see if one deserves to be in your portfolio.

Marijuana penny stocks have kicked off Thursday in the red. The top trending marijuana penny stocks on the TSXV and CSE are all seeing significant losses early, and the cause remains unknown at this time. Not all penny stocks are seeing losses though. 

Today, we’ll take a closer look at two marijuana stocks that are seeing slight gains despite the bear market. 

It’s gimmicky to be sure. Yet, it’s also brilliant. On Wednesday, New Age Beverages (NASDAQ:NBEV) unveiled a new line of cannabis-infused drinks that will utilize the name and fame of late reggae star Bob Marley to launch Marley+CBD. The agreement pairs a niche maker of teas and flavored waters with a well-known entertainer who is widely remembered as a fan of marijuana.