Ontario and B.C. alone have already snapped up more than half of the country’s existing grow-op space.

The rush for cannabis is on in Canada and so is finding the real estate to grow it.

The legalization of recreational weed on Wednesday has already fuelled a sixfold surge in pot-growing facilities to 8.7 million square feet (808,256 square meters) in the year through September, according to data from Altus Group Ltd. — space about the size of Amazon.com Inc.’s Seattle headquarters.

Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) was down 6.85%, Aurora Cannabis (TSX:ACB) was down 7.23%, and Aphria (TSX:APH) was down 6.08% on the day before legalization.

At the time of writing, it is the day of legalization — the day this massive market is officially opened and when the sale of marijuana begins to be taken away from the black market.

As a reflection of the volatility and the risk that is still inherent in marijuana stocks, let’s look at what is happening in the market.

The first shopper at Cannabis NB's Main Street location in Moncton left without a purchase.

Cannabis sales were brisk around New Brunswick on the first day of legalized retailing, despite prices on many products that appeared to be the highest in Canada.

Dameon Pettis was one of the first shoppers let into the Cannabis NB store on Moncton's Main Street but left without making a purchase.

"The prices are just not in our price range, honestly," said Pettis. "I feel they should be lowered, but I guess in time.  Nothing happens overnight."

The Canadian cannabis stocks on our list are building up inventories ahead of recreational  legalization on October 17

SmallCapPower | October 17, 2018: Today we have identified three Canadian cannabis stocks with considerable buildup of inventories in preparation for recreational legalization on October 17, 2018. As several cannabis companies are still constructing and expanding their production facilities, in the near-term, Canada may see a shortfall of supply following legalization.

This allows producers to quickly get inventories off their balance sheets, and at higher prices. As such, these companies may report strong financial results in their initial quarter after October 17, 2018.

Some tech glitches, a few sold out products and a quest to find that first legal toke.

Well, it’s here. From province to province, government portals started selling cannabis, many at the stroke of midnight. So has the entire county gone up in puff of smoke? Read on-the-ground stories and analysis from across the Postmedia chain.

Popular marijuana stocks fell across the board Wednesday, paring extreme gains so far this year, as investors cashed in a bit of their bet as Canada became the largest country to legalize the recreational use of cannabis.

After months of political haggling and legal debate, Canada joined the U.S. states of California, Massachusetts, Maine, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, Nevada, Vermont and Oregon as the first Group of Seven country to OK adult use of pot. The major cannabis stocks ran up in anticipation of this day and offered investors on Wednesday a reminder of just how volatile some of the young pot companies have become amid a flurry of news and speculation.

Marijuana stocks were under pressure early Wednesday after Canada become the second country to officially legalize marijuana.

Ian Power and Nikki Rose among first Canadians to buy legal recreational cannabis. The first legal recreational cannabis has officially been sold in Canada.

In Newfoundland and parts of Labrador, midnight comes earlier than anywhere else in the country, and people were ready and waiting for marijuana to be sold to them over the counter.

At the Tweed retail location on Water Street in downtown St. John's, the first sales went to Ian Power and Nikki Rose, who lined up outside hours before. 

The lineup at the Tweed store started at around 8 p.m. NT, and steadily grew as the time ticked down to 12 a.m. Ian Power said he came early so he could "make history."

People in Canada are cheering, enduring long lines and honking their car horns in support as the country's first marijuana dispensaries open their doors Wednesday.

There’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to understanding all of the aspects surrounding cannabis, but we’ve got you covered.

While a lot of focus has been placed on the technical aspects of cannabis legalization in Canada, this guide will focus on answering questions like: What happens to your body when you get high? Should you smoke or vape? And what happens if you get too high? This guide aims to answer some of those burning questions.

What is cannabis?

Cannabis is a substance made up of the dried and shredded parts of the Cannabis sativa plant, which can include the flowers, seeds, stems and leaves.