Cannabis is a family of plants with two primary classifications, Indica and Sativa. Despite the two falling under one cannabis family, they are widely different in their biological makeup and effects. Although marijuana can fall into either family, marijuana is linked to having psychoactive effects on the user because of its tetrahydrocannabinol or THC component-heavy makeup. On the other hand, hemp does not provide psychoactive effects because of its main component, cannabidiol or CBD and while marijuana can contain anywhere from 15% to 40% of THC concentration, hemp normally contains less than 0.3%. In fact, it is the heavy THC concentration within marijuana which caused international organizations to put restrictions on the plant, making it one of the most enforced drugs worldwide. However, due to ongoing research and studies, positive results are leading countries to reconsider the cannabis plant. In particular, most countries are looking to adopt a cannabis legislation for medical applications, but countries like the U.S. and Canada have already established a large recreational user base. Overall, the combination of the accelerating recreational and medical sectors is set to caus the greater cannabis industry to witness sizeable growth in the near future. According to data compiled by Grand View Research, the global legal marijuana market is expected to reach USD 146.4 Billion by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 34.6%. Chineseinvestors.com Inc. (OTC: CIIX), Aphria Inc. (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APHA), New Age Beverages Corporation (NASDAQ: NBEV), Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYNE), The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER) (TSX-V: WTER).

The medical market accounts for the largest share of the overall cannabis industry, but the U.S. and Canada are expected to gradually shift the market from medical to recreational. Currently, the recreational market has a very limited geographic reach due to legality matters, when compared to the medical sector. While the two markets are perceived very differently, one cannabis-based product is still thriving in both: CBD. In the recreational sector, consumers are using CBD products to simply relax, while medically, consumers are using it to treat sleep disorders and depression. Specifically, within the CBD marketplace, CBD hemp oil accounts for the largest share of the market because of its healthcare associated benefits. According to data compiled by Transparency Market Research, the global CBD hemp oil market was valued at USD 950 Million in 2017 and is expected to surpass USD 2.5 Billion by 2026. Additionally, the market is also expected to register a CAGR of 11% from 2018 to 2026. CBD oil is mainly being used for medical applications, but the increasing usage of oil in forms of spray, vape, and tinctures is expected to propel the entire industry. "It actually doesn't produce any psychoactive effects, that's why it's actually legal and people don't have to worry about abusing it or passing a drug test, or having any type of side effects," said Alleyah Miner of AltPharm in Camp Springs. "I think it's great to be us and bring it to the market because cbd has a lot of health benefits anti-inflammation for depression for stress pain relief."

Chineseinvestors.com Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) earlier this week announced breaking news that, "it will add a high-end, luxury brand of full spectrum CBD oil to its product offerings.

ChineseHempOil.com, Inc.'s new product was launched on March 9, 2019, at San Francisco's KTSF-hosted Financial Carnival Event. The launch has proven successful, with sales exceeding $10,000 on the first day. Based on the initial reception and the price point for this top of the line CBD oil, the Company expects that this new addition should have a positive impact on revenues and should increase margins.

"Since the beginning of 2019, ChineseInvestors.com, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary ChineseHempOil.com, Inc., have been on the lookout for innovative CBD products for the global Chinese market," stated Warren Wang, Chief Executive Officer of ChineseInvestors.com. "This 100% organic product, free of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, will provide our most discerning, health conscious customers with one of the highest quality CBD oils available."

Products are available for purchase on the Company's new platform, www.365cwc.com, which caters to both Chinese and English-speakers and offers a wide selection of wellness products, including:

OPT Hemp: Products include organic industrial hemp-derived CBD oil, CBD scrub and cream, with additional hemp-infused cosmetics and other industrial hemp-derived CBD products in the works.

OPT2Mist: A ground-breaking nutritional spray product line including a wide array of daily vitamin sprays, and full-spectrum CBD-infused sprays.

Our latest organic full spectrum CBD oil: A high-grade, organic, full spectrum hemp oil sourced from Colorado and free of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.

Dedicated to spreading awareness about the benefits of CBD, ChineseHempOil.com has been operating in the United States since 2017. Equipped with its strong reputation and its popular product lines, ChineseHempOil.com is constantly developing new and innovative ways to promote wellness in the Chinese community.

Aphria Inc. (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APHA) is a leading global cannabis company driven by an unrelenting commitment to our people, product quality and innovation. Aphria Inc. and Rapid Dose Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DOSE) recently announced that they have expanded the scope of their previously announced agreement expanding the territory where Aphria has been granted exclusive preferred rights to license, manufacture, distribute and sell RDT's QuickStrip™ innovative, proprietary delivery technology for the cannabis market to Germany. RDT's proprietary QuickStrip™ technology is a Quick, Convenient, Precise, Discreet™ oral fast-dissolving drug delivery system that offers a smoke-free choice to consumers. Aphria expects to produce and distribute CBD-only Quickstrips™ in Germany by Spring 2019. As part of the Agreement, Aphria maintains the option to add future international markets as the opportunity in those markets evolve. "Germany is one of the most sought-after cannabis markets today, and Aphria continues to take a comprehensive approach to ensure a leading presence in the country as the opportunity evolves," said Jakob Ripshtein, President of Aphria. "Aphria is committed to bringing advanced products and innovations to cannabis markets around the world, and this agreement with RDT will enable us to bring QuickStrip™ technology to the German market and offer a unique nutraceutical product that delivers a consistent dosage."

New Age Beverages Corporation (NASDAQ: NBEV) is a Colorado and Utah-based healthy beverage company dedicated to inspiring, educating consumers to live healthily. New Age Beverages Corporation recently announced the signing of an agreement to develop and distribute Marley branded cannabis-infused beverages. The first product to rollout in the Marley+CBD portfolio will be Marley+CBD Mellow Mood, relaxation drinks in 15.5 oz cans with 25 mg of pharmaceutical grade CBD per serving. Initial market rollout to customers will be in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Michigan where cannabis is legal for responsible adult consumption. This rollout gives New Age a significant first-mover advantage in the CBD space with a globally-recognized brand platform, and positions the venture well for further expansion as regulations permit. Michael Cunningham, Senior Vice President of Sales for New Age commented, "It makes my job a lot easier when I have retailers and distributors reaching out to me asking for specific products. From the moment the CBD movement began, I've been receiving calls nonstop asking when we'd be going to market with a Marley+CBD product. Retailers and distributors realize that it will be a long road for smaller CBD brands to gain traction and brand equity. Under the Marley brand platform, we are able to leverage a massive global brand with ties to healthy cannabis use, to ultimately grow a beverage brand beyond anything we have seen to-date."

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYNE) is the leader in pharmaceutically-produced transdermal cannabinoid therapies for rare and near-rare neuropsychiatric disorders. Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent No. 10,213,390, titled "Treatment of Fragile X Syndrome with Cannabidiol" which includes claims directed to methods of treating Fragile X Syndrome by administering a therapeutically effective amount of synthetic or purified cannabidiol. This new patent, which expires in 2038, is part of an expanding intellectual property portfolio covering the Company's cannabidiol (CBD) product candidate, ZYN002 Transdermal CBD gel. The issuance of this patent comes as enrollment progresses in CONNECT-FX, a pivotal, multi-national, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of ZYN002 in three through 17-year old FXS patients with full mutation of the FMR1 gene. The primary endpoint is the change from baseline to the end of the treatment period in the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community FXS Specific (ABC-CFXS) Social Avoidance subscale. Clinical investigative sites are enrolling patients in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Patients who have completed the double-blind phase are now enrolling into the 12-month open label phase. The Company expects to report top line data in the second half of 2019.

The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER) (TSX-V: WTER) is a leading producer of premium bottled alkaline drinking water sold under the brand name Alkaline88®. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. recently announced that, following the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill), the Company is well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunity to be one of the first national U.S. beverage companies to bring the true water-soluble, full-spectrum features of bioactive cannabidiol (CBD) molecules from hemp plants to U.S. consumers through its A88 Infused Beverage Division, Inc. (A88 Infused). "We are very excited that Congress has passed legislation redefining hemp to include extracts, cannabinoids and derivatives, which will permanently remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)," said Ricky Wright, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Alkaline Water Company. "This is a significant step forward for consumers who are looking to access CBD and CBD-infused products. As local and state legislatures, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), finalize their regulations for hemp, we are well-positioned to launch our great tasting Alkaline88® infused with natural hemp-extract formulations to become a dominant brand in this beverage category."