The marijuana industry underwent a transformation like never before in 2018. Following nine decades of recreational cannabis prohibition, Canada's Parliament passed the Cannabis Act, thereby legalizing weed for adult consumption. In one act, marijuana went from being a somewhat taboo topic to a legitimate business model.

Aphria (NYSE:APHA) has taken investors on a roller-coaster ride over the last several months. The Canadian marijuana stock plunged in December after short-sellers alleged that the company overpaid for international acquisitions and lined the pockets of key insiders in the deal. A hostile takeover attempt by U.S.-based marijuana producer Green Growth Brands (GGB) caused the stock to rebound later in December.

Aphria announced Friday that its CEO Vic Neufeld and company co-founder Cole Cacciavillani will both “transition out of their executive roles in the coming months.”

Neufeld and Cacciavillani will remain on the company’s board of directors, but the company said it will shift to “a globally-minded executive leadership team for the long-term benefit of the company’s patients, shareholders, customers and employees.”

In a news release, Neufeld recalled the roots of the company in a Leamington greenhouse operation where Cacciavillani was growing “millions of potted flowers” five years ago, when the Canadian medical marijuana market opened.

On January 8, Cowen analyst Vivien Azer released a report estimating the U.S. marijuana market to be worth between $40 billion and $50 billion. By 2030, it’s expected to reach $80 billion — that’s up from her previous estimate of $75 billion.

In 2017, five million Canadians purchased just shy of $6 billion of cannabis. While the Canadian market is significantly smaller than the U.S., the numbers still imply a whopping $1,200 annual spend per customer. Ultimately, however, the market is expected to top out at roughly $9 billion in Canada.

The marijuana industry's momentum in 2018 picked up in a way that we've simply never seen before. Aside from the fact that a record number of Americans want to see cannabis legalized, according to the newest annual Gallup poll, we witnessed Canada legalize recreational pot, the U.S. give the green light to hemp and hemp-based cannabidiol products, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve its very first cannabis-derived drug.

Planet 13 eyes Ontario for retail partnership expansion

Planet 13 Holdings, the operator of the biggest cannabis store in the world, would be open to a joint venture so that it can bring a pot dispensary to Ontario, the company's chief executive Bob Groesbeck told BNN Bloomberg. While Planet 13 isn't participating in Ontario’s retail license lottery, it sees a partnership as a more viable way to enter Canada's most populous province.

Marijuana penny stocks are up and down today on both US and Canadian markets. Marijuana stocks have been on quite the bull run since the beginning of the year. This week, stocks corrected but there are some that are still shining green. 

Today, we’ll take a closer look at two marijuana penny stocks that are outperforming their competitors today.

Stellar sales figures propelled a Canadian marijuana stock sharply higher Thursday. Here’s some small stocks making big moves on Thursday, January 10, 2019 (as of 11:30 am EST):

“As one of the most promising medical cannabis markets in the world, Germany is a top strategic priority for Aphria,” CEO Vic Neufeld, says in a statement from the Leamington, Ont.-based global cannabis company.

The acquisition of CC Pharma—which distributes pharmaceutical products, including medical cannabis, to 13,000-plus pharmacies in Germany and throughout Europe—is helping Aphria create “a German and, ultimately, pan-European platform that brings together demand, supply and distribution,” Neufeld continues.

Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE:TRUL), Florida's premier medical cannabis company, has signed a deal with Sunshine Cannabis to bring a series of products utilizing exclusive genetics to Florida's growing patient population. The Florida-based cannabis company will be collaborating with Trulieve to develop a full suite of premium products based upon proprietary strains developed and preserved by the organization.

Founded in 2013, Sunshine Cannabis is a popular cannabis brand in the Sunshine State known for activism, compassion, and patient advocacy. A Florida-first company committed to providing exceptional medical marijuana products for medical marijuana patients, Sunshine Cannabis is also working to expand legal adult cannabis access statewide.