Aurora Cannabis Inc. handed out millions in compensation and salary increases to executives as the company was laying off more than 1,000 workers and reporting billions in losses.

The Edmonton-based cannabis company's management proxy circular released this week ahead of the company's annual meeting in November shows all six of its named executive officers — a company's most highly compensated and prominent workers — took home larger salaries or saw a spike in share- or option-based awards and other incentive plans.

For some, the increases for the fiscal year ended June 30 doubled the value of the compensation they received the year prior and tripled what they received a few years ago.

If you had invested $10,000 in Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) just a year ago, your initial investment would be worth a meager $851 as of Sep. 29. Canada's nationwide legalization of marijuana in Oct. 2018 was supposed to bring sweeping success to the country's pot companies.

Canopy Growth Corp., the cannabis company that attracted Corona beer producer Constellation Brands Inc. as an investor, is moving to bring cannabis beverages to the U.S. in 2021.

The drinks will contain THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana, in dosage amounts designed to keep people buzzed and social in a similar way to beer, cocktails or wine.

“Just as hard seltzer disrupted beer by providing a lighter, low calorie alternative, we believe cannabis beverages will be an attractive option for what have traditionally been alcohol-driven occasions and mood states,” said David Klein, Canopy’s chief executive officer, in an email exchange with Bloomberg News.

Can These Pot Stocks Make Big Headway Next Year?

Legal recreational cannabis is beginning to gain ground in its fight against the illicit market, according to new Ontario Cannabis Store data.

A report released by the provincial pot distributor Wednesday revealed that between April and June, legal sources of cannabis made up 25.1 per cent of the total market, an increase from 24.7 per cent in the previous quarter.

The average price of dried flower per gram on OCS.ca fell to $7.05 including taxes during the same period, beating the average price of cannabis on sale through illegal mail-order marijuana sites, which reached $7.98.

"This quarter marks a milestone for the sector on the critical front of pricing," said chief commercial officer Cheri Mara in the report.

A B.C. cannabis farm is about to enjoy the fruits of its labour.

Cannabis is safer than alcohol.

How much so?

According to at least one peer reviewed study the cannabis plant is 114 times safer than alcohol.

In fact, the cannabis plant is safer than many substances that are common around households across the globe.

With that being said, that is not the same as saying that cannabis does not have any side effects.

The cannabis plant can definitely cause side effects, albeit effects that are not as detrimental compared to those caused by other substances.

The list of the cannabis plant’s side effects very notably does not include death, however, there are still certain side effects that consumers need to know about.