As states move to reopen after the coronavirus shutdowns, dispensaries in parts of the country that failed to declare them essential businesses will also start serving their first in-person customers in weeks. 

As Summer fast approaches, it seems as though gains are continuing to enter into the cannabis industry. Prior to this month, the coronavirus was doing a great job wreaking havoc on marijuana stock prices. But in the past few weeks, we have witnessed some real positive sentiment enter into marijuana stocks. While part of this is due to increased demand for marijuana, the other part seems to be that investors are becoming more and more comfortable with investing in a coronavirus stricken world.

Indiva Limited (TSXV:NDVA) (OTCQX:NDVAF) is pleased to announce that it has secured distribution rights to ship its premium cannabis products to New Brunswick and Manitoba. These two new agreements extend Indiva’s distribution network to eight provinces. Indiva’s first shipments to Manitoba include INDIVA™ pre-rolls and THC capsules, and Bhang® Chocolate. Indiva expects that INDIVA™ and Bhang® products will be available in Manitoba stores within the next two weeks.

Aurora Cannabis’s (TSX:ACB)(NYSE:ACB) management is frantically rushing against time to restructure the Canadian marijuana firm’s business so as to achieve a positive operating earnings target by the third calendar quarter of 2020. The company has so far announced five disposal and acquisition transactions in May. Will the latest strategic moves help management hit near-term profitability targets?

Canadian cannabis sales soared in March as consumers stocked up on recreational pot amid supply concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Statistics Canada said Friday Canadians bought $181 million worth of cannabis in March, up 19.2 per cent from the prior month, marking one of the biggest monthly jumps since recreational pot was legalized in October 2018. 

Canadians flocked to licensed cannabis stores across the country in March ahead of planned government-mandated shutdowns aimed at curtailing the spread of COVID-19. However, most pot stores remained open as provinces such as Ontario allowed retailers to offer curbside pickup and home delivery services.

Despite being the first industrialized country to legalize adult-use pot in the modern era, Canada's ambitions of being a marijuana leader have gone up in smoke.

For years, cannabis stocks were virtually unstoppable. Following a more-than-tripling in worldwide sales between 2014 and 2018 to $10.9 billion, Wall Street and investors sent pot stock valuations into the stratosphere.

At the center of this growth trend was Canada. Even though the U.S. offered far more potential in dollar terms, Canada, as the first industrialized country to legalize adult-use sales, appeared ready to lead the global marijuana market into its next chapter.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the global economy. For most businesses, the struggle is continuing, while a few -- like those in the healthcare sector -- are comparatively secure, with the companies within working to fight the crisis. Healthcare might be a predictable safe space amid the pandemic, but there's one flourishing sector that's more of a surprise: marijuana. 

Cannabis curbside pick-up and delivery will continue as part of the Province’s decision to extend COVID-19 emergency measures by another 10 days.

On Tuesday, the province announced all emergency orders that have been put in place to date under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act had been extended until near the end of May. This includes special provisions extended to cannabis retailers who have been given permission to develop delivery and curbside pick-up options for customers.

If you're looking to invest in the cannabis industry, you have to be prepared to take on some significant risks. The industry's been struggling during the past year, and a turnaround is not necessarily imminent. This year is already setting up to be a challenging one for many pot stocks, and investors should be careful not to be lured in by low prices. Here are four signs that the industry is still extremely risky and why a turnaround isn't likely just yet:

A fire at a greenhouse facility that produces medical marijuana kept St. Catharines firefighters busy early Wednesday.

The fire destroyed a barn, but firefighters saved the attached greenhouse and its contents, Deputy Chief Dave Upper said.

The call about a working fire at 376 Read Rd. on the east side of the Welland Canal came in at 1 a.m.

"When the crews arrived, they were presented with a significantly large fire," Upper said. "They immediately set up defensive operations, and crews worked through the night to get the fire under control."

Fire prevention officers were at the scene later in the day working on damage estimates. The Office of the Fire Marshal was notified, but won't be attending.