Organic produce has come a long way from farmers in hemp clothes peddling ugly vegetables to the big business it is today, available in nearly every grocery store in North America.

It’s easy to see how it got that far. Consumers liked it and demanded it. And successful conventional produce grower-shippers found a way to grow and deliver high quality organic fruits and vegetables.

Even before the mainstreaming of organic produce, greenhouse produce went through a similar lifecycle. The North American consumer could get exotic greenhouse tomatoes or peppers from Holland grown under glass. It was high-quality and different than domestic field grown.

Investors may want to pay close attention to the ancillary cannabis industry.

The marijuana industry is growing by leaps and bounds, and over the past two-plus years, cannabis stocks have reflected this growth. In many instances, pot stocks are up more than 1,000% since the beginning of 2016.

Behind these enormous gains are some rapidly growing sales figures and a discernable shift in the public's opinion toward pot.

The buzz behind the green rush

As legalization spreads, the cannabis industry is achieving a new level of maturity, with a wide range of products and support services. Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) (GOHE Profile) is providing payment and consulting services for cannabis companies facing the unique challenges of their sector. Terra Tech Corp. (OTC: TRTC) has developed sustainable farming methods that lead to better yields and lower costs. Surna, Inc. (OTC: SRNA) specializes in providing components for growing facilities and advice on how to set them up.

Stock market forecast software maker VantagePoint, which claims its platform can make predictions with up to 86 percent accuracy three days in advance, has added the cannabis sector to those in which its clients can trade.

VantagePoint put out a statement on Friday announcing that traders will be able to use its platform to forecast cannabis stocks beginning this week. It is the thirteenth market sector which VantagePoint will allow its users to add to their portfolios and includes cannabis stocks in both the U.S. and Canada.

Have you ever wondered how to treat multiple sclerosis with cannabis? We did the research for you.

In the US alone, over 400,000 Americans struggle with to manage the daily symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disorder that presents with neurologic manifestations. Patients may receive a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting or progressive types of the disease.

As U.S. and Canadian government policies toward marijuana grow more divergent amid Canada's push for legalization, their stock exchanges have seen a flurry of cross-listing activity from companies eager to snap up investment capital and carve out dominant positions in a growing global market.

Marijuana producers that operate in U.S. states where pot is legal are prevented from public listings in their home country because the drug is prohibited at the federal level, so they turn their focus north for a legal avenue to raise public capital.

The marijuana landscape looks much different on this 420 day compared to 20 years ago.

April 20, 1998. It was only 20 years ago. But for the marijuana industry, it seems like ancient history. 

Every year, marijuana advocates celebrate cannabis culture on "420 day." Back in 1998, though, the celebration was much more countercultural than it will be today. In the world of 2018, marijuana isn't just more accepted. It's now a big (and legal) business. 

Just how much has changed between the 420 day of 20 years ago compared to now? A lot.

20 years ago

The first quarter and beyond saw marijuana stocks rocked off of the high perch they reached near the end of last year. Price run-ups, likely caused by the synchronized excitement of legalization efforts between California and Canada kept pot stock investors giddily wondering to what heights the sector would reach.

For those in the marijuana culture, “4/20” is the highest holiday.

For close to 40 years, April 20  -- the 20th day of the fourth month-- has been the day to celebrate all things marijuana and to call for loosening of what many say are outdated laws that ban the substance. But the origins of the day have been as hazy as the clouds of smoke that waft from the hundreds who gather in public spaces to celebrate it. Here’s a look at how “Weed Day” began and where it’s headed now.

Why 4/20?

Though “420” is often used in pot parlance, few are sure how the term became rooted in popular culture. It’s fairly certain that the word began in California and spread from there, but why remains a mystery.

Aphria revenues double, year-over-year, thanks to Broken Coast acquisition and new patients.

Aphria Inc.’s third-quarter income nearly tripled year-over-year, in a busy three months that saw the cannabis company begin to sell its U.S. assets and acquire smaller licensed producer Broken Coast Cannabis Inc.

On Monday, the Leamington, Ont.-based medical marijuana grower announced third quarter net income of $12.95 million or 8 cents a share, compared with $4.95 million or 4 cents a share the year before. The increase was due, in large part, to a $26.3 million gain realized on the sale of Liberty Health Science Inc. shares.