A not-so-long time ago, cannabis stocks were sizzling hot. Many of them were also overhyped. This led to the inevitable industrywide decline as cannabis stocks fell out of favor. Investors realized that the sky-high sales and profits they expected could take longer to be achieved than they hoped.

Neal Levine remembers the reaction he would get when he first introduced himself to Washington, D.C. legislators as a cannabis lobbyist. 

“‘Is that a real job?’” he recalled. Yes, it is a real job. 

As more and more states legalize marijuana in one form or another, it's become a billion-dollar industry that has attracted the attention of federal lawmakers and lobbyists. 

WATKINSVILLE | This is where Georgia’s future hemp crop begins: in a pungent field at the University of Georgia, where several dozen cannabis plants are nearly ready for harvest.

The plants are lined in rows on one-third of an acre, sprouting fuzzy flowers that could be processed into CBD oil, the popular product sold as a treatment for a variety of conditions including pain and insomnia.

Licensed cannabis producers are optimistic that the introduction of legal edibles will help displace the black market, but analysts say it will take time to displace illegal sales. 

Edmonton-based cannabis producer Aurora is launching a line of edibles that include chocolates, gummies and vaping products. 

The company has submitted its products to Health Canada for approval and could begin selling them as of mid-December.