Whether it was the end of prohibition, the start of the biotech revolution or the explosion of growth tied to the first decade of the Internet, a new set of companies and powerhouses have emerged as clear winners that went on to ultimately dominate their industries. Many investors and many speculators are betting that the field of medical marijuana and legalized marijuana or cannabis will be the next multibillion dollar frontier creating waves of new millionaires.

With states being the key regulatory and driving force of the cannabis industry, there are many businesses that are anxious to jump on this green wave. The website Cannabis Business Executive (CBE) has featured what it feels are the 10 most important companies in the cannabis industry today.

While these may be leaders in the emerging marijuana and cannabis field, none of these companies would be your traditional blue-chip stocks and well-established dividend players. CBE’s top 10 companies in the cannabis industry were actually called “bets” on those that could succeed and which are clearly establishing best practices in their respective competitive areas.

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The CBE’s 10 most important companies in the cannabis industry were listed as follows:

• Apeks Supercritical (private) in Johnstown, Ohio
• The Clinic Colorado (private) in Denver, Colo.
• Denver Relief & Denver Relief Consulting (private) in Denver, Colo.
• Dixie Brands (private) in Denver, Colo.
• GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: GWPH) in Salisbury, England
• Harborside Health Centers (private, non-profit) in Oakland, Calif.
• MJ Freeway (private) in Denver, Colo.
• O.penVAPE (private) in Denver, Colo.
• Privateer Holdings (private) in Seattle, Wash.
• Surna Inc. (OTCQB: SRNA) in Boulder, Colo.

24/7 Wall St. listed these in alphabetical order because these were mostly private or not traded on primary stock exchanges. The CBE’s formal list used a ranking system for each company based on the following criteria: first mover advantage, revenues, management teams, human capital investment, plant and equipment, brand strength, market footprints, competitive segment environment and the regulatory influence.

READ FULL DETAILS ON THE CBE TOP 10 COMPANIES

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