The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Constellation Brands' $5-billion investment in Canopy Growth is a defining transaction for an industry, in part because a leading consumer-product company is staking its claim to the recreational marijuana market and in part because Wall Street is now fully embracing cannabis. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis this year, along with a mature market for medical marijuana, has spurred the creation of several relatively large made-in-Canada companies. Canopy Growth has emerged as the clear industry leader with operations in 30 countries. When Canopy's Bruce Linton looks ahead, he sees the weed sector attracting the attention of deeper-pocketed rivals based in the beer, spirits, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. Constellation is betting that Canopy can come up with cannabis beverages that rival the popularity of wine and beer. Until recently, Canopy Growth could fund expansion only with the backing of a handful of independent Canadian investment dealers, and a largely retail investor base. Major Wall Street firms steered clear of pot stocks, as did the big Canadian banks. Those days are over.