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The time is coming when the cannabis and hemp stocks are back in gear. That means it’s time for investors to start making a shopping list based on what’s likely to work best in the space around the next corner. With that in mind, we present our shopping list drawn from relative strength, breadth of resources, top talent, and recent catalysts: Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF), Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB), Marquie Group Inc (OTCMKTS:TMGI), and Cresco Labs Inc (OTCMKTS:CRLBF).     Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) is a clear relative strength leader that continues to expand its footprint. The company recently announced that it opened the doors of its latest Florida location on Tuesday, November 26th, in Lakeland. The Central Florida location is a milestone for Florida's largest operator as Trulieve becomes the first operator in Florida to reach 40 locations. "Trulieve has come a long way over the past three years – from closing out 2016 with only two stores to celebrating our record-breaking 40th store in Florida with even more to come in 2019 — and 2020 – as we continue to strategically plan for the future," said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. "As the patient registry continues to grow and Florida's residents continue to seek alternative, natural relief, we will continue our mission to expand access to the natural, effective, and safe medications they have come to rely on." Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) promulgates itself as a company that, through its subsidiary, Trulieve, Inc., engages in the cultivation, possession, distribution, and sale of medical cannabis in the United States. It offers a suite of Trulieve branded products with approximately 125 SKUs, including nasal sprays, capsules, concentrates, syringes, and cannabis flower in tamper-proof containers for vaporizers, topical creams, tinctures, and vape cartridges. The company distributes its products to Trulieve branded stores (dispensaries) in Florida, as well as takes orders online and by phone for delivery. As of November 20, 2018, the company operated 21 dispensaries. Trulieve Cannabis Corp. is headquartered in Quincy, Florida. According to company materials, “Trulieve is a vertically integrated "seed to sale" company and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL.” Even in light of this news, TCNNF has had a rough past week of trading action, with shares sinking something like -9% in that time. That said, chart support is nearby and we may be in the process of constructing a nice setup for some movement back the other way. Shares of the stock have powered higher over the past month, rallying roughly 14% in that time on strong overall action. Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) generated sales of $93.4M, according to information released in the company's most recent quarterly financial report. That adds up to a sequential quarter-over-quarter growth rate of 20.5% on the top line. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($41.1M against $64.9M, respectively).     Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB) is a member of the so-called “old guard” of the cannabis space, with a huge footprint, but a continuing bent toward innovation in the space, and the resources to keep the company out in front of the pack as the next leg gets underway. To that end, the company just announced that one of the Company's oil products has now been approved for use under Ireland's new Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP). According to the release, Aurora's High CBD Oil Drops received approval from the Irish authorities and have now been added to a regulatory schedule by the Irish Minister of Health enabling importation, prescribing and supply under the scheme and is to date, one of only two products to gain such authorization. Dr Shane Morris , Chief Product Officer at Aurora said, "Aurora is pleased to be able to assist patients who are seeking treatment with high quality EU-GMP (good manufacturing practice) certified pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis in Ireland.   We are very proud to be one of the first approved suppliers of medical cannabis under the MCAP.  We want to acknowledge the efforts made by many people, especially the patients and doctors who have campaigned for access to these medicines.  We look forward to more of Aurora's high-quality medicines being approved, so that more patients can benefit from the MCAP in Ireland.  We will continue to work closely with all parties and state agencies to facilitate further availability." Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB) is one of the most widely diversified players in the cannabis space due to its powerful strategic investments. However, just drilling down into its core cannabis production operations, Aurora Cannabis Enterprises Inc, trumpets itself as “one of the world’s largest and leading cannabis companies” and a licensed producer of medical cannabis pursuant to ACMPR. We would expect expansion on the way given the inflow of investment capital. But, at present, the Company operates a 55,200 square foot, state-of-the-art production facility in Mountain View County, Alberta, known as Aurora Mountain, is currently constructing a second 800,000 square foot production facility, known as “Aurora Sky”, at the Edmonton International Airport, and has acquired, and is undertaking completion of a third 40,000 square foot production facility in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, on Montreal’s West Island. It will be interesting to see if the stock can break out of its recent sideways action. Over the past week, the stock is net flat, and looking for something new to spark things. Over the past month, shares of the stock have suffered from clear selling pressure, dropping by roughly -31%. Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB) managed to rope in revenues totaling $75.2M in overall sales during the company's most recently reported quarterly financial data -- a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 153.6%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($236.9M against $464.6M, respectively).     Marquie Group Inc (OTCMKTS:TMGI) is a clear emerging leadership play in the CBD space, so it deserves acknowledgement here in this group. While the stock hasn’t yet started to gain traction with traders, the company boasts top talent in the health and beauty space coming together with the concept of the huge growth anticipated in CBD. Much of that promise springs from its leader, Jacquie Carter Angell, who has established an internationally recognized personal brand as a beauty expert, appearing in television, radio, magazine, newspaper and media events around the world. According to the company, during that time, she has partnered with celebrities, Olympic athletes, doctors, nutritionists and Nobel Prize laureates in brand-building and marketing health and beauty products to women in more than 90 countries. “The CBD market has grown exponentially, evolving from the virtually unknown, to a marketplace where consumer perception and expectations are on the rise. A lesser-known fact is that the largest consumer for CBD products is women between 35-49 years of age,” commented Jacquie Carter Angell, President of The Marquie Group. “We have predicated the majority of the packaging, branding, marketing, and digital identity around this fact in a manner that positions Whim with far less direct niche-level competition than other CBD product brands.” Marquie Group Inc (OTCMKTS:TMGI) bills itself as company led by former Director of Worldwide Training and Education for Herbalife Nutrition, Jacquie Carter Angell. It is a direct-to-consumer health and beauty products platform with a pipeline of innovative solutions to pervasive wellness concerns: anxiety, anti-aging, low energy, sleeplessness, and stress that use advanced formulations of plant-based, amino-acids and CBD alternatives to chemical ingredients. All products will feature unique formulations of top-quality ingredients meant to impart skin health that comes from improved amino-acid balance and CBD nutrition. The Marquie Group owns and operates two businesses: Music of Your Life, Inc, the nation's longest-running, nationally syndicated music radio network broadcast nationwide and internationally to a worldwide audience on the Internet, and Global Nutrition Experience, Inc. (GNX), an intellectual property licensing and development corporation. Products planned for a 2020 launch include facial skin care serums, a powerful amino acid infused collagen drink and custom blended CBD tinctures each with their own potent puree of nature’s finest fruits, flowers and herbs. Each one is uniquely developed to provide optimal sleep and relaxation, mental focus and clarity or beauty and antioxidant benefits via an array of plant- based ingredients formulated to enhance one's Inner Health and Outer Beauty.     Cresco Labs Inc (OTCMKTS:CRLBF) is suddenly back on the radar as a deep value slash growth play in the cannabis patch following the stock’s dramatic turnaround in December. To add some further color to the story, the company just announced that it has completed its first harvest from its expanded cultivation facility in Lincoln, IL. According to the release, “With the recent growth of the state’s medical market and adult-use legalization going live on January 1st, Cresco has been scaling operations to be able to accommodate what is expected to be one of the largest cannabis markets in the country. As the only operator in Illinois with three (3) cultivation facilities, Cresco has a unique competitive advantage and is positioned to build on its already market-leading position.” CRESCO LABS ORD (OTCMKTS:CRLBF) trumpets itself as a company that manufactures and sells medical cannabis products in the United States. It offers cannabis dry flower; vaporizer forms of cannabis; cannabis oil in capsule, oral and sublingual solutions; cannabis in topical; and other cannabis products. The company also provides cannabis infused edibles, including chocolate and toffee confections, fruit-forward gummies, and hard sweet and chews. Cresco Labs Inc. sells its products under the Cresco brand. In addition, it operators a Hope Heal Health dispensary in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts. The company was formerly known as Cresco Labs, LLC and changed its name to Cresco Labs Inc. in November 2018. Cresco Labs Inc. is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. According to the release, “Cresco Labs, based in Chicago, is a leading U.S. cannabis company with experienced management, access to capital and a demonstrated growth strategy. As a differentiated grower, processor and retailer of premium cannabis operating in ten states, the company focuses on entering highly regulated markets with outsized demand potential and high barriers to entry. Its impressive speed-to-market gives Cresco a distinct competitive advantage as it replicates its model to expand its national footprint. Cresco’s proven ability to execute is complemented by a cutting-edge brand strategy spearheaded by several of the brightest minds in consumer marketing in the nation. Cresco’s products are tailored to all major consumer segments: everyday cannabis, medicinally focused, connoisseur grade, and chef inspired edibles by James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Mindy Segal. Learn more about Cresco Labs at crescolabs.com.” The stock has been acting very well over recent days, up something like 32% in that time. Cresco Labs Inc (OTCMKTS:CRLBF) pulled in sales of $47.8M in its last reported quarterly financials, representing top line growth of 19.6%. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($108.2M against $60.6M). Read the full article

As the Cannabis space continues to mature, we find ourselves with an “old guard” and a crop of young upstarts racing to steal the torch of leadership away. Given the sharp underperformance of the old guard in recent months, one wonders if the big money in the space has already started to shift its focus. There are valuation and strategy issues to think about as we size this dynamic up for analysis. First off, we know who the old guard is at this point. We’re talking about the likes of Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC), Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB), and Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY), among others. Together, these stocks have been dreadful performers in 2019, and valuations are still not exactly enticing. Margin pressure has been the name of the game. That’s why we are starting to look at what we are referring to as: “The Future Stars of the Cannabis Investment Theme”. After all, the notion of overall cannabis industry growth is still completely intact. It’s just a shift in where capital productivity lies. Today, we will look at four interesting prospects: GrowGeneration Corp. (NASDAQ:GRWG), Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF), Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB:SGMD), and Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF).   GrowGeneration Corp (OTCMKTS:GRWG) is an up-and-comer that is defined by its pick-and-shovel angle on this theme. The company is seeing accelerating growth just as the cultivators are seeing tightening margins. This is a hydroponics player, so it’s able to capitalize the growth in demand and supply. The company just announced that its common shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. GrowGeneration Corp. common shares will begin trading on NASDAQ on December 2, 2019 under the trading ticker symbol "GRWG." "This up-listing to NASDAQ is a major corporate milestone and reflects the financial performance of our Company. As the premier hydroponic supplier in the country, we continue to focus on expanding the number of garden centers, increasing our commercial portfolio of customers, focusing on the cutting-edge products, while expanding revenue and EBITDA. We believe our NASDAQ listing will increase long-term shareholder value by improving awareness, liquidity, and appeal to institutional investors" said Darren Lampert, CEO of GrowGeneration Corp. GrowGeneration Corp (OTCMKTS:GRWG) trumpets itself as a company that owns and operates retail hydroponic and organic gardening stores in the United States. It offers horticultural, organics, and lighting and hydroponics products, including lighting fixtures, nutrients, seeds and growing media, systems, trays, fans, filters, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, timers, instruments, water pumps, irrigation supplies, and hand tools. The company serves commercial and urban cultivators growing specialty crops, including organics, greens, and plant-based medicines. As of September 10, 2019, it operated 25 stores, including 5 locations in Colorado, 4 locations in California, 2 locations in Nevada, 1 location in Washington, 4 locations in Michigan, 1 location in Rhode Island, 4 locations in Oklahoma, 1 in New Hampshire, and 3 locations in Maine. GrowGen also operates an online superstore for cultivators, located at HeavyGardens.com. GrowGen carries and sells thousands of products, including organic nutrients and soils, advanced lighting technology and state of the art hydroponic equipment to be used indoors and outdoors by commercial and home growers. According to company materials, “Our mission is to own and operate GrowGeneration branded stores in all the major states in the U.S. and Canada. Management estimates that roughly 1,000 hydroponic stores are in operation in the U.S. By 2020 the market is estimated to reach over $23 billion with a compound annual growth.” The stock has been acting well over recent days, up something like 12% in that time. Shares of the stock have powered higher over the past month, rallying roughly 7% in that time on strong overall action. GrowGeneration Corp (OTCMKTS:GRWG) managed to rope in revenues totaling $21.8M in overall sales during the company's most recently reported quarterly financial data -- a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 159.1%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($16M against $9.5M).   Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF) is increasingly well-known, but continues to have a feel of an “under the radar” name compared to the Old Guard players in the space, despite existing on a scale that actually supersedes some of the more recognizable names – ie, it may surprise you to know that CURLF surpassed TLRY in sales last quarter by over 25%! As a result, CURLF shares are in a very select group being one of just a handful of pot stocks to actually post gains in 2019 – a year that has featured devastating losses for most stocks in the space. Overall, the company roped in revenues of $64.9M during its most recently reported quarterly financial data. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($140.3M against $64.1M). To continue its strong momentum, CURLF recently announced it will launch its custom-designed Veterans Cannabis Project pre-roll product in Florida today. According to the release, a portion of all proceeds will benefit the Veterans Cannabis Project (VCP), an organization that advocates for legal and supported access of medical cannabis for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs. In Florida the boxes will be available for $26, and each box contains five 0.4 oz pre-rolls for a total of 2 grams per box. "We are proud to launch the Veterans Cannabis Project initiative in Florida to provide additional support and education for veterans in the communities we serve," said Pablo Arizmendi-Kalb, President of Curaleaf Florida. "Through this partnership with the Veterans Cannabis Project, we hope to increase awareness for veteran access to medical cannabis." Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF) operates a large number of dispensaries, 12 cultivation sites and 9 processing sites with a focus on highly populated, limited license states, including Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Curaleaf, Inc. leverages its extensive research and development capabilities to distribute cannabis products in multiple formats with the highest standard for safety, effectiveness, consistent quality and customer care. Curaleaf is committed to being the industry's leading resource in education and advancement through research and advocacy.   Sugarmade Inc (OTCMKTS:SGMD) is another example – like GRWG above – of a company positioned to actually benefit from the inevitable margin pinch that has been punishing the “old guard” cannabis cultivators, like Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC), Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB), and Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY). As those companies suffer from droves of other growers popping up everywhere to capitalize on expanding legality and demand, a handful of ancillary players, like Sugarmade, are laughing all the way to the bank. As described above, the key point here is that all the producers will need to find strategies to increase efficiency to stay in business as margins tighten. One of the most obvious solutions to that pinch is hydroponics. And Sugarmade is emerging as one of the biggest and fastest-growing hydroponics suppliers in North America, helped by an aggressive M&A roll-up strategy that has already started to pay big dividends. The latest from the company is that it is gearing up to follow GRWG up onto the Nasdaq exchange. “The approval of GrowGen shares for the move up onto the Nasdaq market is a great sign for Sugarmade as we prepare to make a similar move,” commented Jimmy Chan, CEO of Sugarmade. “It’s a positive signal about the hydroponics market and about our overall strategy. It’s time for institutional investors to get heavily involved in the pick-and-shovel ancillary markets surrounding the hemp and hemp-related boom. GrowGen has done a great job, and we are hot on their tail right now, and plan to surpass them in the race to number one in the hydroponics space.” According to this morning’s release, GRWG’s good news is really good news for SGMD as well, given that the two companies are basically twins in terms of revenues, market focus, and scale of operations. SGMD has already booked over $26 million in revenues on a year-to-date basis, and anticipates this number to swell to $32 million on sequential strengthening in gross margins and sales into year end. The company also noted that it is in the process of another major M&A transaction that will significantly further boost overall forward financial projections for 2020. Based on the huge gains seen in GRWG shares as investors see the value of that uplist, the smart money may be quick to line up similar bets in SGMD.   Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) is in a very select group among cannabis stocks. Like CURLF, Trulieve is actually up this year. And there are just a handful of pot stocks that can claim as much. At this point, you can count the number of cannabis stocks that are positive in 2019 on the fingers of one hand because, as noted above, margins in the space have tightened powerfully, and only a few have managed to adapt and roll with the punches. Helping to foster that successful narrative, the company just announced that it is set to open the doors of its latest Florida location on Tuesday, November 26th, in Lakeland. According to the release, “the Central Florida location is a milestone for Florida's largest operator as Trulieve becomes the first operator in Florida to reach 40 locations. Presently, Trulieve operates 39 other dispensaries throughout the State of Florida, including in the nearby communities of Tampa, Orlando, and Wesley Chapel. The storefront, located on North Florida Avenue in North Lakeland, is part of the company's mission to expand and ensure safe, reliable patient access statewide.” Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) promulgates itself as a company that engages in the cultivation, possession, distribution, and sale of medical cannabis in the United States. It offers a suite of Trulieve branded products with approximately 125 SKUs, including nasal sprays, capsules, concentrates, syringes, and cannabis flower in tamper-proof containers for vaporizers, topical creams, tinctures, and vape cartridges. The company distributes its products to Trulieve branded stores (dispensaries) in Florida, as well as takes orders online and by phone for delivery. As of November 20, 2018, the company operated 21 dispensaries. "Trulieve has come a long way over the past three years – from closing out 2016 with only two stores to celebrating our record-breaking 40th store in Florida with even more to come in 2019 — and 2020 – as we continue to strategically plan for the future," said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. "As the patient registry continues to grow and Florida's residents continue to seek alternative, natural relief, we will continue our mission to expand access to the natural, effective, and safe medications they have come to rely on." And the stock has been acting well over recent days, up something like 6% in that time. Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) generated sales of $93.4M, according to information released in the company's most recent quarterly financial report. That adds up to a sequential quarter-over-quarter growth rate of 20.5% on the top line. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($41.1M against $64.9M, respectively). Read the full article

The House Judiciary Committee approved a Bill on Wednesday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019 (the “MORE Act”) passed by a wide margin, 24-10, with bipartisan support. The impact of this bill could be extraordinary for companies operating in the space.   But, for investors, it’s hard to see through the veil of hype and understand where the most important opportunities truly lie. Here’s our list of the top 4 names to have on your radar asap: Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC), Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB), Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB:SGMD), Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF), and Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY).       Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC) engages in growing, possession, and sale of medical cannabis in Canada. Its products include dried flowers, oils and concentrates, softgel capsules, and hemps. It’s perhaps the biggest overall name in the space when it comes to a combination of producing and investing in the space, so it has to be near the top of any measure as far as benefitting from a shift whereby full-scale legalization in the US market is concerned. The company managed to rope in revenues totaling $90.5M in overall sales during the company's most recently reported quarterly financial data -- a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 249.1%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($3.2B against $372.8M). According to its own materials, the company offers its products under the Tweed, Black Label, Spectrum Cannabis, DNA Genetics, Leafs By Snoop, Bedrocan Canada, CraftGrow, and Foria brand names. It also offers its products through Tweed Main Street, a single online platform that enables registered patients to purchase medicinal cannabis from various producers across various brands. In the company’s words, “Canopy Growth is a world-leading diversified cannabis and hemp company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time.” This is also one of the most geographically diversified players in the cannabis space, with operations in 12 countries across five continents. And there has been plenty of PR work here. The Company is proudly dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public’s understanding of cannabis, and through its partly owned subsidiary, Canopy Health Innovations, has devoted millions of dollars toward cutting edge, commercializable research and IP development. Through partly owned subsidiary Canopy Rivers Corporation, the Company is providing resources and investment to new market entrants and building a portfolio of stable investments in the sector. One of its most important divestitures and strategic interests is Canopy Rivers Inc., a unique investment and operating platform structured to pursue investment opportunities in the emerging global cannabis sector. The company works collaboratively with Canopy Growth to identify strategic counterparties seeking financial and/or operating support. The company has developed an investment ecosystem of complementary cannabis operating companies that represent various segments of the value chain across the emerging cannabis sector. As the portfolio continues to develop, constituents will be provided with opportunities to work with Canopy Growth and collaborate among themselves, which the company believes will maximize value for its shareholders and foster an environment of innovation, synergy and value creation for the entire ecosystem. Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC) has suffered a bit of late, with shares of CGC taking a hit in recent action, down about -5% over the past week. But a move toward opening up the US market even further should have an obvious impact on the stock’s value.     Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB) is one of the most widely diversified players in the cannabis space due to its powerful strategic investments, and it clearly also deserves to be at or near the top of this list. In addition, the company has demonstrated rapid organic growth and strong execution on strategic M&A, which to date includes 15 companies – MedReleaf, CanvasRX, Peloton Pharmaceutical,  Aurora Deutschland (formerly Pedanios), H2 Biopharma, Urban Cultivator, BC Northern Lights, Larssen Greenhouses, CanniMed Therapeutics, Anandia Labs, HotHouse Consulting, Agropro, Borela, and the pending acquisition of ICC Labs. We would also note that the company has invested in and established strategic partnerships with a range of leading innovators, including: The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD), Radient Technologies Inc. (TSXV: RTI), Hempco Food and Fiber Inc. (TSXV: HEMP), Cann Group Ltd. (ASX: CAN), Micron Waste Technologies Inc. (CSE: MWM), Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO), Namaste Technologies Inc. (TSXV: N), Evio Beauty Group (private), Wagner Dimas (private), CTT Pharmaceuticals (OTCC: CTTH), and Alcanna Inc. (TSX: CLIQ). However, just drilling down into its core cannabis production operations, Aurora Cannabis Enterprises Inc, trumpets itself as “one of the world’s largest and leading cannabis companies” and a licensed producer of medical cannabis pursuant to ACMPR. We would expect expansion on the way given the inflow of investment capital. But, at present, the Company operates a 55,200 square foot, state-of-the-art production facility in Mountain View County, Alberta, known as Aurora Mountain, is currently constructing a second 800,000 square foot production facility, known as “Aurora Sky”, at the Edmonton International Airport, and has acquired, and is undertaking completion of a third 40,000 square foot production facility in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, on Montreal’s West Island. The stock has suffered a bit of late, with shares of ACB taking a hit in recent action, down about -26% over the past week. Over the past month, shares of the stock have suffered from clear selling pressure, dropping by roughly -28%. Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB) pulled in sales of $98.9M in its last reported quarterly financials, representing top line growth of 416.7%. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($362M against $436.4M, respectively).     Sugarmade Inc (OTCMKTS:SGMD) is perhaps the most interesting name on this list because the company isn’t as subject to the whims of the cannabis market to the extent that cannabis is a commodity. The company engages in the supply of hydroponic and cultivation products. It expands margins for producers looking for an edge. The company recently acquired BZRTH, a leading ecommerce name in the hydroponics space. That move alone sets the company up to drive forward sales over the $37 million mark. The company just put out a shareholder letter in which it stated: “We are committed to a process that will leave Sugarmade as the single dominant publicly traded player in the hydroponics space. That process is well underway, and it involves strategic M&A activity and operational execution. A perfect example of this process is our recently closed acquisition of BZRTH. That move delivers us an ecommerce footprint and infrastructure that can’t be matched in the industry right now, including a best-in-class logistics platform and a 55k square foot fulfillment center. We are in the process of another landmark acquisition that will feed into this process with a great deal of synergy. This is a simple act of combinatorial mathematics. The big point is that we know the long-term reality: gaining dominance in hydroponics now will pay off massively down the line. That’s the axiomatic idea. And we are taking steps to realize that vision every day.” The company supplies hydroponic and indoor/outdoor cultivation products to the agricultural market sectors, including the legal cannabis cultivation, processing, and distribution sectors. The company also produces and wholesales custom printed and generic supplies, such as double poly paper cups for cold beverage; and disposable, clear, and plastic cold cups, and paper coffee cups, yogurt cups, ice cream cups, cup lids, cup sleeves, edible packaging, food containers, soup containers, plastic spoons, and other related products. After acquiring BZRTH, the Company expects the new combined entity to drive EBITDA profitability, net-positive cash flows, and top-line sales of $37 million on a forward basis. “As of today, Sugarmade is one of the largest publicly traded hydroponics companies in the world,” remarked Jimmy Chan, CEO of Sugarmade. “The most important idea we want to convey to our committed shareholders right now is that this move was not a one-off deal. It’s part of a multi-step roll-up strategy designed to create the dominant force in this market as we look ahead to a world where hydroponics becomes the difference between success and failure for producers in the rapidly growing market for hemp and hemp-related crops in North America.”   Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF) is a vertically integrated cannabis player that has started to move into the hemp-based CBD space in an aggressive fashion. The stock has been outperforming the broader hemp-cannabis-cbd complex in recent action, which is notable. The company just announced that it has opened its 27th dispensary in Florida at 3631 NW Federal Highway in Jensen Beach on Friday, November 15th. According to the release, “Curaleaf has the largest cannabis dispensary footprint in the US with 50 dispensaries across the country and continues to execute on its strategy of rapid expansion in Florida. The new 4,500 square foot location is accessible to patients from the Jensen Beach area, including the communities of Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Port Salerno and Palm City, and will offer a full range of premium quality medical cannabis products and private consultations by meticulously trained staff.” Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF) operates a large number of dispensaries, 12 cultivation sites and 9 processing sites with a focus on highly populated, limited license states, including Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Curaleaf, Inc. leverages its extensive research and development capabilities to distribute cannabis products in multiple formats with the highest standard for safety, effectiveness, consistent quality and customer care. Curaleaf is committed to being the industry's leading resource in education and advancement through research and advocacy. Curaleaf Inc.'s Florida operations were the first in the cannabis industry to receive the Safe Quality Food certification under the Global Food Safety Initiative, setting a new standard of excellence. It cultivates, processes, markets, and/or dispenses a range of cannabis products in various operating markets, including flower, pre-rolls and flower pods, dry-herb vaporizer cartridges, concentrates for vaporizing, concentrates for dabbing, tinctures, lozenges, capsules, and edibles. And the stock has been acting well over recent days, up something like 11% in that time. "We have been hearing from patients about the need for a full-service medical cannabis center along the Martin County and St. Lucie County coast," said Joe Lusardi, Curaleaf CEO. "Curaleaf is proud to be the first dispensary in Jensen Beach, and we look forward to serving this community." Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF) managed to rope in revenues totaling $64.9M in overall sales during the company's most recently reported quarterly financial data -- a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 0%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($140.3M against $64.1M).     Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY) engages in the research, cultivation, processing, and distribution of medical cannabis. The company offers its products in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa. Tilray, Inc. was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Nanaimo, Canada. According to the company’s IPO announcement, “Tilray, Inc., a vertically-integrated and federally-licensed cannabis cultivator, processor and distributor, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 9,000,000 shares of Class 2 common stock. 6,524,000 shares of Class 2 common stock will be offered in the United States and certain other countries except Canada at a price to the public of US$17.00 per share for a total offering size of US$110,908,000 and 2,476,000 shares of Class 2 common stock, which we refer to as Subordinate Voting Shares, will be offered in Canada and certain other countries except the United States at a price to the public of CAD$22.451 per share for a total offering size of CAD$55,586,200. Based on current exchange rate1, the total combined offering size is approximately US$153,000,000.00.” One of its key subsidiaries is High Park, which was launched to produce and distribute world-class cannabis brands and products for the Canadian market. Based in Toronto and led by a team with deep experience in cannabis and global consumer brands, High Park has secured the exclusive rights to produce and distribute a broad-based portfolio of cannabis brands and products in Canada, subject to applicable laws and regulations. In addition, High Park has developed new brands and products for the Canadian market. Upon the coming into force of federal legalization of cannabis for adult-use and corresponding provincial legislation, High Park anticipates fulfilling adult-use supply agreements and purchase orders in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories and Yukon on October 17, 2018. Even in light of this news, TLRY hasn't really done much of anything over the past week, with shares logging no net movement over that period. Over the past month, shares of the stock have suffered from clear selling pressure, dropping by roughly -8%. Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY) pulled in sales of $51.1M in its last reported quarterly financials, representing top line growth of 408.6%. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($122.4M against $130.2M, respectively). Read the full article

The refresh is on the way in the CBD market. That should be at the top of the list for aggressive growth investors and professional investment managers looking out the next 12 months because the CBD space is the most obvious ground-zero theme for “shocking growth” anywhere to be found in capital markets. “Cloud” is played out. Cannabis is oversupplied. Social Media is anathema. Blockchain is … maybe a bit more interesting. And we’ll get to that in a minute. But, first up, we have to run through some high-potential names in the CBD space to clarify where this story stands. So, without further ado: Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC), Charlotte's Web Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CWBHF), GD Entertainment and Technology (OTCMKTS:GDET), and Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB).   Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC) has been hard at work, making a move on the CBD space. They have the resources to anoint themselves as champion if that is a singular objective. The advantage we see with CGC is in management in terms of experience and leadership capacity. This is a bigtime team, and they know how to execute. The mere fact that CGC is targeting expanding scope of business in CBD could have other players in the space nervous. Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC) engages in growing, possession, and sale of medical cannabis in Canada. Its products include dried flowers, oils and concentrates, softgel capsules, and hemps. According to its own materials, the company offers its products under the Tweed, Black Label, Spectrum Cannabis, DNA Genetics, Leafs By Snoop, Bedrocan Canada, CraftGrow, and Foria brand names. It also offers its products through Tweed Main Street, a single online platform that enables registered patients to purchase medicinal cannabis from various producers across various brands. In the company’s words, “Canopy Growth is a world-leading diversified cannabis and hemp company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time.” We would also emphasize the globally diversified nature of this company, with operations in 12 countries across five continents. One of its most important divestitures and strategic interests is Canopy Rivers Inc., a unique investment and operating platform structured to pursue investment opportunities in the emerging global cannabis sector. The company works collaboratively with Canopy Growth to identify strategic counterparties seeking financial and/or operating support. CGC managed to take in revenues of over $90M in its most recent quarterly data – which represents a rate of top line growth of nearly 250% on a year/year basis. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($3.2B against $372.8M).   Charlotte's Web Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CWBHF) is the best-in-class as far as pure-play names in the CBD space. There’s not much argument there. Nonetheless, CWBHF has been struggling to find traction in a world where the assumption starts with their leadership and ends with questions about scaling and competition. This is especially true if one considers the potential for other big billion dollar names to get more and more involved in crimping those margins with bigger pocket books and deeper pockets. In any case, at this point, these guys are in the driver’s seat on a branding basis and they have the most breadth in terms of single-silo distribution. Charlotte's Web Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CWBHF) develops and distributes hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) wellness products. Its products include CBD hemp oils, capsules, topicals, and pet products that feature CBD hemp oil extracts. The company sells its products online as well as through distributors, and brick and mortar retailers. Founded by the Stanley Brothers, the company's premium quality products start with proprietary hemp genetics that are responsibly manufactured into whole plant hemp extracts naturally containing a full spectrum of phytocannabinoids, including CBD, terpenes, flavonoids and other beneficial hemp compounds. Industrial hemp products are non-intoxicating. The company’s most recent release announces its partnership with Nielsen (NYSE:NSLN), the leading market research firm (think, TV ratings). In addition, its earnings highlighted strong topline growth themes, including news that the company surpassed 9,000 doors carrying Charlotte's Web products, expanded into new states and locations with current and new retail partners, increased retail breadth and product depth with new CBD oil flavors, pet and gummy SKUs, and evolved CPG leadership team and commenced buildout of infrastructure to expand production, distribution, R&D and extraction capacity processes ahead of the anticipated mass retail channel growth "In an increasingly crowded, noisy and confusing CBD market, brands matter, and Charlotte's Web is the most trusted hemp extract in the world," said Deanie Elsner, Chief Executive Officer of Charlotte's Web. "Consumers are becoming more informed about product ingredients, production quality, and variances between CBD isolate and full spectrum hemp extract efficacy. Consumer education is increasing and a 68% year-over-year increase in traffic through our online store drove Q3 B2C sales to new highs. As the CBD category's flagship brand, we saw a similar 66% increase in sales pull into our B2B segment which includes the food/drug/mass ("FDM") and natural health retail channels. This helped drive Q3 growth to 42% year-over-year. The majority of our FDM channel partners to only sell CBD topicals while awaiting legal and regulatory clarity from the U.S. Food and Drug Association ("FDA"). Topicals account for less than 15% of our sales at independent stores that carry both our topical and ingestible CBD product lines. This indicates the potential revenue catalyst of a broad adoption of ingestible products within the FDM channel. We are prudently investing in the expansion of our production and distribution capacities as planned, ahead of anticipated FDA regulatory clarity that could enable wider adoption of our product portfolio. We remain hopeful that broad political support will help drive quick regulatory resolutions in 2020."   GD Entertainment & Technology Inc. (OTCMKTS:GDET) is more diversified than anyone else on this list because the company has operations outside of the hemp/cannabis/CBD space, which has served the stock well during the bear market in that space. Diversification is an advantage when something goes out of favor. To get a feel for this, the company’s CEO, Anil Idnani, just completed an interview with SmallCapVoice that can be found HERE. But our key thesis is that this period of stormy weather for that theme may well be coming to an end. The growth isn’t debatable: this theme will unquestionably come back into favor. And, even thought GDET is a sub-penny player, it has shown relative strength in comparison with other names on this list over the past 6 months. Now that the turning point may be at hand, we wanted to include this name because it may continue to outperform. And, for investors, the nominal price of a share is the least important idea in the mix. The big point is this: Will GDET continue to outperform its peers? There’s good reason to think that may be the case. The most important point to support that argument is that GDET is, according to its recent communications, just about to start aggressive monetization of a major inventory. This fact is highlighted by the company’s most recent release, in which it states that it just brought in 9,500 units of 10mg CBD Gummies for sale under The Greenery brand label.   Apparently, this amounts to the last major shipment of product in establishing its initial product inventory before what the company notes will be “an aggressive distribution process”.   We will wait for the company to let us know the total value of its inventory, but a quick bout of research suggests that this delivery alone may have a market value of in the ballpark of around $142K. According to the release, this will add to a large inventory that is already full paid off.   “We have amassed a very strong inventory of products now at The Greenery, and we are ready to focus on distribution and monetization going forward,” remarked Anil Idnani, CEO of GDET. “Our large inventory of CBD oil, tincture, salve, pet treats, masks, and our signature Honey Hemp infusion is all fully paid-for. The process of monetizing that inventory represents pure upside for shareholders going forward. Our Greenery segment is in a terrific position, which will allow us to be very aggressive in the weeks and months ahead.”   That bodes extremely well for the company provided they can make good on their distribution plans.   One other dimension that differentiates GDET in this list is diversification: it is also a fully-active and operating blockchain play. There are many potential synergies between these segments. But there is also the advantage of diversification of revenue streams, which may provide some cover if there is a further capitulatory washout in the hemp, cannabis, and CBD complex before the next leg higher in the space gets fully underway.   We would also note that the company just announced a substantial reduction in its outstanding share count to lighten the load and send a shareholder-friendly signal to the market. Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB) has done the work involved in signaling to the market that it wants a big piece of the CBD boom. As a case in point, we can see a line of evidence in its strategic moves over the past 24 months. For example, in 2017, the company invested in Hempco, a Vancouver-based maker of hemp-based foods, hemp fiber, and hemp nutraceuticals. Hempco also supplied Aurora with raw hemp for extracting CBD. ACB bought the rest of Hempco three months later. The company next acquired Agropro, Europe's largest producer, processor, and supplier of certified organic hemp and hemp products. At the same time, Aurora acquired Agropro's sister company Borela, which processes and distributes organic hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein, hemp flour, and hemp seed oil. Just after that, in late 2018, Aurora acquired ICC Labs, which claims leadership in the South American hemp CBD market, with a large-scale extraction facility that can process 150,000 kg of CBD feed annually. That’s three big M&A moves in the past 30 months with one clear goal: to capture major market share in the CBD space. And it spans three different continent. This is a company on a mission and investors who believe in the larger growth thesis should take note now. Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB) managed to rope in revenues totaling $98.9M in overall sales during the company's most recently reported quarterly financial data -- a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 416.7%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($362M against $436.4M, respectively). Read the full article