ATLANTA, June 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cannabis stocks have staged a rousing return in recent weeks after a quiet first half of 2021. Sales are on the rise this year as revenue and profits for many cannabis companies have increased significantly. During the global COVID-19 pandemic medical marijuana was deemed "essential,” which definitely had an impact on increased sales. U.S. legal cannabis sales grew 46% year over year to $17 billion in 2020. The total U.S. economic impact from marijuana sales in 2021 is expected to reach $92 billion – up more than 30% from last year – and upwards of $160 billion in 2025, according to analysis from the newly published MJBizFactbook.
In addition to increased sales, the cannabis industry is benefitting from speculation around legalization, which is back on the government’s agenda with the reintroduction of the MORE Act. If lawmakers pass this legislation it will federally decriminalize cannabis. $1.65 trillion Amazon is supporting the MORE Act and recently announced it plans to relax internal cannabis testing for all positions not under regulation by the Department of Transportation. The third major factor creating interest in cannabis stocks is that the group of investors from Reddit developed a big appetite for them. These factors should kick the cannabis sector back into high gear. However, investors need to be selective and look for cannabis companies with growth and fundamentals.
Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY), Pure Harvest Corporate Group, Inc. (OTC: PHCG), Cronos Group (NASDAQ: CRON), and 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII) are four companies that could have major moves in front of them as investors add cannabis stocks to their portfolios.
Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) is a global pioneer in cannabis research, cultivation, production and distribution. The Company is focused on producing high-quality cannabis and cannabis-derived products primarily for recreational adult-use globally. The big news on Tilray is that Reddit's traders hope to drive its share price higher by forcing short-sellers to close their positions, which requires them to buy back the shares they shorted. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, High Park Holdings Ltd., Tilray offers a broad-based portfolio of brands and adult-use products.
Tilray currently supplies high-quality medical cannabis products to tens of thousands of patients in 17 countries spanning five continents through its subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, Germany, Latin America and Portugal, and through agreements with established pharmaceutical distributors. Tilray also cultivates medical and adult-use cannabis in Canada and medical cannabis in Portugal. Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald recently upgraded the stock after its merger with Aphria in May. As a result, Tilray has become one of the leaders in the cannabis industry following the merger, since the combined company has the largest global geographic footprint in the industry, low-cost production facilities, and a wealth of international growth opportunities. For more information on Tilray visit https://www.tilray.com.
Pure Harvest Corporate Group, Inc. (OTCQB: PHCG) is a cannabis play that has not garnered the attention of the main stream media yet. Pure Harvest Corporate Group has developed numerous high-quality cannabis and hemp derived retail brands and product lines that are currently available for purchase in select markets. Pure Harvest intends to grow its marijuana, hemp derived cannabinoids, and research and development operations and expand globally as the laws regarding cannabis are reviewed and rewritten to repeal their prohibition.
Pure Harvest Corporate Group recently announced Q1 2021 revenues increased by 92.65% from Q4 2020 revenue. In fact, Pure Harvest Corporate Group did more revenues in the first quarter of 2021 than it did in all of 2020. Q1 2021 Revenue was $794,148 versus 2020 Year End Revenue of $735,690. The significant increases are largely attributable to continued growth in sales at the Company’s Colorado marijuana operations located in Dumont, CO. The Company’s Test Kitchen subsidiary began generating revenue with the launch of their white label program and beta product release.
Pure Harvest Corporate Group uses an “acquire and integrate” approach whereby it uses primarily equity to acquire high-potential operating cannabis businesses. Since 2018, the Company has made five such acquisitions, some of which are now hitting new records in sales each quarter. In the future, the Company plans to acquire licensed medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries, cultivation facilities and production facilities in states which allow publicly traded companies to own and operate dispensaries, cultivation facilities and production facilities. In addition to products tailored to marijuana retail dispensaries, the Company’s line will incorporate infused product options including beverages, edibles, topicals, concentrates, and distillates.
A primary operational focus for the Company is Test Kitchen, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pure Harvest. Test Kitchen is a laboratory for human potential – an experiment and experience for creating and sustaining the highest expression of life. Test Kitchen’s mission is to curate empirical physiology and cultivate predictable pharmacognosy to optimize mind-body-performance. Pure Harvest Corporate Group has 25 full-time employees and recently moved into a new, expanded corporate office in Greenwood Village, CO, an upscale suburban area on the south side of Denver. For more information on Pure Harvest Corporate Group visit http://www.pureharvestgroup.com.
Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) is a global cannabinoid company with a brand portfolio that includes PEACE NATURALS™, a global wellness platform; two adult-use brands, COVE™ and Spinach™; and three U.S. hemp-derived consumer products brands, Lord Jones™, Happy Dance™ and PEACE+™. The Company has built a distribution footprint in Canada through the direct-to-client medical market and the adult-use market, as well as a distribution footprint for U.S. hemp-derived consumer products in the U.S. through e-commerce, retail and hospitality channels. During Q1 2021, Cronos's revenue increased 50% year over year to $12.6 million with a $43.5 million operating loss. The Company has no long term debt and more than $1.2 billion in cash and investments, most of which came from Altria's CA$2.4 billion investment in 2018 for 45% equity in the company. Altria recently merged with Tilray and also has an option to exercise warrants to purchase an additional 10% of Cronus Group.
Cronos Group Inc. recently amended its previous partnership agreement with Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc., a company involved in cell programming. The amendment allows Cronos to start commercializing products with cultured cannabinoids, which means Cronos’ cultured cannabinoid products will be the first to market in Canada. Cronus Group has not exactly set the world on fire with great results. Many investors are looking for a well-placed acquisition to take the Company to the next level. The cannabis industry is rapidly consolidating, and Cronos has a cash-rich balance sheet that could be used to make additional acquisitions in the coming months. For more information on Cronos Group, Inc. visit http://www.thecronosgroup.com.
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII) is a leading plant biotechnology company focused on technologies that alter the level of nicotine in tobacco plants and the level of cannabinoids in hemp/cannabis plants through genetic engineering, gene-editing, and modern plant breeding. 22nd Century’s primary mission in tobacco is to reduce the harm caused by smoking through the Company’s reduced nicotine content tobacco cigarettes – containing 95% less nicotine than conventional cigarettes. The Company’s primary mission in hemp/cannabis is to develop and commercialize proprietary hemp/cannabis plants with valuable cannabinoid profiles and desirable agronomic traits.
In several recent press releases, 22nd Century announced the sale of 10 million shares of stock to an institutional investor at $4 a share. This will provide the Company with $40 million "to support the Company's strategic objectives across all of its plant franchises." 22nd Century announced later that one of these "objectives" will be to partner with Aurora Cannabis to "actively explore commercial development opportunities" on tobacco and cannabis products. 22nd Century expects the first revenue and profit streams to come in the second half of this year, from licensing revenue on their original IP. For more information on 22nd Century Group, Inc. visit https://www.xxiicentury.com.
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