7 Shots Heard Around The Cannabis Sector In 2021

Although 2021 has been a major period of growth for the cannabis sector, many leading North American operators have come under pressure and this is a trend that has surprised us. 

Going forward, we believe the cannabis sector is positioned to continue to record strong growth and expect 2022 to be a record year for many businesses. From more states in the US legalizing medical and/or recreational cannabis to an improving international landscape, the global cannabis industry should benefit from a number of tailwinds. =

Today, we want to highlight 7 important developments or milestones that have been reported so far this year and believe our readers should be aware of these:

1. Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX: WEED) (Nasdaq: CGC) has improved its leverage to the US market through strategic investments and partnerships. The company recently announced an agreement to acquire a leading US cannabis edible brand and we consider this to be a major transaction for the business. 
2. Several states have already exceeded $1 billion of cannabis revenue so far this year. Markets like Illinois and Nevada are two of the markets that hit this milestone and we expect other states to hit this level of sales in 2022
3. The Latin American cannabis industry is rapidly growing as the export opportunity to the European Union (EU)  becomes more significant and as additional countries legalize cannabis 
4. From Canadian Licensed Producers (LPs) to ancillary businesses, there has been significant consolidation in the cannabis industry. In 2022, we expect this trend to become more significant 
5. US cannabidiol (CBD) companies have become an attractive avenue for Canadian Licensed Producers (LPs) to enter the US market. So far this year, CBD companies have been under heavy pressure and several leading operators were purchased for a fraction of their respective peak valuations
6. GW Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: JAZZ) in a deal that was worth more than $7 billion. This is the largest transcription in the history of the cannabis industry and marked a major milestone for biotech focused cannabis companies 
7. Canada’s cannabis retail market has recorded strong growth on a year-over-year basis and we primarily attribute the growth to opening of new stores and the legalization of cannabis 2.0 products

Share

Tags

Michael Berger is Managing Partner of StoneBridge Partners LLC. SBP continues to drive market awareness for leading firms in the cannabis industry throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Top Stories