Cannabis Stocks Part One: The Six NYSE Traded Cannabis Stocks

Cannabis may be illegal on the federal level, but that hasn’t stopped entrepreneurs and investors from making a killing off of the industry. While the vast majority of cannabis stocks remain on the OTC Market, a select few have graduated to the more prestigious exchanges; like the NASDAQ (NDAQ) or New York Stock Exchange (ICE).

In our two-part series, Green Market Report will take a look at the cannabis companies that have managed to break through and get listed on either the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market. First up is the New York Stock Exchange.

Innovative Industrial Properties Inc.
First listed on the NYSE on Dec. 1, 2016, Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR) is a company with a focus on specialized industrial real estate assets. Specifically, the company owns and leases industrial real estate assets to medical cannabis companies. In addition to leasing medical cannabis cultivation and processing facilities, the company also provides their clients with the services of professional medical cannabis growers, many of whom have gone through the licensing process, as well as long-term triple net leases. Company stock is currently trading at $26.10, down from its all-time high of $36.57.

22nd Century Group
22nd Century Group (XXII) is a biotechnology company that made its debut on the NYSE on March 11, 2014. Specializing in genetic engineering and plant breeding, the company has been working towards the research and development of cannabinoid-related products derived from industrial hemp. Partnering with the University of Virginia, the company harvested its first hemp crop, valued at $1 million, in 2017. Most notably, 22nd Century has developed a strain of tobacco with “non-addictive” levels of nicotine, the first of its kind, and is currently seeking a patent on the strain. The company’s stock is currently valued at $2.90 per share, more than two dollars higher than it was at this same time last year.

India Globalization Capital

India Globalization Capital (IGC) is an internationally diversified company that works in both infrastructure and cannabis-related pharmaceutical research. Internationally, the company works in real estate, heavy equipment, and the construction and leasing of farming facilities. Domestically, the company is developing a product portfolio of phytocannabinoid-based therapies to treat Alzheimer’s, pain, nausea, etc. In December of 2017, India Globalization Capital’s received a huge boost in its stock price after it announced that it would work towards developing a blockchain-based platform aimed at solving industry-related issues, such as inadequate product labeling. However, much of those gains have been lost since the start of the year. The company’s stock is currently trading at $0.84 per share.

AbbVie
First launched as a spin-off company of Abbot Laboratories, AbbVie (ABBV) is a pharmaceutical company with one critical edge over its competitor: it already has a cannabis-related product on the market. Also known as dronabinol, Marinol is a synthetic form of THC used to help treat nausea in patients suffering from cancer and HIV treatments. Marinol has few competitors, most notable Syndros from Insys Therapeutics, and as a result, AbbVie has seen steadily increasing revenues over the last few years. However, the company’s over-reliance on US Markets make it a slightly riskier bet than it appears. Over the last year, AbbVie’s stock has risen over 50%, trading at approximately $111.20 per share.

Compass Diversified Holdings
Compass Diversified Holdings (CODI) is a company that focuses on acquiring and management “middle market businesses,” which are companies that fall somewhere between small businesses and billion-dollar businesses. The company was first listed on the NYSE on May 12, 2006. Although Compass is not primarily a cannabis company, it does have a holding in the hemp-based food companies Manitoba Harvest and Hemp Oil Canada. Compass’ stock price has been on a slow decline for the last several years, falling by 4% in the last year alone to approximately $16.60 per share.

Scotts Miracle-Gro
If you’ve ever owned a lawn or worked outside, then odds are you already know Scotts Miracle Gro (SMG). In 2016, Scotts Miracle-Gro surprised the cannabis industry and the markets when CEO Jim Hagedorn announced that he planned on investing approximately $500 million in the cannabis industry. So far the company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire hydroponics companies and technology. In addition, the company has also begun looking into developing pesticides developed specifically for cannabis plants. By focusing on the ancillary side of the cannabis business. Scotts Miracle-Gro has insulated itself from many of the legal risks with the cannabis industry while opening itself up to the industry’s benefits. For the last five years, the company has enjoyed steady growth but in the last month, like many companies investing in the cannabis industry experienced a steep decline in its stock prices following United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement that he would rescind the Cole Memo. Scotts Miracle-Gro is currently at $89.13 per share.

Stay Tuned for Part Two
Check back again for Part Two of our two-part series where Green Market Report will give you a look into the cannabis companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market.