Only the Conservative Cannabis Stocks Index Is Up YTD

So far this year the 18 largest “seed-to-sale” cannabis stocks have declined by 50.2% YTD (as of May 5th) while the stock prices of the 5 tobacco companies and 1 liquor company that have invested heavily in the cannabis industry have increased by 2.0% over the same period – and pay an average of 3.0% in dividend yields. Perhaps one or more of these less volatile and financially sound stocks – the Conservative Cannabis Stocks Index – warrant your consideration. Words: 615

The YTD stock performances of these 6 companies are compared below with their associated cannabis stocks, in descending order:

1. Altria Group (MO) is UP 19.4% YTD and has a Dividend Yield of 6.4%.
   • The company has a 45% stake in Cronos Group Inc. (CRON) which is DOWN 24.5% YTD and pays out no dividend.
2. Imperial Brands (IMBBY) is DOWN 5.6% YTD and has a Dividend Yield of 12.1%.
   • The company has a 19.9% stake in Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (CBWTF) which is DOWN 14.3% YTD and pays out no dividend.
3. Molson Coors (TAP) is UP 14.6% YTD and has a Dividend Yield of 2.9%.
   • The company has a 57.5%/42.5% joint venture, called TRUSS, with Hexo Corp. (HEXO) which is DOWN 50.0% YTD and pays out no dividend.
4. British American Tobacco (BTI) is UP 10.0% YTD  and has a Dividend Yield of 7.2%. 
   • The company has a C$221M investment and product development partnership with Organigram Holdings Inc. (OGI) which is DOWN 23.4% YTD but pays out no dividend.
5. Anheuser-Busch (BUD) is DOWN 9.2% YTD and has a Dividend Yield of 1.0%.
   • The company has a $100 million joint venture with Tilray Inc. (TLRY) which is DOWN 32.6% YTD and pays out no dividend.
6. Constellation Brands (STZ) is DOWN 1.4% and has a Dividend Yield of 1.3%.
   • The company has a 39% stake in Canopy Growth Corporation  (CGC) which is DOWN 31.6% YTD and pays out no dividend.

In Summary

• Stock Performances:
  • the Conservative Cannabis Stocks index constituents are UP 2.0% YTD, on average, while
  • their marijuana partners are DOWN 30.5%, on average, YTD.
• Dividend Yields:
  • the Conservative Cannabis Stocks index constituents pay dividends ranging from 1.0% to 12.1%, averaging 3.0% while
  • their marijuana partners do not payout dividends.

So as to cover all the bases, you could also consider investing in the  AdvisorsShares VICE (VICE) ETF which moves in the opposite (inverse) direction of its underlying assets. It is an actively managed ETF (net expense ratio of 0.99%) that invests in companies that derive at least 50% of their net revenue from:

• gambling/casino companies: 36%,
• restaurant/hospitality industry: 19%,
• alcoholic beverage companies (includes Constellation Brands): 17%,
• tobacco companies (includes all the tobacco companies mentioned above except Imperial Brands): 10%,
• video games and eSports sector: 8%,
• psychedelic compound-based clinical-stage drug companies: 1%,
• and other sectors: 9%

VICE is DOWN 17.8% YTD reflecting how well the constituents in the ETF have performed so far in 2022.

Caveat

Should the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) move forward with its plan to ban mint-flavored products, such as cannabis vapes and menthol cigarettes, this policy shift (seen as “the most aggressive action taken by the FDA against the industry since Congress gave the agency the authority to regulate tobacco products in 2009” threatens to significantly reduce the amount of revenue generated from these popular products.

The ban proposal is only in the early stages of review, however, and tobacco lobbyists are likely to fight it at every turn and, even if it does pass, the tobacco companies will likely drag out legal proceedings so a resolution is likely many months away. Nevertheless, Wall Street hates uncertainty and, while there are no guarantees the ban will be carried out, confidence will probably be low among investors moving forward. That being said, if you are interested in a conservative way to invest indirectly in the cannabis sector, then investing in one or more of the above-mentioned, less volatile, and financially sound stocks that pay sizeable dividends, to boot, warrants your serious consideration.

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