CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: California continues to be the leading center for the U.S. cannabis industry, with huge growth already taking place and plenty of potential for more.

Cannabis Strategic Ventures (OTCQB: NUGS) (NUGS Profile) is among the growing number of California cannabis companies boasting multiple cultivation, manufacturing and distribution licenses. Its wholly owned and operated flagship farm, NUGS FARM, recently completed its first harvest. Like Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Acreage Holdings Inc. (OTCQX: ACRGF) is invested up and down the supply chain, with new brands targeting markets in California and elsewhere. Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF) recently announced expansion in Pennsylvania, catering to the state’s 180,000 registered cannabis users. Halo Labs Inc. (OTCQX: AGEEF) provides vital support services to the California market, using cutting-edge technology to extract active ingredients from cannabis. Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF) has financed a fresh wave of expansion through a sale-and-leaseback agreement on its existing cultivation properties.

  • California’s industry is expected to be worth $3.1 billion this year and could reach more than three times this size as it takes over from the illegal market.
  • Public companies are expanding thanks to support from the state and ancillary businesses.
  • Federal legislation keeps many of these companies from stock exchange listings, so they are traded as over-the-counter shares.
  • Cultivation operations provide the bedrock for their growth.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

California Leads the Way for Cannabis Industry

As with many other significant economic and social changes, California is currently leading the way in the legal cannabis market. The first state to legalize medical cannabis has created a whole new sector of the legal economy and continues to set the standard that the rest of the market follows. The words cannabis and California go hand in hand.

The fall harvest is approaching, highlighting how much cannabis cultivation in California has thrived. Growing consumer demand in both the medical and recreational cannabis segments has led to constant growth for the industry. Consumers want more and better cannabis, and companies are moving to meet that demand. Cannabis investment is rising as companies realize the potential rewards of investing in cannabis.

Maturing Industry Makes More Cannabis Stocks Available

Investors both inside and outside California have been turning their attention to the state’s cannabis industry. These investors are flocking to pick up stocks in cannabis-related enterprises such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures (OTCQB: NUGS), a cannabis-related holding company that has recently made significant investments in the Californian cultivation market.

The early days of the cannabis industry were uncertain ones for investors. Though California had taken the bold step of legalizing the medical cannabis industry, the shape of that industry and the profitability of companies remained uncertain. Questions about how the federal government would respond, given that this state-level legislation was at odds with federal laws shaped by the war on drugs, contributed to that uncertainty. Further changes such as the legalization of cannabis in California for recreational purposes, which happened only three years ago, have meant ongoing uncertainty and adaptation.

In-state progress has made positioned companies such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures for success. The state has a fully regulated market, with licensing arrangements for the production, processing and sale of cannabis. Sophisticated infrastructure is emerging to nurture the industry, both in the government machinery that regulates it and in the businesses that provide materials and services.

The result is a growing number of public companies, some new and others well established. Investors have a range of options to choose from and greater confidence than ever before that their money is in safe hands.

California’s Billion-Dollar Cannabis Industry

The central driver for growth is the high demand for cannabis that exists in California. The state’s legal cannabis industry is expected to reach $3.1 billion in sales this year, according to a report from research firms Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics. This expected demand has fueled spectacular growth in the number and scale of cultivation operations, as new ones enter the market every year. Cannabis Strategic Ventures’ NUGS FARM site made its first sales this September and is building toward its full operational capacity for the start of next year. Others are in similar positions, gearing up from first sales to big cultivation and sales operations.

These sales are likely to increase as more of the state’s shadow market in cannabis moves into the light. Illegal operations in California are estimated to be worth $8.7 billion this year. The state is working to eradicate these operations and create a safer, better-regulated market that will protect consumers, workers and well-run businesses.

Operations such as NUGS FARM are both a result of and a contribution to the erosion of the illegal market. As police crack down on illegal operations, customers move toward legal outlets to obtain their drugs. In addition, the existence of legal outlets is itself a draw away from the illegal sellers. By providing a safe, legal way for customers to obtain what they’re looking for, with more consistent results and value for money, enforcement agencies are eroding the illegal market’s customer base.

Investing in Cannabis Off the Exchanges

Despite this, many cannabis companies are unable to list their stocks on American exchanges. Instead, the likes of Cannabis Strategic Ventures are traded as over-the-counter stocks on OTC Markets.

The reason behind this is federal legislation. Though many states have changed their views, the United States government still treats cannabis as a Schedule One drug, legally regarded to be as dangerous as heroin or LSD, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence against this stance. This means that companies that directly cultivate and sell recreational cannabis are barred from listing on U.S. financial exchanges. Some ancillary and biotech companies have found a way around this and onto the exchanges, while others have been listed in Canada instead. But for many, over-the-counter sales between traders remain the way forward.

The Practicalities of Cannabis Cultivation

Despite the challenge this situation creates, there is no shortage of funding for cannabis growers. For the first time, investors are starting to learn what a cannabis cultivation project looks like.

Many of these operations are based on indoor growing, which allows for greater security and consistency of results. NUGS FARM is a 6.5-acre greenhouse operation, using specialized farming equipment to feed, water and monitor the plants. The farm has licenses to cultivate, manufacture and distribute cannabis, giving Cannabis Strategic Ventures the right to be involved in and provide quality control through the entire supply chain. NUGS can produce tens of thousands of pounds of cannabis annually, with the plants coming from the company’s own unique, high-quality flower strains. NUGS has started booking sales of this produce as it gears up to full capacity in early 2020.

This is the shape of the Californian cannabis industry — sophisticated, forward looking and constantly expanding. Challenges such as the illegal market and federal regulations are being overcome — or even turned to the industry’s advantage.

All In On Cannabis

Across the 33 states in which medical or recreational cannabis is now legal, companies are enjoying similar patterns of expansion.

Starting with its founder’s investment in a cannabis license in Maine eight years ago, Acreage Holdings Inc. (OTCQX: ACRGF) has since expanded to create a company operating in states across the United States. A team of experts with experience in everything from legislation to healthcare to cultivation, the company is invested all along the supply chain, from cultivation to manufacturing to dispensing to branding. Acreage Holdings recently rolled out a new set of products under its House of Brands strategy. California is among the target markets for these products, tapping into that large and growing customer base.

Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF) is another multistate operator with cultivation centers in a number of states. The company is focused on the medical rather than the recreational sector of the market, focusing on the health benefits that cannabis can bring. Green Thumb Industries recently opened its seventh retail store in Pennsylvania, a sizeable market with 180,000 in-state registered medical cannabis patients. Such moves have led to a tripling in Green Thumb’s revenues in the second quarter of this year.

The industry isn’t just about cultivation and retail; there’s a large base of support services backing that. Among those companies is Halo Labs Inc. (OTCQX: AGEEF), which specializes in the extraction of active ingredients from cannabis. This extraction allows the chemicals to be used in products ranging from medicines to vaping liquid to food and drink. Halo’s leading-edge technology gives it an advantage in the extraction market, a fast-moving segment based on swiftly changing technology. Halo Labs was recently awarded two new licenses for operations in California, where it already has a 9,400-square-foot campus dedicated to the processing of cannabis products.

A vertically integrated company working across the United States, Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF) is one of the leading multistate cannabis companies. Cresco deals with the whole supply chain of cannabis, including cultivation, processing, packaging, shipping and sales in its own dispensaries. The company recently made a sale-and-leaseback deal on two of its cultivation properties in Illinois to provide extra funds for expansion in the state. Like California, Illinois has plenty of room for expansion, and the industry there is expected to eventually reach $2 to $4 billion in value. The deal will position Cresco to make the most of that growth.

The cannabis industry is growing in many states, following the lead of California, where a powerful market is forging the way ahead for the rest of the country.

For more information on Cannabis Strategic Ventures, visit Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. (NUGS)

About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

To receive SMS text alerts from CannabisNewsWire, text “CANNABIS” to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

DISCLAIMER: CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by CNW are solely those of CNW. Readers of this Article and content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable CNW for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. CNW is a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and is NOT registered broker-dealers/analysts/investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.

The Article and content related to the profiled company represent the personal and subjective views of the Author, and are subject to change at any time without notice. The information provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the Author has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of the Author, CNW, or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. This Article and content are not, and should not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and review all of the profiled issuer’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment decisions and should understand the risks associated with an investment in the profiled issuer’s securities, including, but not limited to, the complete loss of your investment.

CNW HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and CNW undertakes no obligation to update such statements.



Source:

CannabisNewsWire



Contact:

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) 
Denver, Colorado 
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office 
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.net
Cannabis Strategic Ventu... (CE) (USOTC:NUGS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2024 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Cannabis Strategic Ventu... (CE) Charts.
Cannabis Strategic Ventu... (CE) (USOTC:NUGS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Cannabis Strategic Ventu... (CE) Charts.