Finance

Do the Chinese Really Run the Illicit Weed Market in America?

March 30, 2023 · Cannabis.net

A joint law enforcement task force discovered approximately 9,000 pounds of cannabis with an estimated value of nearly $15 million in a suburban neighborhood in Antioch, Calif, just a few days before Christmas. The California Department of Cannabis Control suspected the four houses searched in the bedroom community located 45 minutes outside San Francisco had links to China. Illegal marijuana production in the United States has long been associated with Mexican cartels, who import, grow and distribute illicit cannabis. However,… Read more.

SEC Charges Oregon Cultivator and Others with Financial Crimes

March 22, 2023 · MG Magazine

Washington, DC, USA - June 25, 2022: The logo of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at its headquarters in Washington, DC.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged American Patriot Brands Inc. (APB), its chief executive officer, and five other entities with siphoning off millions of dollars in a long-running scheme that defrauded more than 100 investors across the country. According to the SEC’s complaint, APB CEO Robert Y. Lee, along with current and former executives Brian L. Pallas and J. Bernard Rice, began making a series of “false and misleading statements to investors” in 2016 about the company’s financial position… Read more.

The growing Chinese investment in illegal American weed

March 21, 2023 · Politico

A few days before Christmas, a joint law enforcement task force found nearly 9,000 pounds of cannabis worth almost $15 million during a raid in a suburban neighborhood in Antioch, Calif. The California Department of Cannabis Control believes that the four houses searched in the bedroom community 45 minutes outside San Francisco were linked to China. Mexican cartels have a long history of importing, growing and redistributing illicit cannabis in the United States. But Chinese investors, owners and workers have emerged in… Read more.

Cannabis Retailer High Tide Achieves Record Revenue, EBITDA For Second Consecutive Quarter

March 18, 2023 · UK.Investing.com

Cannabis retailer High Tide Inc. (NASDAQ: HITI) (TSXV: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA) released first-quarter results Friday, posting a 64% year-over-year revenue increase. "Our Q1 earnings numbers represent the best quarter ever in High Tide’s history in terms of revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and market share growth. Q1 is now our second consecutive quarter of record revenue and adjusted EBITDA and saw a meaningful improvement in our free cash flow position," said CEO Raj Grover. HITI Financial Highlights Revenue increased to $118.1 million in the first… Read more.

3 Things About Trulieve Cannabis That Smart Investors Know

March 16, 2023 · The Motley Fool

Given the general bearishness in the cannabis industry, Trulieve has something to offer to investors with high risk-appetites. After a rollercoaster ride over the last few years, the marijuana industry no longer seems enticing to investors. The lack of progress toward U.S. federal legalization, and lower retail and wholesale prices for the raw marijuana flower leading to lower corporate profitability, have pushed cannabis stock prices even lower. However, savvy investors recognize that every growing industry goes through hiccups and eventually settles… Read more.

10 Best Psychedelic Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds

March 16, 2023 · Yahoo!Finance

In this article, we discuss 10 best psychedelic stocks to buy according to hedge funds. If you want to see more stocks in this selection, check out 5 Best Psychedelic Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.  Data Bridge Market Research predicts that the psychedelic drugs market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3% over the next eight years, resulting in a market value of $6.85 billion by 2027. The primary drivers of this growth are expected to be… Read more.

Tilt Holdings marijuana vape subsidiary Jupiter Research refinances debt

March 15, 2023 · MJ Biz Daily

Jupiter Research, a marijuana vape cartridge subsidiary of Phoenix-based Tilt Holdings, refinanced and extended its revolving credit facility. The amount of credit available to Jupiter increased from $10 million to $12.5 million, according to a Tuesday news release. The debt now matures July 21, 2024, instead of July 2023. The interest rate is the prime rate plus 3%. The funds are secured against Jupiter’s property, inventory and accounts receivable as well as through a $6 million guaranty from Tilt. Jupiter initially entered… Read more.

The Canadian Government Has Collected Over $1 Billion in Cannabis Taxes Since Legalization Began in 2018

March 4, 2023 · Cannabis.net

Since recreational use of cannabis became legal in Canada in 2018, the federal government of that country has imposed a total duty on cannabis products of over 1 billion Canadian dollars ($740 million). Executives expect that the government would ease the tax and excise regime it imposes on the sector as employment and financial losses rise as the milestone is reached. Around CA$862.3 million in total duty on cannabis products was levied by the federal government between the 2018–19 and 2020–21… Read more.

Marijuana firm Bright Green’s immigrant fundraising plan draws scrutiny

March 1, 2023 · MJ Biz Daily

Nasdaq-traded marijuana company Bright Green Corp. is again attracting scrutiny and questions, this time for its audacious plan to raise $500 million through a federal investment program that targets immigrant investors. The company announced in a February news release it would use the money generated through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program to build out its “world-class production and drug manufacturing facilities” in the small New Mexico town of Grants. Florida-based Bright Green also plans to use the money to bankroll research and… Read more.

Nasdaq Gets a Healthy Dose of Psychedelics With Lucy Scientific

February 17, 2023 · Yahoo!Finance

Lucy Scientific Discovery Inc. (Nasdaq: LSDI), which focuses on psychotropic drugs and had its initial public offering last week, rang the closing bell at the Nasdaq stock exchange today in New York. The company is focused on becoming the premier research, development, and manufacturing organization for the emerging psychedelics-based medicines industry, it said in a statement. “This milestone marks a significant step in the company’s growth and plans for expansion,” said CEO Chris McElvany. “We look forward to the opportunities ahead of us… Read more.

California Cannabis Industry Owes State A Quarter Billion Dollars In Taxes

December 9, 2022 · Green Market Report

With penalties and fees, the money owed to the state could top $500 million. The California cannabis industry as a whole owes the state a quarter billion in unpaid taxes, according to state data and industry experts. With added fees, that total could easily balloon into a $500 million tax tab. To combat the rising debt trend, collections efforts appear to be ramping up, even against companies that have gone out of business. As of Dec. 2, the cannabis sector… Read more.

California Cannabis Debt Bubble on Verge of Bursting

November 15, 2022 · Green Market Report

Wave of business failures is on the way if the debt bubble explodes. A slow but steady years-long trend of licensed marijuana companies in California not paying all of their bills might be nearing its climax, industry insiders warned, and a wave of business failures is on the way if the debt bubble explodes. The lack of overall profitability for several years running – along with myriad other financial challenges –  has led many businesses to shuffle payments around, delay payments to… Read more.

Colorado cannabis sales slide further in August, hitting only $150 million

Total cannabis sales in Colorado reached only $150.4 million in August, a 2.2% decline from the previous month. It’s the eighth monthly report from the Colorado Department of Revenue this year showing that marijuana sales in the state have either remained flat or decreased from the previous month, according to The Denver Gazette. According to the Colorado Marijuana Sales Report: Medical marijuana sales reached $18.9 million in August, a nearly 3.3% increase from July.Recreational cannabis sales dropped 2.9% from July, to $131.5 million.Total sales… Read more.