On October 17, cannabis legalization comes to Canada.
It’s not just a matter of adults using recreational weed, although that’s gotten the most attention. Cannabis legalization also means consumers will find cannabis in various products, including those involving nutraceuticals, cosmetics and over-the-counter sleep and pain medications. Coca Cola (KO) is reportedly in talks with Aurora Cannabis (ACBFF) to develop cannabis-infused beverages. The company, with operations on five continents, has a production capacity of 500,000 kilograms of marijuana annually.
Aurora Cannabis announced this week that it intends to trade on the NYSE under the ACB ticker. Should the NYSE accept the stock, the Alberta-based company will delist from U.S. OTC trading. The company hopes to trade on the NYSE by the end of the month.
Rival Canopy Growth Corp (CGC) is already on the NYSE, and announced exportation of medical marijuana into the U.S., an import approved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. A company backed by Canopy Growth, TerrGrowth announced Tuesday it would enter the U.S. marijuana market, providing product in states where cannabis is legal.
Aleafia (ALF) also announced today that it will trade its shares on NASDAQ. The company debuted on the Toronto Stock Exchange in March after merging with Canabo Medical. It recently partnered with Cronos Group for an insomnia study.
Tilray (TLRY), the largest and most volatile of cannabis stocks and the first listed on NASDAQ, continues its ascent, but traders are shorting more than one third of its shares. While shares of the company have risen more than 500 percent since its July IPO, they peaked at $300 in mid-September and have since halved.