Cannabis stocks, as measured by the Global Cannabis Stock Index, exploded higher in late August on news that the Department of Health and Human Services had recommended to the DEA that it move cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3, and the move continued into September. October wiped out the entire rally, and November and December saw the market recover some of the losses. In January, the rally continued as the index rose 12.2%, and it pulled back in February by 6.0% to 8.55:
In 2023, Q1 saw a 12.5% decline, and the index dropped 11.8% in Q2. The 22.3% gain in Q3 was the first positive quarter since Q1 of 2021, and Q4 saw it lose 11.6%. The index ended 2023 down 16.5% to 8.11, and it is up 5.4% so far in 2024:
Since the peak in February 2021, the Global Cannabis Stock Index has dropped 90.8% from the 92.48 closing high:
The strongest 3 names in February all rose by more than 5%:
- Organigram (NASDAQ: OGI) (TSX: OGI): +24.7%
- Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE: SMG): +16.8%
- Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE: IIPR): +5.1%
Unlike January, none of three best performing stocks were MSOs. Organigram is up 58% in 2024, while Scotts Miracle-Gro has rallied 3.1%. Innovative Industrial Properties has dropped 2.8%.
The 3 weakest names in February all fell by more than 15%:
- Ayr Wellness (OTC: AYRWF) (CSE: AYR.A): -42.6%
- Canopy Growth (NASDAQ: CGC) (TSX: WEED): -29.6%
- Cresco Labs (OTC: CRLBF) (CSE: CL): -15.2%
Ayr Wellness, the best stock in January, is up 12.0% year-to-date. Canopy Growth has declined 35.6%, while Cresco Labs has advanced 27.6%.
We will summarize the index performance again in a month and also provide the quarterly revisions to the constituents. You can learn more about the index members and the qualifications for inclusion by visiting the Global Cannabis Stock Index. Be sure to bookmark the page to stay current on cannabis stock price movements within the day or from day-to-day.
New Cannabis Ventures maintains four proprietary indices designed to help investors monitor the publicly-traded cannabis stocks, including the Global Cannabis Stock Index as well as the Canadian Cannabis LP Index. The American Cannabis Operator Index, was launched at the end of October 2018 and tracks the leading cultivators, processors and retailers of cannabis in the United States. More recently, we introduced the Ancillary Cannabis Index at the end of March 2021, reflecting the increasing number of publicly-traded companies providing goods or services to cannabis operators.
