Key Takeaways
- COVID-19 has highlighted the importance placed upon medical cannabis being available to patients
- Canadian provinces and American States declare Cannabis an “essential business” to stay open during viral shutdown
Medical Cannabis
Monthly Performance
|
March |
The Medical Cannabis
and Wellness Equity
Index (NTR) |
-17.39%
|
Current performance is no
guarantee of future performance. Source: Bloomberg/HANetf
Performance Review
As the world resets growth expectations, the secular growth story of cannabis
remains largely untold in the background. Over the past couple years, investors
have been working diligently through a price-discovery phase for the sector which
is newly legalised and regulated. This has meant testing the limits of success and
overcoming the multiple hurdles that come with the development of a new sector.
Excessive valuations and rapid discounts have kept the sector associated with
volatility and speculation.
In late February 2020, COVID-19 shut down major parts of Europe and North
America. Stock markets collapsed as investors fled in droves and cannabis
stocks did not escape the carnage. The silver lining out of this pandemic has been
the importance placed upon medical cannabis being available to patients. In
Canada and at least 21 U.S. States, medical cannabis has been deemed an
essential service, showing solid support from regulators of the definitive future of
the medical cannabis industry.
This silver lining has defined what we believe to be the valuation floor for medical cannabis. The more direct impact of this
downturn is bankruptcies in the Canadian adult-use cannabis sector which will dominate headlines. But that trade is single
jurisdiction, overcrowded, under-capitalised, and not the focus of CBDX. For Medical Cannabis and CBD Wellness, the
support of regulatory bodies in providing access to patients is the affirmation investors have been awaiting to finally start
believing the secular story again.
There is no doubt that the sector will continue to trade with a high beta as financial markets find their feet. But it’s essential
to maintain context of the precedence being set here. In addition, adult-use cannabis in Canada should consolidate over
the coming months taking out the noise and leaving only the best operators to play. This is the most comfortable in
understanding valuations in medical cannabis we have been in months.
Total Return NAV to Date (up to 31/03/2020)
|
1M |
3M |
6M |
YTD |
12M |
Since Inception |
The Medical Cannabis and Wellness UCITS ETF (Acc) |
-17.08 |
NA |
NA |
-24.89% |
NA |
-24.89% |
Medical Cannabis and Wellness Equity Index (NTR) |
-17.39% |
-25.99% |
-38.97 |
-25.30% |
-46.20% |
-25.30% |
Industry News
A watershed moment - Canadian provinces and American States declare Cannabis an “essential business” to stay open
during viral shutdown: Throughout Canada and in 21 US States with legal medical or adult-use markets, cannabis operators
and supply chain have been deemed an essential service, allowing for producers and dispensaries to remain open even as
majority of the retail economy are shuttered.
UK eases import restrictions for medical cannabis: In early March the United Kingdom began easing import restrictions for
medical cannabis, a move that is expected to improve the numbers the market has seen to date. Licensed wholesalers of
medical marijuana are now able to import larger quantities of cannabis-based products and hold supplies for future
distribution, the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care jointly announced Monday. As all cannabis in
the UK is imported thus will allow patients to get their treatment in days rather than months.
Outlook
In the short term, macro headwinds will define the future of cannabis operators. We anticipate lots of bankruptcy noise to
take over headlines and the media will continue to milk ‘fall from grace’ of cannabis. We think it is important to distinguish
between the challenges facing medical cannabis and adult use cannabis. Canadian adult use market has seen valuations fall
precipitously as too much capital was applied too fast and this has meant excess capacity, exuberant compensation
packages and led to lack of long-term foresight. The medical cannabis market continues to have much more stable patient
growth and consistent progress in pharmaceutical formulation. Very important to distinguish news from noise and
elaborate on our stance of providing exposure to high quality growth of medical cannabis and CBD wellness.
Constituent News
Charlotte’s Web acquires Abacus Health Products
Recently, the biggest public hemp CBD company in the United States, Charlotte’s Web (TSX: CWEB), has agreed to acquire
Abascus Health Products (CSE: ABCS). Abacus has long been a favourite name for investors with a very unique position in
the complex regulatory structure of CBD legalization. Abacus holds a very unique position in the complex regulatory
structure of US CBD legalization having the only FDA approved CBD topical products in the U.S. market. With this FDA
endorsement and GMP certification, Abacus claims efficacy for usage of CBD for multiple conditions. With this acquisition
we are excited to include exposure to the IP of Abacus in CBDX through a large weight in Charlotte’s Web. The combined
company will now represent 35% market share of CBD in Food/Drug/Mass retail channel, across 15,000 unique locations
and online in the US.
GW Pharma continues to trailblaze in the world of big pharma
The FDA recently accepted a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for EPIDIOLEX to be used in the treatment of
seizures associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. This expediates the reviews required to get the drug to market with
a goal date of completion set at July 31, 2020. EPIDIOLEX is already approves for treatment of seizures associated with
Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Dravet Syndrome. In addition, GW Pharma regained exclusive commercialization rights to
Sativex in the United Kingdom, taking the reins back from Bayer. Sativex is used to treat pain in patients with advanced
cancer. GW Pharma continues to further its position as a cannabinoid platform and compete with the big boys versus just
being remembered as a one-hit wonder.
Fund Details
The Medical Cannabis and Wellness UCITS ETF, is a UCITS compliant Exchange Traded Fund domiciled in Ireland.
The fund tracks a rules-based Medical Cannabis and Wellness Equity Index from Solactive, consisting of publicly listed
companies conducting legal business activities across nine thematic sub-sectors in the medical cannabis, hemp and CBD
industries.
The fund seeks to provide targeted exposure to the rapidly expanding legal medical cannabis industry that is set for further
growth as more countries legalise cannabis for medical use.
Please remember that the value of your investment may go down as well as up and past performance is no indication of
future performance.
Exchange |
BB Code |
RIC |
ISIN |
Currency |
Income |
London Stock Exchange |
CBDX LN |
CBDX.L |
IE00BG5J1M21
|
USD |
Acc |
London Stock Exchange |
CBDP LN |
CBDP.L |
IE00BG5J1M21 |
GBP |
Acc |
Xetra |
CBSX GY |
CBSX.DE |
DE000A2PPQ08 |
EUR |
Acc |
Click here to download: Monthly Cannabis Market Report