Discover the stocks leading the rapidly expanding cannabis industry and learn how these businesses are creating massive growth opportunities.
Investing in uk cannabis stocks can be controversial in the eyes of both the investing community and society in general. After all, the stigma surrounding marijuana doesn’t exactly paint these shares in the best light.
However, controversies aside, the cannabis industry is creating some interesting opportunities for investors. More businesses are developing medical and consumer healthcare products using the young commodity. And consequently, market forecasts indicate potentially explosive growth over the next decade.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the world of UK cannabis stocks and see which businesses are leading the charge.
What are uk cannabis stocks?
As the name implies, cannabis stocks consist of any business using marijuana to create a legal product for other companies or consumers. The sector is still in its infancy, but it can be broken down into three primary categories:
- Growers & Retailers – Companies creating consumer products with cannabis.
- Medical – Pharmaceutical and biotech firms creating medicinal marijuana products for patients.
- Ancillary – Groups providing products or services to other cannabis companies.
As such, there are a vast number of products coming out of this young industry, including food, beverages, lotions, oils, perfume, and medicine, just to name a few.
Typically, a commodity with this many applications doesn’t create a high barrier to entry. However, in the case of marijuana shares, the story is quite different. The regulatory environment surrounding cannabis in most nations is unsurprisingly strict. And the UK is no exception.
Most cannabis-based products require regulatory approval before they can be sold to consumers. And in the case of UK medical marijuana firms, additional authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is also necessary, which can be both time consuming and expensive.
Needless to say, this does elevate the risk profile. And subsequently, cannabis shares are often synonymous with volatility. But there are also stories of immense growth potential, so the risk does come with potentially higher rewards for investors.
With that in mind, here are five leading United Kingdom marijuana stocks in order of market capitalisation.