Cannabis companies are wasting no time "scaling up." U.S. multi-state operators routinely spend $1 billion as they scramble to achieve a national footprint.
Harvest Health and Recreation Inc. (CSE: HARV, OTC: HRVSF) spent $850 million in stock on its acquisition of Verano Holdings LLC.
Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL, OTC: CRLBF) paid $1.1 billion in stock for Origin House (CSE: OH, OTC: ORHOF).
And this is all to keep up with Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC), which spent $3.4 billion in its stock to establish its U.S. foothold through its acquisition of Acreage Holdings (CSE: ACRG, OTC: ACRGF).
This frenetic merger and acquisition spree got underway because these companies know that whoever gets the biggest the fastest will capture the lion's share of the legalized marijuana market. That this market could easily grow at 80% per year means those that lead the pack through this highest growth phase of the cannabis market will deliver the highest returns of all cannabis stocks.
But this race to the top is way bigger than North America; the stakes are that high.
Europe could prove to be a critical market, and the more beachheads a company can establish throughout the continent, the better its chance to lead the pack in the race to scale up.
And you'll want to see how Canopy deploys its cash hoard to extend its lead even further...
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Two Big, Back-to-Back European Acquisitions
Canopy's $4 billion war chest - courtesy of Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) - puts this cannabis titan in the best position to dominate the cannabis landscape.
And now the company is using its Constellation bucks to throw its weight around Europe - further cementing its position as the leader in the booming global cannabis market.
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Late last week, Canopy announced an all-cash deal to acquire Germany-based herbal medicine manufacturer Cannabinoid Compound Co., or C3.
C3, the largest cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals company in Europe, has researched and manufactured natural and synthetic cannabinoids for 20 years. Canopy spent $263 million on the deal, or over seven times C3's 2018 revenue of $32 million. Most of those sales were for Dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC.
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This acquisition gives Canopy an extensive medical marijuana distribution network throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark, with access to over 19,000 patients in Germany alone. C3 also comes with a strong sales and marketing team and the ability to manufacture pharmaceutical-grade natural and synthetic THC and CBD in two manufacturing facilities.
This acquisition was a quick follow-up from its acquisition in Spain a short two weeks earlier.
In another all-cash deal, Canopy bought Cáñamo y Fibras Naturales S.L., or Cafina. Though Cafina has a small grow facility, its primary asset was owning one of only three licenses to cultivate, distribute, and export cannabis in Spain. It also holds a license to cultivate hemp.
With this license, Canopy now has a foothold to build out production in Spain - one of the most prime growing regions in Europe - and export its product.
Canopy's other European assets include a 430,000-square-foot licensed cultivation site in Denmark and its Storz & Bickel vaporizer manufacturing site it acquired for about $162 million in cash this past December.
And it won't take long for revenue from these European beachheads to start pouring in.
Primed for the German Market
By September, Canopy's production facility in Denmark should start supplying Germany and other European markets with cannabis. Despite the interest within Germany to build local cultivation facilities, the projected capacity falls far short of demand. And since exports of marijuana are legal between many European countries, Canopy has put itself in a prime position to make full use of its existing grow facilities in Denmark and fully utilize its aggressive expansion in Spain.
That Canopy can spend cash rather than stock to acquire these prime European assets makes these deals easier to execute. Spending cash rather than stock also tends to favor existing Canopy stockholders.
And Canopy is just one of many Canadian-licensed producers buying up European licenses.
I'll talk about that at a later date, but those cannabis companies that build the most substantial launch pad in Europe will generate life-changing wealth for their investors as they rush to dominate a market growing at 80% per year.
America's Green Gold Rush Is Just Getting Started - Claim Your Stake Now
At this very moment, big investment firms and members of the Fortune 500 are building enormous war chests.
They're preparing to push billions upon billions of dollars into the cannabis market - and they could strike at any moment. So right here - right now - you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to beat them to the punch and stake your claim.
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About the Author
Greg Miller started working on Wall Street in September, 1987, just a month before the “Black Monday” stock market crash.
During his career there, he became an expert in just about every kind of publicly traded security - from blue-chip and small-cap stocks to municipals, junk bonds, and derivatives. As a portfolio manager, Greg was responsible for over $500 million of assets in mutual funds and insurance company accounts.
After leaving the Street, he designed a successful options trading strategy and made lucrative tech investments for a financial publication. He has also helped develop new products and worked with other editors to hone their strategies. He’s always been dedicated to deep, fundamental research - and he always will be - because he believes buying the very best companies at the right price is the best way to amass wealth in the stock market.