Now that I'm on my way home from the fourth annual Cannabis Business Summit & Expo, there's one statistic I just can't stop thinking about.
And that's a big deal.
You see, people throw around a ton of numbers at these conferences. But their true values can be incredibly opaque.
Whether the data you pick up on the expo floor is from an entrepreneur, a lobbyist, a politician, an investment analyst, a researcher, a salesperson, or even a "brand representative," you've got to do some work with it.
You've got to put it under the microscope, turn it around in your head, and figure out what it truly means. While most of the "tips" you get are just noise, many are interesting enough to share with friends.
But only a very, very few are truly valuable.
I'm talking about a number or statistic that flips a switch in your brain - and points your way toward future profits in your investment portfolio.
And the one number that stuck with me is this - 25%.
Here's why...
A Message from Michael
That's the percentage drop in opioid-based fatalities in states where medical cannabis legalization has occurred, said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, during his expo-opening speech.
In other words, states that have legalized medical marijuana experience 25% fewer opioid-based fatalities than states that have not legalized medical cannabis.
So that's a significant - financially and emotionally - number.
You don't need me to tell you that we're in the middle of a huge and growing opioid crisis.
Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999. In 2015, opioids were involved in the deaths of 33,091 people in the United States. Most of these deaths - more than 22,000 (about 62 people per day) - involved prescription opioids, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data.
And a study from the American Society of Addiction Medicine for 2016 found that prescription pain relievers - almost entirely opioid-based ones - are the cause of roughly 40% of all drug overdoses. That makes them by far the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. The study also found that four of every five new heroin users started out misusing prescription painkillers.
As this 25% statistic shows us, medical marijuana and cannabis-based drugs - which can be used to treat chronic pain - are going to be one of the biggest solutions to ending our opioid crisis.
And we're just at the beginning.
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You see, many states are just getting started with medical marijuana. That means its positive impact will likely surge with time.
Think about the kind of impact we'd see if cannabis-based medications, ones that could take market share from opioid-based ones, were available throughout the United States - prescribed by doctors and sold at traditional pharmacies.
Well, we're getting there.
Despite the fact that the federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has signaled that it will approve a cannabis-based pharmaceutical this summer or fall.
Epidiolex, from GW Pharmaceuticals Plc. (Nasdaq ADR: GWPH), earned fast-tracking status from the FDA and then blew away people with successful trials through multiple phases.
We've discussed GW Pharma before... but I talk much more about this situation in the first-ever Roadmap to Marijuana Millions Monthly.
But here's the short version...
GW is poised to literally change the prescription drug game when it comes to marijuana. And that will bust open all sorts of new market opportunities.
That's why my team and I saw some exhibitors at the expo hawking lab equipment, secured transfer of product, and other pharmacy and biotech needs.
And that's just one set of "pick and shovel" sub-industries cropping up as legalized marijuana - which will be a $24 billion industry in the United States alone by 2025 - spreads throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and even Australia.
Any talk that the boom period is over and investors are done with cannabis is premature, if not downright foolish. This conference only galvanizes my well-researched belief that there are at least three major catalysts for marijuana companies yet to come in the next six to 12 months.
When you see so many new downwind industries and companies continuing to rush in, as we have at the expo, you know there's still something going on there... something big.
The next wave for this industry will be an exciting, profitable ride. I share it all with my paid-up Nova-X Report members in regular Roadmap to Marijuana Millions updates - and the brand-new monthly newsletter I just told you about.
If you want to find out how to get on board, just click here.
Have a great week - and think about how that 25% statistic could put you on the road to wealth...
I'll see you back here soon.
The post The One Statistic All "Pot Stock" Investors Should Know appeared first on Strategic Tech Investor.
About the Author
Michael A. Robinson is a 36-year Silicon Valley veteran and one of the top tech and biotech financial analysts working today. That's because, as a consultant, senior adviser, and board member for Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Michael enjoys privileged access to pioneering CEOs, scientists, and high-profile players. And he brings this entire world of Silicon Valley "insiders" right to you...
- He was one of five people involved in early meetings for the $160 billion "cloud" computing phenomenon.
- He was there as Lee Iacocca and Roger Smith, the CEOs of Chrysler and GM, led the robotics revolution that saved the U.S. automotive industry.
- As cyber-security was becoming a focus of national security, Michael was with Dave DeWalt, the CEO of McAfee, right before Intel acquired his company for $7.8 billion.
This all means the entire world is constantly seeking Michael's insight.
In addition to being a regular guest and panelist on CNBC and Fox Business, he is also a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer and reporter. His first book Overdrawn: The Bailout of American Savings warned people about the coming financial collapse - years before the word "bailout" became a household word.
Silicon Valley defense publications vie for his analysis. He's worked for Defense Media Network and Signal Magazine, as well as The New York Times, American Enterprise, and The Wall Street Journal.
And even with decades of experience, Michael believes there has never been a moment in time quite like this.
Right now, medical breakthroughs that once took years to develop are moving at a record speed. And that means we are going to see highly lucrative biotech investment opportunities come in fast and furious.
To help you navigate the historic opportunity in biotech, Michael launched the Bio-Tech Profit Alliance.
His other publications include: Strategic Tech Investor, The Nova-X Report, Bio-Technology Profit Alliance and Nexus-9 Network.