Marijuana stocks caught fire towards the end of 2017, with some of the more household names, like Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED), Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB), and Aphria Inc. (TSX:APH), all showing gains of more than 100% over the past couple of months.
That means that if you still want to get in on the “green rush” before marijuana becomes legal this July, you’re going to have to look a little harder.
Here are three marijuana companies that offer awesome potential and are still available “on the cheap,” having flown under the radar of most investors up to now:
Cronos Group Inc. (TSXV:MJN)
Shares in Cronos have doubled in value since the start of December, yet the company still has a long way to go before it catches up to the likes of Aphria or Aurora Cannabis.
The vision currently held at The Cronos Group is to transform and elevate the perception of cannabis within the medical community and for society as a whole.
In doing this, the company has assembled a portfolio of five medically licensed producers in Canada, including Peace Naturals, its largest holding, which sits on 95 acres of land in Simcoe County, Ontario.
Cronos also has the added benefit of being diversified across its operations should any unforeseen issue crop up (no pun intended), like a fire at one of its facilities.
WeedMD Inc. (TSXV:WMD)
If you’re the type of person that believes there’s value to be had in finding profitable niches, WeedMD might be the right marijuana stock for you.
Instead of focusing on the larger recreational market which has received so much attention as of late, WeedMD has remained focused on the medicinal marijuana market — specifically, for medical applications directed at senior citizens.
The company is focusing its efforts at gaining acceptance for the medicinal benefits of marijuana in Canadian retirement homes and assisted-living facilities.
Admittedly, it sounds like a bit of a long shot, but the company did increase its revenue by 51% in the third quarter compared to its second-quarter results from just three months prior, so maybe WeedMD is actually on to something.
Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp. (TSXV:CBW)
Cannabis Wheaton is a little different from the rest of the companies in the marijuana sector.
If you’ve ever heard of Wheaton Precious Metals Corp., you may be somewhat familiar with the royalty, or streaming, business model.
Essentially, Cannabis Wheaton provides financing to smaller growers in return for a royalty stream.
The company made a big splash last week when it announced it had inked a deal with Aphria to purchase and distribute up to 60,000 kg of dried cannabis flower internationally between now and 2022.
Like Cronos, an investment in Cannabis Wheaton also offers the added benefit of being diversified across several federally licensed producers.
Bottom line
At this point, there’s not a long of “secrets” that remain about companies like Canopy Growth or Aurora Cannabis.
With July 1 now less than six months away, it will more than likely be the smaller, lesser-known operations like the companies mentioned above that outperform as the market approaches legalization.
