From the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), U.S. government agencies continue to change its stance pertaining to medical cannabis.
Last year, the NCI updated its website to include various studies that reveal how cannabis may inhibit tumor growth by killing cells. The NIDA revised their April 2015 publication to say that marijuana can kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others.
Countries across the globe continue to legalize cannabis and it is only a matter of time until the U.S. gets on the bandwagon. Although the market continues to keep its eyes on the U.S. cannabis industry, its neighbors to the north continue to be the global cannabis leader.
Biotech Bets
The biotech sector will be one of the greatest beneficiaries of legal cannabis and companies focused on this opportunity have outperformed the market over the last quarter.
We highlighted Vinergy Resources (VIN.CN) as a stock to watch after its acquisition of MJ Biopharma in mid-December and the market responded very favorably to this all-stock purchase. At the time of this announcement, Vinergy also announced a non-brokered private placement offering of up to 10,000,000 units at $0.20 per unit.
MJ Biopharma is a private cannabis technology company based out of British Columbia that is currently focused on manufacturing breath strips, time release capsules, extract oils, food products such as infused juices, teas, coffee and extract drinks, as well as the development of pharmaceutical grade delivery systems. The company is also focused on licensing and partnering on the development of technologies and products for the medical and recreational cannabis market in Canada and abroad.
Vinergy’s market sentiment has improved significantly following the acquisition and investors were able to acquire stock at a more than 50% discount to the current price through the private placement. The offering generated incredible interest and is very oversubscribed. Investors should keep an eye on Vinergy as we expect to see the company build off of this momentum.
An Agreement Based on Success
One of the reasons why we were favorable on the aquisiton of MJ BioPharma was due to the milestone-based compensation strucutre. Vinergy issued 5 million shares to MJ BioPharma shareholders and can issue up 3.75 million more shares based on the completion of certain milestones.
- The company will issue an additional 2.75 million shares upon the commercialization of MJ BioPharma’s strip technology.
- One million shares will be issued when each of two alternative selected extractions/products are ready for commercialization.
Banking on Biotech
Although we continue to expect the biotech sector to benefit the legal cannabis movement, we are watching how these companies are impacted by a new White House administration.
The biotech sub-sector of the cannabis industry is comprised of some of the most mature cannabis businesses. We continue to view these companies as some of the most attractive cannabis investments and want to discuss our view of these companies at their current levels.
GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) has rallied off its recent lows and we remain bullish on the company due to its deep pipeline of pharmaceutical products that are in advanced stages of FDA testing. The company has a number of catalysts in the back half of 2017 and we see significant upside to current levels.
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (ZYNE) continues to remain one of our top picks in the cannabis sector as we see significant upside to current levels. The average Wall Street price target on ZYNE is north of $30 and we view the company as an acquisition candidate for any biotech company interested in the cannabis industry.
Insys Therapeutics (INSY) has also rallied off its recent lows and the shares fell more than 60% during 2016. We believe that all of the legal concerns are priced into INSY and see significant upside to current levels. Like Zynerba, we view Insys as an acquisition candidate and view the company as a long-term investment opportunity.
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Important Investor Disclosures
Disclosure. Compensated Affiliate. This report was authored by and is property of StoneBridge Partners LLC. All information and data relied upon in drafting this report is publicly available. The author believes and considers its sources to be reliable, but does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this report. Any and all information, data, analyses and opinions are provided for informational purposes only and is not intended, in any manner, as investment advice. Any projections or other information generated by StoneBridge Partners LLC regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of future results. None of the material contained in this report is intended as a solution or offer to sell or purchase a specific stock or any other investment. This report is not directed to, or intended for distribution or use by, any person or entity that is a citizen, resident or located in any municipality, state, country or other jurisdiction where the distribution, publication, availability, or use of this report is contrary to any governing law or regulation. The securities discussed in this report may not be eligible for purchase and/or sale in certain jurisdictions or by particular individuals. It is important that you check any and all governing laws and/or regulations that may be applicable in your jurisdiction. Investing in securities of issuers organized outside of the United States, including ADRs, entail certain risks. The securities of non-United States issuers may not be registered with, nor be subject to the reporting requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Please contact a Financial Advisor for professional advice regarding any and all securities investments. This report is intended for informational purposes only. StoneBridge Partners LLC’s officers, directors, employees, affiliates, or subsidiaries may have positions in securities covered by StoneBridge Partners LLC. StoneBridge Partners LLC receives compensation from the company and/or has a position in the securities mentioned in this report
Authored by: Micheal Berger
MAPH Enterprises, LLC | (305) 414-0128 | 1501 Venera Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | new@marijuanastocks.com
