You are reading this week’s edition of New Cannabis Ventures, a weekly magazine we have published since October 2015. The newsletter includes unique insight to help our readers stay ahead of the curve, as well as links to the most important news of the week. We no longer email them like we used to, but post this and all newsletters on our website here.
friends,
I’m a big fan of artificial intelligence, although I have many concerns about its use. Some of the areas where I think AI can help society are healthcare diagnostics and drug discovery, finance, manufacturing, retail, logistics and technology. Workday, a publicly traded HR technology company, was discussed the ways that AI can and will affect certain industries in an article last summer.
I don’t follow WDAY closely, but the stock is down 40.8% so far in 2026, although this weakness is not unique to this stock. I have been and remain bearish on stocks, especially large-cap stocks, but I bought a tech ETF, the State Street SPDR S&P 500 Software & Services ETF, which is down 23.1% for the day. It also includes some very large companies and some that I really like. The reason these stocks have fallen so much appears to be concerns about AI, which could lead to the demise of software as a service (SaaS).
As a fan of AI, but someone who is concerned about it, I’ve been paying close attention to it even though I’m not paying for any of the services. I started using ChatGPT last year and tested it with the world I know, cannabis stocks. I was not satisfied with the answers to my questions. I recently started using Claude which I like better. I’ve never written about AI and how it can help (or hurt) people trying to pick good cannabis stocks, but I’m thinking today because I don’t think the answers are quite right.
As an analyst who has followed this industry closely for over 13 years, I know a lot. What I do know is that I don’t know everything about hemp stocks, and I certainly can’t accurately predict the future. I love that people can use the internet to do their research and it’s so much better than when I was a kid. The investment world then operated by fax, and investors had to deal with stockbrokers. AI can potentially take individuals further with their stock research.
I started writing this article before seeing this example that I will discuss. I want readers to know that this is an example of how Claude can come up with some pretty smart answers to questions. Asking good questions is the right thing for investors to do, but knowing what to do with those answers can be difficult. I believe that artificial intelligence is not there yet, and I base this on the answers to certain questions. I celebrate the improvement, but for those who think that choosing the right cannabis stock will lead to great results, I urge caution. This comment, in my opinion, goes beyond hemp stocks. Stock picking in general can be helped by artificial intelligence, but it is not harmless. Here is an example of a question I asked Claude and I think the answer is very helpful.
I am not trying to influence the price of Glass House Farms because I have literally zero influence on it. I have known Mark Codes for 50 years and love and respect him. I also think Glass House Farms CEO Kyle Kazan and his staff are doing good things.
As I’ve written here for a while, the hemp industry is facing many challenges, the biggest of which is 280E taxation. Will 280E be completed? When? Hemp stock traders and hemp stock investors need to understand that no one knows. There are many other challenges facing the hemp industry, and it goes beyond the US. Can AI answer the question of which direction hemp stocks will move in the right direction? Only if it says “up or down”.
So if you’re relying on AI to tell you when to buy cannabis stocks, or which ones to buy, I urge caution. If you’ve found something that you think gives investors a solid tool for success, please let me know. I wish readers the best with hemp stocks that remain in a bear market that is now more than five years old.
Sincerely,
Alan:
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Based in Houston, Alan leverages his experience as an online community founder 420 Investorthe first and still the largest due diligence platform focused on publicly traded stocks in the cannabis industry. With his extensive network in the cannabis community, Alan continues to find new ways to connect the industry and facilitate its sustainable growth. time New Cannabis Ventureshe is responsible for content development and strategic alliances. Before turning his attention to the cannabis industry in early 2013, Alan, who began his career on Wall Street in 1986, worked as an independent research analyst with more than two decades of research and portfolio management experience. A prolific writer, with over 650 articles published since 2007 Looking for Alphawhere he has 70,000 followers, Alan is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and frequent source Media including the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Fox Business and Bloomberg TV. Contact Alan. Twitter: |: Facebook |: LinkedIn: |: El
The US Department of Justice is seeking $8.3 million plus interest from multi-state cannabis operator TerrAscend USA for “erroneous” refunds it received after filing an amended tax return.
That tax return contained deductions impermissible under Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, state attorneys said in a May 18 filing in federal court.
Tax experts warned the situation could signal the government’s stance on the $1.6 billion in total 280E tax owed by public cannabis companies as of the start of this year.
And the federal deregulation of marijuana, which moved medical cannabis to Schedule 3 in April, may not be a protection.
An ominous sign for cannabis operators is the large debt owed to the federal tax collector, the US Internal Revenue Service wants TerrAscend USA to return “false” refund money to a New Jersey-based cannabis operator received after erroneously claiming a deduction disallowed under section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code.
The case, filed Monday, weeks after the Justice Department reclassified medical cannabis as a Schedule 3 drug, could shed light on the government’s position on other pending tax cases, said tax experts interviewed for this story.
To read the rest of this article on MJ Biz Daily, Click here
You are reading this week’s edition of New Cannabis Ventures, a weekly magazine we have published since October 2015. The newsletter includes unique insight to help our readers stay ahead of the curve, as well as links to the most important news of the week. We no longer email them like we used to, but post this and all newsletters on our website here.
friends,
Many more cannabis companies reported Q1 financials this week. While NCV did not run any of those press releases, all data has been updated in the New Cannabis Ventures Public Cannabis Company Revenue & Income Tracker. The largest companies reporting in US dollars all reported, and the eleven companies that reported for the Q1 ended in March (excluding Tilray Brands, which is due to report its Q4 later this month) saw an average year-over-year revenue increase of 31% in their cannabis businesses.
Excluding Vireo Growth, that average comes to -0.7%, which is lower, especially after accounting for inflation, and a sign of continued challenges for the hemp industry. Speaking of Vireo, I’ve pointed out how investors didn’t care, and they still don’t. An average of just 375,000 shares traded per day over the past month, and the stock, which closed at $0.415, continues to trade off the level of its late 2024 capital raise and the price at which the company issued shares to make multiple acquisitions.
April was a big month for hemp stocks, but prices fell in May. The NCV Global Cannabis Stock Index rose 8.8% to 5.70 in April, but fell 2.8% to 5.54 in May. The year-to-year change of this index, which now covers 23 stocks, was -15.9%. Since its peak in early 2021, the GCSI is down 94%. Many are excited about the medical cannabis realignment that took place in April, although it remains unclear whether cannabis will be completely overhauled. The Department of Justice will hold hearings in late June to discuss adult-use cannabis, and it could be. If so, 280E tax would be removed, and this would be very good. I’ve written a lot about this since late 2022 when I highlighted it The potential end of 280E as a major catalyst.
The investor base in cannabis stocks has shrunk due to capital losses and fewer people interested in the sector. Institutions were more interested in high prices and maybe they would enter the field. 280E remains a big story, and not only is it being delayed by the limited realignment that’s already been completed, it’s unclear how unpaid taxes from the last few years will be treated.
NCV has stopped publishing most cannabis news, although we continue to update the financial calendar as well as the earnings rankings. After more than 10 years with NCV and more than a dozen years with 420 Investor, I am in the process of moving on. This is probably the last weekly newsletter. I’ve appreciated sharing the news and my views here, and I want to wish everyone the best. Hopefully, 280E taxation will be fully completed and the bear market that began in early 2021 for the hemp sector will be over.
Stay on top of the most important communications from public companies by watching what’s coming cannabis investor calendar.
Based in Houston, Alan leverages his experience as an online community founder 420 Investorthe first and still the largest due diligence platform focused on publicly traded stocks in the cannabis industry. With his extensive network in the cannabis community, Alan continues to find new ways to connect the industry and facilitate its sustainable growth. time New Cannabis Ventureshe is responsible for content development and strategic alliances. Before turning his attention to the cannabis industry in early 2013, Alan, who began his career on Wall Street in 1986, worked as an independent research analyst with more than two decades of research and portfolio management experience. A prolific writer, with over 650 articles published since 2007 Looking for Alphawhere he has 70,000 followers, Alan is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and frequent source Media including the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Fox Business and Bloomberg TV. Contact Alan. Twitter: |: Facebook |: LinkedIn: |: El
You are reading this week’s edition of New Cannabis Ventures, a weekly magazine we have published since October 2015. The newsletter includes unique insight to help our readers stay ahead of the curve, as well as links to the most important news of the week. We no longer email them like we used to, but post this and all newsletters on our website here.
friends,
The New Cannabis Ventures Global Cannabis Stock Index edged up slightly in May, rising 1.1% to 5.76. Compared to the previous year, it decreased by 12.6%. The index, recalculated as of the end of the first quarter, is up 9.9% so far in the second quarter, lagging the S&P 500’s 12.8% gain. Here are the earnings of the 23 names currently in the index (SMG was dropped in late April after the sale of Hawthorne Gardening):
MSOs are very much higher as the rally approaches the discussion of the big transformation announcements on 4/22 and beyond. There are currently six MSOs and two of them have been promoted. The rest rose, and the average of the six was 38.1%. The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF ( MSOS ) has rallied 48.5% since the end of March and is now up 11.7% year-to-date in 2026. Both GCSI names have fallen sharply, and the index has a total of seven double-digit gains in Q2, with six MSOs and Canopy holding investments. 14 of the 23 names returned less than GCSI.
As readers are probably aware, the US reclassified medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III on 4/23, and that will go away. 280E tax for some of the businesses of cannabis companies. The Department of Justice will hold a hearing in late June to determine possible rezoning for adult use. If it passes, all 280E taxation will end, which is a good thing for cannabis companies and their investors, as well as the subsidiaries that serve them. It is not yet known what the outcome will be, and it is not yet known how past 280E taxes that have not been paid but are carried as liabilities (and not debt) will be handled. Also, there is no conclusion yet on SECURITY banking or the possibility of a raise.
NCV has stopped publishing news, although we continue to update the financial calendar as well as the earnings rankings. After more than 10 years with NCV and more than a dozen years with 420 Investor, I am in the process of moving on. I’ve appreciated sharing the news and my views here, and I want to wish everyone the best. Hopefully, the 280E taxation will end and the bear market that started in early 2021 for the hemp sector will come to an end.
Sincerely,
Alan:
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by the Paul E. Saperstein Co.
Massachusetts hemp production equipment for sale
On May 12, Middlesex Integrative Medicine, Inc.’s equipment is being auctioned online in Leominster, Massachusetts at 10:00 a.m. ET. All applications must be submitted online. Learn more Of the secured party’s sale of all assets of this cultivation equipment.
Interested parties may contact Paul Cotto at 617-227-6553 or email pcotto@pesco.com:.
New Cannabis Ventures publishes curated articles as well as exclusive news. Here is what we have published in the last 2 weeks.
Stay on top of the most important communications from public companies by watching what’s coming cannabis investor calendar.
Based in Houston, Alan leverages his experience as an online community founder 420 Investorthe first and still the largest due diligence platform focused on publicly traded stocks in the cannabis industry. With his extensive network in the cannabis community, Alan continues to find new ways to connect the industry and facilitate its sustainable growth. time New Cannabis Ventureshe is responsible for content development and strategic alliances. Before turning his attention to the cannabis industry in early 2013, Alan, who began his career on Wall Street in 1986, worked as an independent research analyst with more than two decades of research and portfolio management experience. A prolific writer, with over 650 articles published since 2007 Looking for Alphawhere he has 70,000 followers, Alan is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and frequent source Media including the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Fox Business and Bloomberg TV. Contact Alan. Twitter: |: Facebook |: LinkedIn: |: El