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,

With the first month of the year almost half over, the Global Hemp Stock Index rose 0.3% to 6.61. While that’s better than cash, it lags the S&P 500, which gained 1.2%, and notably the Russell 2000, which gained 6.9%.

The global hemp stock index has been in decline over the past five years, falling 4.2% in 2025, its best annual performance since a recent surge in 2020. The hemp industry is so down and should be rallying, but most bets on that outcome have lost money.

The index was recalculated at year-end, with three stocks exiting and two entering, leaving the index with 27 stocks. So far in 2026, 17 are up, with double-digit percentage gains, and 10 are down, including three that are down more than 20%. Here is a table that includes all the companies and some additional information:

The average market cap is $1.1 billion. MSOS is up 4.7% year-to-date, and the index contains 7 MSOs, all of which have gained. The last column shows that five of these seven have negative tangible book value, suggesting potential downside risk for those with significant debt.

I keep a close eye on 16 of the 27 names. Canopy Growth, Cresco Labs, Cronos Group, Curaleaf, GrowGeneration, Green Thumb Industries, Innovative Industrial Properties, WM Technology, Organigram, Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Scotts Miracle-TilrayrA BTrumsndce, Villa Verano. I’ve covered most of the others and written about RYTHM and SNDL on Seeking Alpha.

The drops include two recent additions that got me thinking more about inclusion rules. These two as well as others have very low market caps. They all met the minimum price rule and minimum average daily trading value criteria, and they are in the cannabis sector. The next rebalance, which will take place in March, may include some new rules.

The overall stock market is on the rise, but hemp stocks are still not catching the attention of investors. Shares in the index, up just 0.3% year to date, are trading near their 50-day and 150-day moving averages. MSOs are helping the market so far, while several stocks are hurting it. My model portfolio in the 420 Investor, which did very well in 2025, is outperforming the index so far in 2026. I’m very underweight MSOs relative to the index, own two, slightly overweight Canadian LPs (three names) and have a large overweight in ancillaries (four names). The model portfolio had 19% cash on 1/14.

The cannabis industry suffers from slow growth, increased competition, a slowdown in adult-use states, an uncertain regulatory environment at the federal level, and many unfair taxes (280E) Hopefully things will improve in 2026.

Sincerely,

Alan:

New Cannabis Ventures publishes curated articles as well as exclusive news. Here is what we published last week.

Exclusives

Michigan hemp sales were soft in December

Financial statements

Tilray Brands reports cannabis revenue up 5% in Q2

Follow Alan for real-time updates X.com:. Share and discover industry news with like-minded people on the largest group of cannabis investors and entrepreneurs LinkedIn:.

View: Public Hemp Company Revenue and Earnings Trackingwhich ranks the highest-earning hemp stocks.

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 big news this week was an extension of the huge news from August, when President Trump appears to be now preparing to issue an executive order to push cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. Unsurprisingly, hemp stocks have rallied, with the NCV Global Cannabis Stock Index now at 8.23, up 35.4% in December and now up 19.6% year-to-date. MSOs to benefit from 280E tax If this continues, MSOS will rise even further to 6.69, up 92.2% in December and 75.6% year-to-date. The ETF, which closed at $6.87 on Election Day 2024, fell to $2.02 in March.

In August, when the news broke, I issued a newsletter pitching to investors consider hemp REITs. After initially moving higher, they have since fallen behind;

Since 8/13, MSOS has advanced 28.4% and the Global Cannabis Stock Index is up 15.9%. Only one of the four hemp REITs rallied, Innovative Industrial Properties, and it was up just 6.9%. A very weak one is Advanced Flower Group, which is in the process of becoming a business development company

I continue to believe that eliminating 280E taxes will be good for hemp REITs, which include two equity REITs and two mortgage REITs. I have two of them, IIPR and REFI, in my Focus List at 420 Investor and my model portfolio holds both right now. I’m overweight the utilities index and underweight all other subsectors, including MSOs and Canadian LPs;

The two REITs I include in my Focus List make up 27.8% of the model portfolio and increase my ancillary exposure. All four REITs are in the Global Hemp Stock Index and make up 13.6% of the index, so I am currently very overweight. IIPR, which trades on the NYSE, trades at 0.7X tangible book value. REFI, which trades on the NASDAQ, trades at 0.9X. Both stocks pay very high dividends that may be at risk. So far in 2025, both stocks are down more than 12%, and two other hemp REITs are down more. Even if dividends are included, all are down year-over-year;

The two REITs I follow closely serve MSOs: IIPR owns and leases properties, and REFI owns mortgages that MSOs take out against their properties. The poor financial health of their clients weighed on both stocks. If 280E goes away, the client will be healthier. Certainly there will be challenges if 280E remains, but it could be much worse for MSOs saddled with debt and unpaid taxes. The reprogramming will not automatically result in NASDAQ admitting MSOs for trading, nor will it necessarily result in SECURITY banking, an action that could increase competition for REITs. Hemp REITs, which are still down year-over-year and down for much longer periods, look attractive to me for hemp investors here.

This fight to stop 280E taxation was bitter. Let’s hope it ends.

Sincerely,

Alan:

New Cannabis Ventures publishes curated articles as well as exclusive news. Here is what we published last week.

Exclusives

Michigan cannabis sales down in November

Capital increase

Trulieve is borrowing $140 million at 10.5 percent

M&A:

Canopy growing to get a Canadian hemp grower

Follow Alan for real-time updates X.com:. Share and discover industry news with like-minded people on the largest group of cannabis investors and entrepreneurs LinkedIn:.

View: Public Hemp Company Revenue and Earnings Trackingwhich ranks the highest-earning hemp stocks.

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,

Last week when I was pointing out how overpriced Curaleaf is, I mentioned that the ETF MSOS had a redemption on 12/2 and then it had another redemption on 12/4. Shares traded down 1.3% for the week. They are down 3.4% from their peak in mid-November. However, the stock is up 39.6% year-to-date.

The ETF ended the week slightly leveraged, as it was invested in hemp stocks at 102.8% of its NAV, although sales were made this week. While Curaleaf rallied 9.3% after my piece last week, MSOS actually fell 0.5% to $3.67. Looking at the 6 stocks that have more than 5% exposure, it is the only one that is up, while the rest are down at least 2.8% to 6.8%. These six stocks include the five largest ETFs and also the Glass House brands. Here’s MSOS and its six current holdings, which make up 88.5% of the ETF so far in 2025:

I remain very concerned about the high concentration of MSOS to name just a few. The ETF is down 3.5% this year, while the NCV Global Cannabis Stock Index is down 11.6%. The top three, led by CURLF at 29.5%, includes Trulieve, which I think is currently overpriced relative to peers at 21.2%, and Green Thumb Industries, which I like relative to peers at 20.9%. There is 71.6% in just three stocks.

If MSOS receives more redemptions, it will likely sell some of its large positions. So far, with MSOS’s shares outstanding down 3.4% since mid-November, sales of its shares have been made. MSOS reduced its exposure to shares of Curaleaf by 3.4%, TCNNF by 3.4% and GTBIF by 3.0%. We are nearing the end of the year and this bad trade could end badly. Of course, MSOS may hold for the next few weeks, but it’s already down 34.1% since closing at its 2025 high of $5.57 on 8/29. Redemptions could lead to a dire sale of his holdings.

The latest repayments are not the first, as there were more significant repayments from late 2022 to early 2023. There were also a few small repayments in early 2025. Given the year-over-year growth of the past two years, it was on the rise in the second half of 2024, likely tied to Florida’s election-legalization hopes. from medical to also for adults.

Currently up nearly 40% over the past year, that’s a high rise that has already had a big impact on MSOS’s price. At its peak in August, it was up 55% over the previous year. The world of cannabis investors has become much smaller, leaving the entire industry, including MSOS and MSOs, less liquid.

A potential reshuffle by the Trump administration has excited traders who like MSOS because it’s one security that trades higher and has options. That play started in mid-August before the big news, as someone started buying MSOS shares in early July. Both the number of shares increased and so did the price, and trading volumes also increased. Despite the rise in shares outstanding, MSOS is down year-on-year, although it could fall much further if the restructuring announced under discussion four months ago does not take place. The latest excitement in MSOS 2024 saw it tumble 70.6% from the close on 11/05/24, when the election took place, to its all-time intraday low of 2.02 set in early April.

How MSOS does will ultimately be up to him 280E tax leaving. Otherwise, expect more Widow-like situations. Last week I discussed Curaleaf’s large amount of debt due in 2026 and this is something to watch.

If 280E stays, it will be bad for all MSOs and this ETF. I keep thinking that some of the Canadian LPs are safer than the MSO’s and they can be collected more. I also see some ancillary firms that would benefit greatly if their clients faced less heavy taxation. MSOS fell 23.4% in Q4, while the Global Hemp Stock Index fell 20.8%. If realignment doesn’t happen, this pressure on hemp stocks, especially on IPOs, could get much worse.

Sincerely,

Alan:

New Cannabis Ventures publishes curated articles as well as exclusive news. Here is what we published last week.

Exclusives

Cannabis sales fell in November

Florida’s medical cannabis market continues to struggle

Capital increase

After paying off the old debt, Trulieve starts a new debt deal

M&A:

Cronos Group to buy Dutch hemp company

Follow Alan for real-time updates X.com:. Share and discover industry news with like-minded people on the largest group of cannabis investors and entrepreneurs LinkedIn:.

View: Public Hemp Company Revenue and Earnings Trackingwhich ranks the highest-earning hemp stocks.

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