Green Medicine: Pot’s Evolving Medical Uses
3 min readWhen I put marijuana use in historical context, I often refer to the drug-induced 1960s. But that’s just a leap in time. Human marijuana use has been recorded for several millennia. For example, the health benefits of cannabis are discussed in Chinese medical literature dating back to 2700 BC. BC. Goes back, described enthusiastically.
In the 21st century, the use of marijuana as “green medicine” continues to evolve. This also applies to the medical marijuana investment opportunities. More on that in a minute.
In the US, the legal environment for marijuana is bringing weed into the consumer and medical mainstream. An increasing number of states are lifting restrictions on pots and bills are pending in Congress to do the same. Opinion polls show that Americans are increasingly adopting marijuana, especially for medicinal purposes. In the medical field, cannabis use is changing rapidly.
In a new report released May 2, research firm New Frontier Data defined medical marijuana users as those who characterize their cannabis use as either “only” or “primarily” medical. These self-identified medical consumers are distributed in regulated markets for medical purposes and for adults as well as in illegal markets.
Based on New Frontier’s national survey, as of this year, 42% of respondents identify as medical cannabis users, up from 7% since 2018.
Medical users say they use cannabis more frequently than adult users: Two fifths (41%) of medical users are daily users (an 11% higher rate than those who use adult users), while another 26% are weekly users.
Accordingly, medical consumers tend to spend higher than adult consumers, with 30% of the former spending an average of more than $ 100 per purchase compared to 22% of the latter.
There are also differences in product preferences between medical and adult consumers. The following table details the survey in more detail:
The New Frontier report states:
“With the US adult market and medical care market expanding and product differentiation increasing, it is expected that consumers will continue to refine their preferences in terms of both desired effects and delivery method. As cannabis is used for health-oriented purposes that are outside the traditional understanding of medical uses, wellness cannabis users, who represent an amalgamation of adult and medical practice, are expected to increase. “
Would you like to make money with the trends just described? The marijuana industry is hugely profitable, but also volatile. You need to be selective about the stocks you choose.
Read this story: 12 Criteria for Selecting the Right Pot
Cannabis-based drugs are some of the most intriguing games in the entire biotechnology sector. For conditions ranging from epilepsy to multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and cancer, compounds derived from the plant produce remarkable results when conventional therapies cannot.
The dilemma with marijuana games is figuring out which ones will become permanent businesses. Cannabis companies share characteristics similar to pharmaceutical companies in that they must constantly innovate and improve their products in order to remain competitive.
Be warned, the marijuana industry is steeped in dubious penny stocks with shaky balance sheets. Many marijuana companies burn their limited money and are designed to bring themselves to their knees.
Undoubtedly, the movement to reform marijuana law has gained such momentum that it would be difficult to stop. Sooner or later, pot in the US is likely to be 100% legal for medical and recreational use. Early investors in the right canna companies will make fortunes.
We have already put considerable care into finding the best marijuana investments available. Click here for our latest cannabis stocks report.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for an exciting offer from Investing Daily. It’s a new premium trading service: Rapier’s Income Accelerator. The main investment strategist behind this new service is my colleague Robert Rapier, an experienced trader with an outstanding track record.
Up, down, sideways … even in the face of rising interest rates … technical sell-offs … and everything else Mr. Market throws at you, Robert’s “printing money” acts like a machine. And because they throw 3x to 20x more money, you have the same “secret weapon strategy” with which the ingenious dealers at Goldman Sachs consistently beat the S&P 500. Click here to get more information.
John Persinos is the editor-in-chief of Investing Daily. Send your comments or questions to: mailbag@investingdaily.com. Follow this link to subscribe to his video channel.