Three of the Biggest Beneficiaries of the Cannabis Market Boom

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 4, 2019 / Controversial or not, you can't ignore the cannabis boom.

In fact, analysts at Cowen say U.S. cannabis sales alone could reach $80 billion by 2030 - an increase of $5 billion from earlier estimates, and a 4% compound annual growth rate. Piper Jaffray believes the market for legal cannabis could be worth $15 billion to $50 billion a year, with global sales growing to $250 billion to $500 billion.

Canada already made a major move to legalize cannabis. More U.S. states are likely to approve its medical or recreational use. Corporate America is quickly waking up to the opportunity with alcohol companies taking a stake in cannabis stocks.

Wall Street is jumping on the bandwagon, too.

It seems that one segment of the industry is garnering a lot of attention right now - Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive cannabinoid of cannabis, derived from hemp, has been found to help with anxiety, sleep, pain management, and even healing. CBD is poised to become a major ingredient within consumer-packaged goods wellness products. "Hemp-derived CBD has been touted in several medical studies as having a myriad of health benefits ranging from treating psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and eczema to minimizing seizures, stress, and insomnia," says Forbes.

CBD recently got a boost thanks to US lawmakers when the farm bill, which contained a provision legalizing hemp, was signed into law. This has the market for CBD buzzing. But this is just the tip of the iceberg - there is a global opportunity for hemp-derived CBD that cannot be ignored. The stage is being set for an incredible rally in 2019.

As the story heats up, several companies will continue to see sizable growth, including Canopy Rivers Inc. (TSX-V: RIV)(OTC PINK: CNPOF), Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC)(TSX: WEED) and SLANG Worldwide Inc. (CSE: SLNG).

Canopy Rivers Inc. (RIV)(CNPOF) is an investment and operating platform that pursues investment opportunities in the emerging global cannabis sector. It identifies strategic counterparties from around the world seeking financial and/or operating support including licensed producers, pharmaceutical formulators, brand developers and distributors, as well as consumer products and brands.

In fact, Canopy Rivers just completed an equity investment in portfolio company Canapar Corp., the Canadian parent corporation of Canapar SrL an Italy-based organic hemp production and processing platform. The investment aligns with the Company's global-focused growth strategy and is expected to provide the Company with the opportunity to capitalize on the fast-expanding European CBD market.

Canapar has achieved several significant milestones positioning the company as a leader in the nascent European CBD vertical. With over 1,000 hectares of hemp secured, strong partnerships with Italian universities, and a new extraction and processing facility, Canapar is well positioned to supply Europe's demand for CBD derived products from beauty to pharmaceutical.

"This is the second investment that Canopy Rivers has made in Canapar and represents a clear validation of our ability to execute on our strategy and the market opportunity in Europe," said Sergio Martines, CEO of Canapar Italy. "We expect to leverage this financing to enhance value for all stakeholders in Canapar and we look forward to a long partnership with Canopy Rivers."

For More Information on Canopy Rivers Inc., Click Here.

Canopy Growth (CGC)(WEED) is attracting interest a good deal of interest, as well. Canopy Growth began adding strategic hemp assets to its portfolio in 2016 focusing on consumer-packaged goods. Recognizing the market potential for hemp and future CBD products, Canopy Growth began investing in field-scale operations in late 2017. Recently, the company was granted a license by New York State to process and produce hemp.

"We do believe the long-term growth opportunities are significant - both from transitioning illicit trade to legal sales, medical sales, and from transitioning sales in health & wellness categories to CBD-infused products," analysts noted, as quoted by CNBC. "Medical cannabis can replace a variety of products (e.g. pain relief, sleep aid, opioid replacement). CBD-infused products (with non-psychoactive properties) could gain share from food, beverage, and personal care categories."