Marijuana News Today: Tilray Stock Up, Asian Marijuana Legalization and Big Tobacco Interested in Pot

Marijuana News Today

For the marijuana news today, we’re going to take a rapid-fire approach covering two of the main developments in the industry: Malaysia potentially becoming the first Asian country to roll out marijuana legalization legislation, and Big Tobacco’s interest in the pot industry.

Malaysia

First, we’ll take you to Malaysia.

The country, like many of its neighbors, has very stringent laws prohibiting the use of many drugs, including marijuana.

In fact, a recent death sentence handed to a 29-year-old man for possessing, processing, and distributing medicinal cannabis oil is what spurred public outrage and brought the issue to the fore in the first place.

According to Bloomberg, the Malaysian cabinet “very briefly” discussed the medicinal value of marijuana in a meeting last week and have started early and informal talks on amending the relevant laws, Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources Xavier Jayakumar said. (Source: “Malaysia in Talks to Become First in Asia to Allow Medical Pot,” Bloomberg, September 25, 2018.)

The opening of the Asian market to marijuana has, until now, seemed like a far-off possibility.

Due to religious and cultural obstacles, marijuana legalization in the majority of Asian countries faces an uphill battle.

But as I’ve been saying for a while, Canada’s foray into legalization is going to open a lot of doors for cannabis. Countries will likely be more open to the idea of legalization after they witness how Canada benefits from the end of marijuana prohibition.

Pot stocks, naturally, would love to expand into the Asian market. At this point, there have been no major announcements out of the continent regarding marijuana companies.

If Malaysia becomes the first mover in this regard, we could see more countries potentially follow in relaxing their marijuana laws. Any additional market is going to spur on marijuana stock growth.

Big Tobacco

Another story of note in the marijuana news today has to do with Big Tobacco’s interest in the pot industry.

Much like the alcohol sector, Big Tobacco wants to get in on marijuana for a combination of reasons, chief among them the avoidance of competition. (Source: “Big Tobacco Is Already Eyeing Pot,” Rolling Stone, September 26, 2018.)

Tobacco use has been on the decline for years, as has alcohol consumption. With that in a mind, the addition of a new drug of choice for some is only going to exacerbate that problem.

As such, it makes sense that tobacco companies would want to enter the marijuana industry on the ground level, before companies can establish themselves as frightening competition.

While there are no concrete reports regarding Big Tobacco making any moves, should we see a sizable investment come from one of the major tobacco companies, expect marijuana stocks to jump as a result.

Tilray Stock

The pot stock market in the marijuana news today is rather disappointing, with shares down across the board.

One stock, however, managed to buck the trend and instead is gaining in early-morning trading: Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY).

Up about two percent this morning, Tilray stock continues to be an unpredictable pot stock that doesn’t fall in line with other companies on the market.

It is worth noting, however, that over the past five days, TLRY stock has fallen a calamitous 48%.

This sort of correction was to be expected—and something I warned about last week—but does not by any means indicate that TLRY stock is finished.

The company still has great potential to see massive gains. But with that potential comes risk. Tilray stock is extremely volatile. Those looking for long-term buy-and-hold stocks should look elsewhere.

But for investors interested in short-term plays, it seems there is still no better option than Tilray stock. Whether via day trading or shorting, there is a lot of money to be made from TLRY, but it does take deft timing. And a mistake could be very costly.

Canopy Growth Stock

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum in the marijuana industry to Tilray lies Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC).

The old faithful of marijuana stocks, CGC stock is up about five percent on the week, but down about two percent in early-morning trading today.

Overall, CGC stock remains one of the best long-term options for pot bulls.

The company has strong foundations and continues to score victories both major and minor.

Most recently, the company announced a supply agreement with the province of Newfoundland.

While a smaller province, it does show the company’s continued commitment to scoring steady supply agreements across the country, positioning it as a major marijuana supplier for Canadian consumers for years to come.

TLRY & CGC Stock Performances

On the chart below are the recent performances of TLRY stock (black line) and CGC stock (blue line).

Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com

Analyst Take

The marijuana news today is an interesting batch of different developments.

In Asia, you have progress being made toward what may ultimately be the first step to unlocking the massive potential in that market.

Closer to home, we have Big Tobacco potentially entering the marijuana market any day now, with pot stocks open and ready to receive investment.

Finally, we have a slight downturn in the marijuana industry today, but overall a solid week for companies like Canopy, while Tilray stock has struggled.