Marijuana stock trading is dominated by dudes and millennials

Marijuana stock trading is dominated by dudes.

Men accounted for 75 percent of all cannabis-related securities trades over the past month, according to data from TD Ameritrade, the online broker with 11 million clients who hold more than $1 trillion in assets. At the end of last year, baby boomers were more likely to trade marijuana stocks, but now TD Ameritrade’s seeing more interest among millennials. The younger cohort also trades more actively — about 25 percent more than other groups.

Weed stocks have been caught up in a frenzy of interest that’s produced massive gains and dramatic volatility in recent weeks, with an exchange-traded fund focused on the industry surging 78 percent in just the past five weeks. It may not be surprising that men are the primary traders of weed stocks, since studies show they’re about twice as likely as women to use marijuana.

“We’ve seen broad-based interest in cannabis stocks among our clients historically, and given recent headlines, these names have regained popularity, particularly among Millennials who have recently been more likely to trade them than other groups,” said Joe “JJ” Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade.

The hype around pot stocks lit up this week after shares of Tilray Inc. took investors on a wild ride, nearly doubling at one point on Wednesday before losing 18 percent on Thursday. The stock is down another 25 percent in Friday trading.

“Like any other sector that is seeing a spike in momentum or popularity, these are trades that can move very quickly,” Kinahan said. He added that it’s “critical for investors to err on the side of prudence.”