Beer drinkers and cannabis consumers can share in rejoicing the flood of options that will soon be available to them, with Canada’s upcoming marijuana legalization on the horizon. Through edits made to Bill C45, Canadian lawmakers quietly made an impactful change that will effect consumers’ choices in what they can eat and drink—opening the door to major opportunities for investors in the space.
In particular, there are several opportunities within what looks to be a cannabinoid-beverage crossover market, with companies including Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (CSE: ATT) (OTC: ATTBF), Canopy Growth (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF), Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) (OTC: PHVAF) and The Tinley Beverage Company Inc. (OTC: QRSRF) (CSE: TNY).
By looking at the Colorado market, which is the longest running legalized state in North America, the potential for edibles and beverages is very high—and Colorado just approved cannabinoid-infused beers (no THC, but CBD).
The market is opening up at a fast pace. According to data from cannabis business data firm BDS Analytics, legal sales of marijuana edibles totaled $90.41 million US in 2014, $126.17 million US in 2015, and later ballooning to $189.9 million US in 2016.
Ahead of this rush, in October, the crossover beverage-cannabis market received its biggest news yet, when multi-billion-dollar cannabis player Canopy Growth (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF) sold a 9.9% equity stake to beverage giant Constellation Brands (NASDAQ: STZ)—owners of the Corona brand of beers and many more.
As a result, the floodgates have been opened, as the prospect of a wide range of cannabinoid-infused beverages (including beer!) to be developed between now and official legalization in Canada, raised the potential of more major deals like that of Constellation and Canopy.
The latest was the announcement of Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (CSE: ATT) (OTC: ATTBF), of its newly-formed partnership with Faculty Brewing, to move forward in developing “high-free” cannabis- and hemp-infused beers, to hit the markets as soon as Health Canada releases its new guidelines regarding beverages involving cannabis.
CANNABINOID-INFUSED BEVERAGES SOON TO HIT SHELVES
When Corona’s owner Constellation Brands made an aggressive move to buy 9.9% of cannabis giant Canopy Growth, there was a buzz around both the beverage and cannabis sectors.
The deal, valued at $191 million (CAD$245 million), kicked off Canopy’s biggest rally to date—boosting the share price from $12.79 to a high of $20.38 for an increase of nearly 60%. The company is now trading over $40 per share, and the company has a higher market cap than Air Canada.
Given that the cannabis industry is expected to be worth $50 billion by 2026, the market will cater all types of forms for consumption.
Enter Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (CSE: ATT) (OTC: ATTBF), which has positioned itself to be a prominent leader in this crossover space.
Recently the company announced a strategic partnership with private liquor distribution alliance ABLE BC, putting Abattis in a solid position with points of sale for alcohol and eventually cannabis, across the province of BC.
This week, Abattis made even bigger waves, by announcing a new partnership with Faculty Brewing, to develop a line of cannabinoid-rich, hemp-infused, THC-free craft beers.
Now Abattis has not only a foothold in some of the most prominent points-of-sale for alcohol in its home province, but it also will have a highly marketable product to stock the shelves (and coolers) with.
ABATTIS BREWING WITH EXPERTISE AND ACCESS
The prospect of marketing a new line of cannabinoid-infused craft beers, amidst a market obviously thirsty for new options and awaiting Health Canada’s green light, hasn’t been lost on Abattis’s management.
“By aiming to develop a line of functional beers, each based on a different type of hemp extract, we hope to have a product that is compliant and market-ready as soon as Health Canada releases its new regulatory framework for hemp and cannabis-infused beverages,” said Rob Abenante, President and CEO of Abattis.
When it aligned with ABLE BC, Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (CSE: ATT) (OTC: ATTBF) not only established themselves as technical experts during the commercial cannabis rollout, but also readied themselves for when their cannabinoid beer lines officially launch.
As part of the ABLE BC deal, Abattis assumed the role of providing technical expertise—especially when it comes to quality assurance for dosage, terpene analysis, potency, and more.
Key to both Abattis developments, are the company’s subsidiaries, including leading laboratory Northern Vine Labs—a shared subsidiary with Emerald Health Therapeutics, Inc. (TSX.V: EMH) (OTC: EMHTF) located in BC, that’s envied in the sector for its extraction, testing and analysis. Abattis partnered with Emerald Health on Northern Vines in order to perform cannabinoid testing, in return for access to the lab, and extraction of CBD for hemp oil products.
The lab has been contracted by Abattis to provide the cannabinoid-rich, THC-free, hemp extract for the line of beers, and to carry out further research, development and analytical testing.
“Having the [lab] on board ensures the final product will deliver a precise and consistent amount of pesticide-free cannabinoids in every single bottle,” said that lab’s Dr. David Galvez, who is also the Senior Science Advisor for Abattis.
Supplementing the potential for the newly-formed partnership between Abattis and Faculty Brewing, will be Abattis’s wholly-owned subsidiary Vergence Naturals.
Vergence is the fully-equipped marketing and distribution arm of the Abattis empire, which has been tasked from the beginning with handling all of the company’s cannabinoid-infused products.
Among those products, the company recently added the brand Green Tree Therapeutics to its portfolio.
Green Tree is primarily known for its brand of vape pens, which are already sold within several brick and mortar stores, and over 130 outlets in total.
While not a multi-billion-dollar company like Canopy Growth (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF), Abattis has strategically positioned itself as an expert in extraction and testing, as well as cannabinoid-infused product marketing.
For Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (CSE: ATT) (OTC: ATTBF), there is plenty of space to grow within the cannabis sector and has several options available for when legalization is finally official.
COMPARABLES
Canopy Growth Inc. (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF)
Owners of the Tweed brand of cannabis products, Canopy Growth is a multi-licensed, geographically diverse marijuana producer, described as “one of the world’s — and Canada’s first — premier exporters of marijuana” by the Financial Post in 2016. Canopy is the parent company of licensed cannabis producers, Tweed Inc., Tweed Farms Inc., Bedrocan Canada Inc., as well as newly acquired Mettrum Health Corp. Canopy currently has a combined growing platform of over 665,000 sq. ft. of production space. It was also the first federally regulated, publicly traded cannabis producer in North America, and the first billion-dollar cannabis corporation. Canopy Growth was founded in 2014, and is based in Smith Falls, Ontario.
Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) (OTC: PHVAF)
Phivida engages in purchasing, packaging, and selling holistic hemp infused remedies. They provide hemp oil extracts to the manufacturers of consumer packaged goods, such as pet supplements, e-juices, topical ointments, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals; vitamin juices, iced tea products, and nutritional protein shakes; and tinctures and vitamin shots under the Vida+ brand name. Phivida Holdings Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
The Tinley Beverage Company Inc. (OTC: QRSRF) (CSE: TNY)
The Tinley Beverage Company develops, manufactures, and distributes drinkable cannabinoid products in the United States. It offers a line of hemp cannabidiol (CBD) infused drinkable supplements. The Tinley Beverage Company Inc. is based in Toronto, Canada.
Disclaimer
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