Green
9 Things Cannabis Investors Should Know
9 Things Cannabis Investors Should Know
The swift regulatory changes taking place in the global cannabis sector are almost without modern precedent.
While some find the situation analogous to the repeal of Prohibition in the United States, it’s also fair to point out that such events happened 85 years ago in the midst of the Great Depression. It was a long time ago, and in a very different economic climate.
Today’s infographic comes to us from Evolve ETFs, and it shows what investors should know as the legal cannabis sector comes out of the dark.
What Cannabis Investors Should Know
Since there is so much happening at once with little precedent for what such a market will look like, it’s worth summing up the sector’s potential in broad strokes:
1. Global Size
According to research from The Brightfield Group, the size of the legal cannabis sector is expected to surge from $7.7 billion to $31.4 billion between 2017 and 2021.
Currently the recreational market makes up only 37% of the global total – but by 2021, that will rise to 57%.
2. Versatile Uses
Cannabis comes in different forms. One gram of dried cannabis is roughly equivalent to:
- 5g of fresh cannabis
- 15g of edible product
- 70g of liquid product
- 0.25g of concentrates
- 1 cannabis plant seed
These can be used in various medical applications, including to fight chronic pain, migraines, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, and nausea. Cannabis can also be used to treat Alzheimer’s, PTSD, and cancer.
3. North American Growth
By 2021, it’s estimated that North American sales will make up 86% of the global market. Specifically, the U.S. legal market is projected to hit $18.1 billion by that time, while the Canadian legal market is expected to be $8.9 billion in that same year.
4. A Shifting Legal Landscape
Canada will be the first G7 country to legalize cannabis at a federal level.
In the United States, recreational cannabis is already legalized in nine states – but this could change swiftly as various states undergo referendums.
5. European Markets
In 2017, the legal market for cannabis is estimated to be just $0.11 billion, but by 2021 it will have expanded to $3.8 billion.
According to The Brightfield Group, growth will be quite impressive in Western Europe: Germany’s market will grow at a 284% annual rate, the Netherlands at 364%, and Spain at 334%.
6. Rest of the World
Although markets outside of North America and Europe will not see the same growth in absolute dollar terms, the legal cannabis market will still expand from $80 million to $350 million, led by activity in Latin America.
7. Pharmaceutical Research
Israel has a special place in the cannabis world – the country is world leader in medical cannabis research, and industry expects that it will eventually translate into a $1 billion export opportunity. That said, export plans have hit a recent road bump.
8. Investment Activity
Compare the start of 2018 to that of 2017, and you’ll see an impressive difference in investment activity.
For this we use Canada with its impending recreational legalization as an example: in the first six weeks of 2018, investment was up nearly 7x over the previous year. Further, the average deal size increased from $5.6 million to $18.7 million.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Cannabis Index rose 201% between January 2017 and January 2018.
9. How to Invest?
There are a variety of ways to gain exposure to the sector, including:
- Licensed producer stocks
- Biotech stocks
- Ancillary services stocks
- Licensed retailer stocks
- Cannabis ETFs
Regardless of how you play it, the legal cannabis sector is coming out of the dark – and it will be interesting to see how the industry takes shape.
Environment
Charted: The Safest and Deadliest Energy Sources
What are the safest energy sources? This graphic shows both GHG emissions and accidental deaths caused by different energy sources.

Charted: The Safest and Deadliest Energy Sources
Recent conversations about climate change, emissions, and health have put a spotlight on the world’s energy sources.
As of 2021, nearly 90% of global CO₂ emissions came from fossil fuels. But energy production doesn’t just lead to carbon emissions, it can also cause accidents and air pollution that has a significant toll on human life.
This graphic by Ruben Mathisen uses data from Our World in Data to help visualize exactly how safe or deadly these energy sources are.
Fossil Fuels are the Highest Emitters
All energy sources today produce greenhouse gases either directly or indirectly. However, the top three GHG-emitting energy sources are all fossil fuels.
Energy | GHG Emissions (CO₂e/gigawatt-hour) |
---|---|
Coal | 820 tonnes |
Oil | 720 tonnes |
Natural Gas | 490 tonnes |
Biomass | 78-230 tonnes |
Hydropower | 34 tonnes |
Solar | 5 tonnes |
Wind | 4 tonnes |
Nuclear | 3 tonnes |
Coal produces 820 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) per gigawatt-hour. Not far behind is oil, which produces 720 tonnes CO₂e per gigawatt-hour. Meanwhile, natural gas produces 490 tonnes of CO₂e per gigawatt-hour.
These three sources contribute to over 60% of the world’s energy production.
Deadly Effects
Generating energy at a massive scale can have other side effects, like air pollution or accidents that take human lives.
Energy Sources | Death rate (deaths/terawatt-hour) |
---|---|
Coal | 24.6 |
Oil | 18.4 |
Natural Gas | 2.8 |
Biomass | 4.6 |
Hydropower | 1.3 |
Wind | 0.04 |
Nuclear energy | 0.03 |
Solar | 0.02 |
According to Our World in Data, air pollution and accidents from mining and burning coal fuels account for around 25 deaths per terawatt-hour of electricity—roughly the amount consumed by about 150,000 EU citizens in one year. The same measurement sees oil responsible for 18 annual deaths, and natural gas causing three annual deaths.
Meanwhile, hydropower, which is the most widely used renewable energy source, causes one annual death per 150,000 people. The safest energy sources by far are wind, solar, and nuclear energy at fewer than 0.1 annual deaths per terawatt-hour.
Nuclear energy, because of the sheer volume of electricity generated and low amount of associated deaths, is one of the world’s safest energy sources, despite common perceptions.
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