Fire it up: Nearly 50% of Americans now live in an area that has legalized cannabis use — here are 3 stocks to help investors pounce on this blazing trend

Marijuana stocks don’t seem to be making the big headlines they used to. But that doesn’t mean the green wave has stopped.

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In fact, it’s easier than ever to — legally — access marijuana. As of 2022, 21 states, the District of Columbia and Guam offer legal recreational cannabis to their residents. That means, according to Pew Research Center, that 43% of U.S. adults now live in an area that has legalized marijuana use. And, according to Cannabis Business Times, four more states are likely to legalize it this year, with another nine marked as “maybe” or “to watch” by the editors of the publication.

But maybe weed’s not your thing. Still, there could be some green in it for you. If you don’t care to take a toke, why not let cannabis puff up your portfolio instead?

Here’s a look at three marijuana stocks ready to capitalize on the growing trend towards legalization. They’re listed on stock exchanges in Canada but trade over the counter in the U.S. — and analysts also see major upside in this trio.

Trulieve Cannabis Corp (TCNNF)

Trulieve Cannabis entered the cannabis industry by winning the first medical marijuana application in Florida in 2015. Today, it has 100 stores in the Sunshine State, and around 180 operated and affiliated dispensaries nationwide.

The company claims that it has leading market positions not just in Florida, but also in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Trulieve’s financials have grown tremendously, and even the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop the momentum. In 2020, revenue rose 106% from the 2019 level to $521.5 million.

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In 2021, revenue surged another 80% to $938.4 million.

According to the latest earnings report, Trulieve earned $300.8 million of revenue in Q3 of 2022, up 34% year over year.

The stock, however, has plunged nearly 70% over the last 12 months.

Canaccord analyst Derek Dley sees a rebound on the horizon. The analyst has a ‘buy’ rating on Trulieve and a price target of C$50 on its Canada-listed shares — implying a potential upside of 488%.

Green Thumb Industries (GTBIF)

Green Thumb is a vertically integrated cannabis company headquartered in Chicago. It has 18 cultivation and manufacturing facilities, six consumer product brands, 77 open retail locations, and operations in 15 U.S. markets.

Just like Trulieve, Green Thumb stock hasn’t been a hot commodity: shares are down more than 50% in the last year.

Business, however, is still on the rise.

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In 2022, the company generated $1.0 billion of revenue, representing a 13.9% increase year over year.

Stifel analyst Andrew Partheniou has a ‘buy’ rating on Green Thumb and a price target of C$30 on its Canada-listed shares. Since these shares trade at C$11.20 right now, the price target represents a potential upside of 168%.

Curaleaf Holdings (CURLF)

With a market cap of around $3.1 billion CAD, Curaleaf is a bigger company than both Trulieve and Green Thumb.

It has a huge presence in the U.S. cannabis industry, with 29 cultivation sites, approximately 4.4 million square feet of cultivation capacity, 148 retail locations and around 2,200 wholesale partner accounts.

In Q3 of 2022, revenue grew 7% year over year to $340 million.

Still, this pot heavyweight is not immune to the industry-wide sell-off as shares are down about 42% over the last six months.

Alliance Global Partners analyst Aaron Grey has a ‘buy’ rating on Curaleaf and a price target of C$12 on its Canada-listed shares — roughly 136% above where they sit today.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.