H E A LT H
GROWING MARKET
PURIST: What makes this an especially exciting time in the cannabis world? Mitch Baruchowitz: From a pure growth perspective, watching the illegal market yield to the legal market is the opportunity of a lifetime for anyone who wants rapid growth in the companies they invest in. Cannabis legality also brings with it an incredible number of related benefits, including allowing families—especially those in minority communities who are historically more likely to go to prison for cannabis—to be reunited. Additionally, continued research regarding the medical potential for nontoxic plant-based medicine as an opioid replacement is in a really exciting place right now. We’re also finding that the rapid destigmatization of cannabis in recent years has allowed for people to choose adult-use legal cannabis over alcohol in social situations for the first time ever, opening the door to an entirely new market segment. What should prospective buyers be
Mitch Baruchowitz
aware of when looking to invest in the cannabis space? MB: A new investor is going to want to understand the transition from the illicit market to the legal market, and the normalization of cannabis, since it is the most important shift happening in the industry. We have been on the front lines of the industry for years now, from the first furtive steps in California and Colorado, to a slow walk in newer states like New York, to the gallop of momentum we have now across the cannabis landscape. 48
You’re speaking at the Hampton Cannabis Expo 2021 in East Hampton. What are you most excited about sharing with participants? MB: We have done a tremendous amount of work to decode the unique aspects of the cannabis industry so that investors can benefit from this rare instance where average investors can participate in a burgeoning industry with a level playing field. We’re excited to share with participants how to take the enormous amount of information that is available in the space and identify and highlight the key insights. We’ll also discuss the emerging consumer landscape and the coming medicalization of cannabinoids, which is something that very few people have heard about because it hasn’t been discussed much on traditional financial outlets. With New York state legalizing, and NYC being one of the biggest cities in the world, how is this new market going to change the industry?
Adobe Stock; Courtesy of Merida
Mitch Baruchowitz, founder and managing partner of Merida Capital Holdings, a top investment firm in the cannabis space, offers insights on the future of the industry.
