Medical marijuana companies around the world have raised $2.7 billion so far this year to capitalize on explosive growth in the industry, an almost 300% increase from the same time last year.
More than half that total, $1.6 billion, was raised in Canada via 189 transactions, the Financial Post reported.
The Viridian Cannabis Deal Tracker also found that M&A fever is gripping the Canadian marijuana space: This year’s 78 M&As in Canada alone nearly match last year’s 85 deals worldwide.
In Canada, most of the capital raises have been done through private placements, but a growing number of businesses are starting to tap debt markets in a big way.
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Unicorns and players abound. It is nearly impossible to justify the market caps on many of these deals. The fundamental metrics do not match the hype. Buyer beware.