Marijuana is expected to be one of the fastest growing industries on the planet over the next decade. This strong double-digit annual growth rate is a big reason why investors have flocked to pot stocks in droves over the past three-plus years.
However, things haven't gone as planned, which really shouldn't be much of a surprise. All next big thing investments eventually encounter growing pains, and the cannabis industry is currently contending with its fair share of problems.
To our north, Canada is has been hit by regulatory and procedural concerns. Health Canada has been unable to work through a large number of licensing applications, while select provinces haven't been accommodative to issuing nearly enough dispensary licenses. Meanwhile, we've seen high tax rates and a similar slow rollout of dispensaries in select states spurring sales in the illicit market.