Welcome to my latest Weekly Weed Report. Below is a condensed transcript of my video presentation.

 

The United States and Canada form the epicenter of the marijuana industry, but as an investor, you need to look beyond North America. The legalization and consumer mainstreaming of cannabis is a global phenomenon, especially as transnational consumer food and beverage giants acquire smaller marijuana companies for access to local consumers, new brands, and supply infrastructure.

A shrewd way to leverage new opportunities in the global marijuana sector is to pinpoint companies overseas that are engaged in merger and acquisition activity. Not just America, but a changing world is beckoning marijuana investors.

Let’s start today’s report with a look at Europe. The Old World is a source of new pot profits.

Europe

Most European countries have legalized medical marijuana in recent years. Access to recreational pot is inconsistent, but a growing number of countries in Europe have decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis, making marijuana easily obtainable across the continent. Regardless of respective laws and regulations, social attitudes are tolerant, and the police tend to turn a blind eye.

The following chart shows the latest status of the laws in Europe regarding cannabis:

The European cannabis market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 67.4% to reach 3.2 billion euros ($3.75 billion) by 2025, according to a new report from the research group Prohibition Partners.

Read This Story: The Wide, Wide World of Weed

Countries on the Continent that are considering marijuana legalization are Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands, to name a few. The big action is occurring in Germany.

Now that the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) have won Germany’s national election, marijuana legalization is expected to accelerate in Germany to encompass recreational pot. The SPD officially supports the normalization of marijuana laws in that country. As the European Union’s powerhouse, Germany exerts outsized influence on EU members. In recent days, legalization legislation has moved forward in Germany’s Bundestag, the German federal parliament.

Let’s return to the United States.

Congress

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed an American competitiveness bill that includes the Secure and Fair Enforcement Act (SAFE), legislation that would allow banks to serve marijuana businesses without federal reprisal. It marked the sixth time that SAFE passed the House.

It’s unclear whether SAFE will pass the Senate. With midterms approaching and the January 6 commission stirring passions, the two political parties are more polarized than ever.

Maryland

The chairman of Maryland’s House Judiciary Committee and a cannabis workgroup filed new legislation to implement marijuana legalization, if that legislation is first approved by voters on the ballot November 2022.

The proposed Maryland bill would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana and decriminalizes possession of amounts greater than that up to 2.5 ounces.

The bill also would provide for automatic expungements for those with previous cannabis possession convictions made legal under the measure, and people currently serving prison time for such offenses would be eligible for resentencing.

With this legislation, the state would be prepared with a new, comprehensive marijuana policy, if voters first say yes in a referendum.

Utah

The Utah House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill to create a task force to study the benefits of psychedelics in treating mental health conditions.

The bill would create a Mental Illness Psychotherapy Drug Task Force that would be required to “study and make recommendations on drugs that may assist in treating mental illness.”

The psychotherapy drugs that the panel would consider are defined as controlled substances that are “not currently available for legal use” and “may be able to treat, manage, or alleviate symptoms from mental illness.”

The potential for investors to profit from the increasing respectability of psychedelics is enormous. Pharmaceutical companies are engaged in a race to develop psychedelics-based treatments. Marijuana companies are making plans to branch out into psychedelics, for medical as well as recreational purposes.

Washington state

Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D) is proposing to use $125 million in marijuana tax revenue to aid communities targeted by the war on drugs.

Reinvesting in Washington’s communities would entail drawing funds from the state’s dedicated marijuana account, which holds money from cannabis excise taxes, penalties, license fees, and forfeitures.

Washington state’s latest move reflects how powerful lawmakers at the federal and state levels are waging a war against the War on Drugs.

For decades, people viewed marijuana through the lens of government propaganda. The War on Drugs launched by Richard Nixon in 1971 was Nixon’s deliberate strategy to demonize his perceived enemies. He couldn’t outlaw political opposition, but he could use a crackdown on drug use as a way to legally harass and persecute the cultural left.

But according to the latest polls, most people now see marijuana differently. They want it legalized. The War on Drugs (which especially targeted marijuana) is over. Marijuana won. Meanwhile, other drugs such as “magic mushrooms” and LSD are getting legalized as well. It’s what the public demands.

Looking for ways to profit from the trends that I‘ve just described? Our team has unearthed a hidden gem in cannabis pharmaceutical research that most investors don’t even know about.

This trailblazing marijuana biotech is on the verge of becoming “The Pfizer of Pot.” The time to act is now, before this little-known company becomes a household name and its stock price goes ballistic. Click here for details.

John Persinos is the editorial director of Investing Daily.

Subscribe to John’s video channel: