Reuters
- Meb Faber — CEO and chief investment officer of Cambria Investment Management, which oversees $955 million — makes a compelling case for a cannabis allocation in investors’ portfolios.
- He likens the opportunity to the end of the prohibition era, in which beer companies outperformed the overall market by over 20% per year.
- He also details his methodology for establishing a position in the sector.
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There’s no doubt that the cannabis industry is growing in leaps and bounds.
In just a few years time, both medical and recreational cannabis transformed from a completely illegal enterprise to a highly sought-after, rapidly-growing industry. By the end of 2025, the nascent industry is projected to reach over $66 billion in size, compounding at an annualized rate of more than 23%.
For those willing to endure the risk of an early-stage allocation, an investment in the sector may prove to be a lucrative opportunity — and one prominent investment chief thinks the time to take the plunge is now.
Meb Faber — CEO and chief investment officer of Cambria Investment Management, which oversees $955 million — sees a "tectonic shift" taking place in the global public’s view towards cannabis. And he sees it rewarding investors for years to come.
"The reality is that the investment opportunity in front of us is a rarity." Faber penned in a recent blog post. "It’s an exciting time to be an investor considering the cannabis sector."
To bolster his view, Faber draws parallels to the performance of beer stocks after the end of prohibition.
"The stocks returned 20% per year in the decade following legalization, nearly double the returns of the overall market," he stated.
Suppressed demand, coupled with a large and faithful user base, led to massive outperformance for these companies when the ban on alcohol was finally lifted. And Faber thinks a similar trend will ensue as the widespread adoption and acceptance of cannabis continues to permeate throughout the globe.
"It almost feels as though we’re witnessing a massive dam being removed, making way for the flood that’s been long pent up," he said.
To further his point, Faber points to a majority of sales still taking place on the black market, exposing a massive opportunity for cannabis firms to exploit if more legal channels of purchase are opened.
However, where there are large opportunities, there are also large risks.
Faber is clearly bullish on the space, but he doesn’t think of the opportunity as a get-rich-quick scheme, and wouldn’t recommend diving in with both feet. The industry is still in its developing stages, and within US borders, cannabis remains illegal under federal law.
How Faber thinks you should tackle cannabis investment
Faber thinks investing in cannabis can be done in thematic fashion. In other words, he’s not just interested in companies involved in the production of marijuana, but also those that handle distribution or finances for the industry.
This type of approach can help an investor get exposure to the industry, even if the companies primarily responsible for growing marijuana are either not publicly listed in the US, or facing regulatory scrutiny.
Faber also has some ideas about exactly how investors should consider adding cannabis exposure to their portfolios. For those just getting involved, he recommends they dip their toes in before taking the full plunge.
"As far as position sizing, it should be a tiny portion of your overall allocation," he said. "There’s no certainty that today’s market share leaders will translate into tomorrow’s winning investments. For this reason, it makes sense to be diversified with broad exposure to the overall sector."
In addition to small-sizing, Faber recommends a 10-plus year holding period. Here’s how he would go about establishing a position:
"My approach, which is similar in concept to the above ideas on mean reversion, would be to purchase a starter position, then also consider adding an additional ‘unit’ if the stocks in the industry declined 60%, and another unit at 80%."
See Also:
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- The top US wealth manager for the ultrarich revealed to us the 2 mistakes his clients repeatedly make — and how other investors can best avoid them
- Here’s how one portfolio manager has doubled the market’s return by putting 80% of his money in just 4 stocks
Source: Business Insider – ccompetiello@businessinsider.com (Christopher Competiello)