Pass on this ETF

Article Excerpt

HORIZONS MARIJUANA LIFE SCIENCES ETF $13 (Toronto symbol HMMJ; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $180.9 million) offers exposure to a basket of North American companies involved in the marijuana industry. The fund’s top holdings include many Canadian growers such as Canopy Growth, Aphria and Aurora Cannabis. Outside of this country, it holds U.S.-based lawn and garden product maker Scotts Miracle-Grow. That company has made significant investments in its hydroponic supply operations. The ETF also holds U.K.-based GW Pharmaceuticals, a developer of cannabis-based prescription medicine. The fund started up on April 4, 2017. Since the launch, its unit price has risen 28%. Its MER is 0.75%. Share prices for many Canadian marijuana producers have soared since mid-2016. However, the pioneers of an industry don’t always survive. There are also low barriers to entry for new competitors. If demand rises rapidly, following full legalization, tobacco and other big companies are apt to enter the market. Shares of many marijuana stocks may move higher as momentum…