Canadian Weed!

[apostrophe]

re: "...Big Tobacco is coming for you..."

It is kind of ominous sounding isn't it ...

Direct Competition? I don't see them starting from scratch. Possible but not likely...

Acquisitions? Likely that is the scenario being referred to. That could range from "friendly" (buying controlling interest at a premium - not too bad for shareholders if down the road). Or, "hostile" takeovers which could be bad depending on what it takes for Trudy Trueheart to give up the deed of the farm to Snidely Whiplash. (a little allegory there).

With those kinds of bucks, the capacity for manipulation is breathtaking. Hopefully it won't be like a certain big movie studio taking over a little one that occurred not too many years ago. They hired a hedge fund manager as vp, then a huge smear campaign erupted directed at what would have been a very successful movie. It was amazingly effective at getting the movie boycotted, revenues never materialized, then the stock tanked, presumably helped along into obliteration by short selling, after which the shares were scooped up at a small fraction of their former price and the absorption was complete. And nobody is the wiser. It's possible the article authors have seen similar things. Yup, with a worst case scenario it could get pretty nasty.

OTOH, There's probably quite a bit of time before that becomes an immediate concern for shareholders in the sector. And who knows, maybe tobacco companies are nicer. :)