GB Sciences Inc (GBLX)

[europa7]

3 Industries Looking to Partner With Marijuana Stocks

https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/09/02/3-industries-looking-to-partner-with-marijuana-sto.aspx

Pharmaceutical

Lastly, when is Big Pharma not hungry for growth? With the Trump administration having threatened on numerous occasions to crack down on pharmaceutical pricing power, as well as Big Pharma constantly contending with patent expirations on key products, an investment in the cannabis industry could make a lot of sense.

The biggest catalyst here might be the recent approval of GW Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ:GWPH) Epidiolex as a treatment for two rare forms of childhood-onset epilepsy. GW Pharmaceuticals' lead drug is a cannabidiol (CBD)-based oral solution -- CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid best known for its perceived medical benefits -- which became the first cannabis-derived drug to gain approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on June 25. Since Schedule I drugs in the U.S. are defined as (among other things) having no medical benefits, GW Pharmaceuticals' approval creates sort of a cannabis conundrum. It also demonstrates that cannabinoid-based drugs could play a role in the future for certain ailments.

Though they've flown largely under the radar, we have witnessed a few select instances where Big Pharma has demonstrated interest in cannabis. For instance, Business Insider reported earlier this year that Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) allowed two medical cannabis businesses, Avicanna and Vapium Medical, access to its Canadian JLABS Innovation network. The idea behind this partnership between Johnson & Johnson and Avicanna/Vapium Medical is to allow medical weed researchers the opportunity to "pick the minds," so to speak, of J&J's lead researchers, as well as for Johnson & Johnson to see what these medical weed businesses are capable of. If it likes what it sees, J&J could become an investor.

Look for Big Pharma to give the green rush a serious look in the months and years that lie ahead.