It's a good question and it's one that a lot of people have been asking, for a long time. Just talk over to the folks at NORML - they've been pushing Marijuana reform since 1970! And we've only seen REAL movement in that space in the last 5-10 years.
I think in regards to VATE - it's a two pronged answer.
First - specifically to Hemp and CBD, there is the legislative issue and the education issue. Both are moving in the right direction, but as I mentioned with NORML, it really takes time to get studies funded, published, and have that information circulate to the masses. It got kick started with recent legislation and it's moving that way, but it takes time - usually more than we'd like. Not only is the education / legislation to get the benefits of Hemp & CBD, but then its the banking regulations for companies that want to operate in that space.
Secondly - when it comes to companies to invest in and stock interest .. there are quite literally HUNDREDS of different companies out there, some private, some public, that are in the Hemp / CBD space. It's very difficult for the common investor to separate through the junk, to find the rare diamonds in the rough - that are trying to differentiate themselves from the rest of the heard. Also, I think the overwhelming majority of the investing public are scared of investing in the OTC space - due to the obvious risks. Most people will wait until a company makes it do a Nasdaq or equivalent listing - as meeting the requirements for those exchanges puts confidence in the financials published.
As a quick aside - I have a friend who recently started working for CuraLeaf. CuraLeaf is in the Marijuana Dispensary business- they make acquisitions from grow operations through retail stores. Their BIGGEST problem is banking. I was told that ADP (one of the largest payroll companies in the US) dropped them as a customer, as they did not want to take the risk of government action. This forced CuraLeaf to do payroll in house, which is a massive expense. We need more of these regulatory type issues settled to really see the market place normalize itself.
