The cannabis space has been a challenging area for investors. It seems like an area full of opportunity — and in some ways it has been — but it has been a market that has proven a tough one for companies to stand out in. Yes, there are a lot of players trying to make an impact but cannabis itself is a commodity and building brands that resonate with consumers has not been easy.

A pioneer in the field, Morgan Paxhia has been investing in the cannabis space for as long as anyone. He serves as one of the founders of Poseidon Investment Management, one of the longest-running dedicated cannabis investment funds in the world. In a market where few investors have consistently made money, Paxhia and his company have been successful when it comes to identifying winners in the cannabis space.

Morgan started Poseidon with his sister Emily way back in 2013. The sibling duo believed that the market for legal cannabis as an investable space began when Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use. That happened back in 2012 and Poseidon was formed not long after. Since then, Morgan and Emily have been on the cutting edge of investing in this emerging, challenging space.

A first-of-its-kind company, Poseidon made its first investments in the cannabis space in 2014. The company has a number of funds and even has an ETF that’s on the way giving it deep exposure to what Paxhia considers a market that’s still in its very early days.

Timestamps

0:02: Introduction

1:34 When did the investable legal market start?

3:27 ETFs and cannabis

4:45 How to find the winners

5:54 Debt and public companies

12:00 How to operate state-by-state

14:50 Are attitudes toward marijuana changing?

18:30 Should the industry regulate itself?

22:53 What do you look for on a management team?

24:38 What we’ve learned from Canada

26:30 Is it possible the U.S. backtracks legally?

28:55 is cannabis a threat to alcohol?