Marijuana Remains The 'Wild West' Of Investing

For the past year, newspaper headlines have been dominated by stories about the fast-growing market for medicinal and recreational marijuana.

Everything from cannabis-themed tech startups to mom-and-pop THC laced bakeries have been on the rise as marijuana becomes legal in more and more states.

As with any new trend, investors have been sniffing out ways to profit from placing bets on undervalued companies that seem destined to become "the next big thing."

However, with very few blue-chip options to invest in, the marijuana revolution has very few access points for the traditional investor.

Blue Chip Stocks

The only companies that work with cannabis that are currently listed on major exchanges are pharmaceutical firms that are developing drugs using cannabinoids.

GW Pharmaceuticals GWPH and Insys Therapeutics INSY are currently the only blue-chip stocks available to investors looking to get in on the marijuana industry.

OTC Stocks

The majority of publicly traded marijuana-based companies are trade Over The Counter. Because OTC stocks are not required to file with the SEC and are largely unregulated, investing in this way can be extremely risky.

Medbox MDBX is one such example, the marijuana vending machine maker saw its stock rise from around $4 to over $200 in the space of a few days, and has since been on a steady downward trajectory.

Related Link: Marijuana Shop Brings An Influx Of Green to A Small Town In Washington

Meeting The Investment Need

Since most are hesitant to invest in OTC stocks due to the high degree of uncertainty, there is a large gap between investors who want to bet on marijuana and ways to enter the market.

The Marijuana Investment and Private Retreat is looking to fill that gap by educating those interested in the marijuana market on how to capitalize on the growing industry. The seminar's organizer Khadijah Adams says the event is designed to help investors spot fraudulent stocks and invest without fear.

Alan Brochstein, the founder of 420 Investor will deliver the keynote speech on March 27, and the two day event will include talks from Tripp Keber, founder of Dixie Elixirs and Wanda James, the President of Cannabis Global Initiative.