YiLoLife Banking on Brand and the Emergently Historic Role of the Incredible, Edible, Cannabis Plant

With Arizona’s Prop 205 (http://dtn.fm/DN7w9) (recreational use, regulated like alcohol) going to the polls this November amid a hotly contested POTUS race, where both candidates have expressed favorable stances on regulating marijuana like alcohol, the bullish attitude of committed CRMLA (Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol) supporters like YiLoLife, Inc. is now starting to really resonate with investors. Could it be that the rational exuberance of sector up-and-comers like YiLoLife exists and will persists due to a sober break down of human history?

The recent publication (http://dtn.fm/3RsWf) of a discovery by archaeologists in northwest China of a substantial cache of well-preserved cannabis plants, radiometrically dated to over 2,400 years old, shows just how long humans have been using cannabis. This discovery unambiguously documents evidence as to why a complex endocannabinoid system exists within the human body, and adds serendipitous commentary to the even more recent mapping of the structure of the (primary) CB1 receptor (http://dtn.fm/5fORl). The DEA decision to not down-schedule marijuana is looking more and more like agency brinkmanship, or can-kicking designed to appease an incoming POTUS, than anything to do with professed lack of scientific evidence.

Insert adage about the handwriting being on the wall here. YiloLife and millions of others see that handwriting, and the turning of a page toward what is not only a contemporary inevitability, but a historic fact. Hongen Jiang, the lead archaeologist on the aforementioned dig, was keen to point out how this latest discovery adds considerable weight to an established premise that cannabis consumption was “very popular” throughout the Eurasian steppe thousands of years ago (http://dtn.fm/dmZ64). With that in mind, it’s pretty easy to understand why sector operators like YiLoLife are so enthusiastic about the future of the space and are doubling down on reform initiatives that could see Arizona become the next Colorado.

YiLoLife recently expanded its already successful edibles and wholesale business into brick and mortar retail territory via its brand new MMJ YiLo Superstore at 2841 W. Thunderbird Rd. (rated 4.6 out of 5 stars (http://dtn.fm/Gm40l) on Weedmaps) in the heart of Phoenix’s thriving medical marijuana (MMJ) market. The company’s unquestionable dedication to ending marijuana prohibition is evident from its $200,000 commitment to CRMLA and the promotion of Prop 205 (http://dtn.fm/qi7DK), which, if passed, would no doubt unleash the true potential of Arizona’s nascent cannabis market. YiLoLife has quickly built up a strong presence among consumers with over 600 products and the kind of brand loyalty that only best-of-breed edibles can bring. Edibles represent arguably the most attractive segment of the overall marijuana market, pulling down half the sector take (http://dtn.fm/g7cL4) and having the potential to incubate tomorrow’s big-name consumable brands, such as Coke (NASDAQ: COKE), Pepsi (NYSE: PEP), and McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD).

Remember the world before Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) and the efflorescence of coffee culture? We now live in a completely different paradigm compared to only a few decades ago, with numerous high quality coffee shop/bean brands to choose from. Take a look around you today, because one of the big questions being asked by the investment community is, who will be the Starbucks/McDonald’s of marijuana edibles. Many consumers who may never light up, will almost certainly try an edible product at some point in their lifetime if they are at all inclined to partake. Stop and think about the commercial potential of the edibles space and how we are still in the first days of the Berlin Wall falling (with numerous states not even on the MMJ ladder yet), and you can begin to understand what analysts mean when they talk about the “Green Rush.”

According to a recent report from the Tax Foundation, which looked at the latest data from sources like ArcView and New Frontier, as well as others, the low end of the spectrum at 15 percent rates would put Arizona’s recreational tax haul somewhere in the $113 million range (http://dtn.fm/luHk6). The lower the tax rate, the more of the black/grey market for marijuana will be absorbed as well, likely leading to much better numbers in the long run. In fact, the already $7 billion plus nationwide MMJ/recreational market could hit $22.7 billion by 2020 (http://dtn.fm/H9Uv4), if just five new states with recreational legislation on the ballot this November legalize it, and Florida/Montana go MMJ.

The rising popularity of cannabis-infused products, especially among more health-conscious consumers who wish to avoid smoking or even vaporizing, was made strikingly clear by a report out of BDS Analytics back in June (http://dtn.fm/A9DcJ) (based on point-of-sale information from retailers), showing a whopping 53 percent jump in Colorado edible sales for Q1. The demand for cannabis concentrates is enormous, showing a 125 percent increase YOY for Q1, dwarfing the still-amazing growth of the flower/bud segment (which nevertheless did a hearty 11 percent growth YOY as of Q1). This data clearly demonstrates where the bleeding-edge of the market is, and, because Colorado is the tip of the spear nationwide in fleshing-out the logistics of the marijuana market, all of this says a great deal about the future of edibles in general.

It seems self-evident to many now, including former DEA agents (http://dtn.fm/toA4M), that legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes and regulating it the way we regulate alcohol could massively reduce the unregulated/illegal cannabis market. With a nationwide opioid epidemic on our hands and credible historic data, as well as contemporary scientific data coming to light daily, attitudes are rapidly changing about marijuana across America. November could be the start of something big for the sector, and focused niche players like YiLoLife have an opportunity here to ride the wave of momentum to new milestones, both at the level of the individual company, and for the industry as a whole.