CANNABIS: DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION While many of these technologies are being introduced by startup and pre-revenue
stability. This “structure” allows it to hold water in small pores, and this water becomes available to the plant as needed, rather than evaporating to the surrounding environment. Both BioLumic and bio365 bring to the market innovative and disruptive applications meant to challenge the existing operators in agriculture and bioscience. Improved and predictable yields lead to better distribution practices and lower costs while keeping within the definition of disruptive innovation. THIS IS THE FUTURE When considering companies like those mentioned here, it does not take long to see how the innovation is disruptive, not only to cannabis production and manufacturing, but also to existing technologies. The challenge is that this is an industry that’s still federally prohibited... And companies are trying to develop a product class that can operate with a less-than-cohesive set of rules, which is the case with hemp. So who are the winners so far as this product class unfolds? Here in Chicago, the city where colleges have put together a Cannabis Advisory Committee to help schools develop curricula around cannabis and hemp. These classes are built around restorative justice in cannabis, urban agronomy in hemp, and cannabis as a CPG. The students of today will lead the industry of tomorrow... And the opportunities far exceed plant touching or dispensary work. Opportunities also exist for investors as they key in on ESG- and SRI-focused companies.
companies, the astute investor will be able to identify those that have met their milestones, have a reasonable valuation, demonstrate scalability, and are positioned well to attract takeover attention. And we know that many seasoned investors are always on the hunt for the next Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, or Zoom. (Hint: It’s cannabis.) It took decades for the U.S. to recognize cannabis for its medical efficacy and commercial applications, and much work still remains. Sadly, years were wasted as Anslinger and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics resorted to fear tactics, misinformation, and appeals to xenophobic and racist sentiments. And the irony is that when Harry Anslinger – drug czar and author of Marijuana, Assassin of Youth – died in 1975, it’s reported he did so with morphine in his system. Jay Caauwe is a well-traveled Chicagoan that still resides within three blocks of where he was born. Before cofounding Supercritical LLC, a cannabis and hemp advisory and management solutions firm, Jay was drawn by the allure of open outcry, beginning at the Chicago Board of Trade in 1983. Working through the ranks, he became a floor trader at CME Group in 1987, trading stock index futures and options. He left the trading floor in 2004 to join the Chicago Board Options Exchange, where he oversaw the exchange’s global business development effort for the CBOE’s futures products based on the VIX Index.
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June 2021
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