Debuting two days before the national day of cannabis culture — April 20 or 4/20 — a new exchange-traded fund that focuses on marijuana stocks plans to undercut its competition.
This is the market’s second marijuana ETF. It launched on the NYSE Arca electronic securities exchange. But it’s the first U.S. ETF to include cannabis in its name.
Trading under the ticker YOLO — You Only Live Once — the AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF is charging $7.40 for every $1,000 invested, according to regulatory documents, Bloomberg reported. That’s 1 basis point — a hundredth of a percent — less than MJ, the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF. MJ has $1.18 billion in assets under management.
The 1 basis-point thing is a bit absurd, said Eric Balchunas, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. It’s more “symbolic of the era we are in right now where expense ratio is one of the first things an adviser looks at. This ETF has at least a fighting chance to find an audience.”
YOLO will track an actively managed portfolio of U.S. and Canadian cannabis companies with industries ranging from consumer products and real estate to health care, according to ETF.com.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 53: Frederick Hutson
Part 1: Jamarlin talks to justice-tech pioneer Frederick Hutson, who founded Pigeonly to create communications products for inmates and their families that reduce the destructive impact of incarceration.
However, unlike MJ, the fund will not invest in the stocks of large alcohol or tobacco companies.
“We feel cannabis stands poised to become a market disruptor and long-term emerging growth opportunity, especially as societal, business and regulatory landscapes evolve,” said Dan Ahrens, managing director of AdvisorShares and portfolio manager of YOLO, in a prepared statement. “We believe YOLO may provide a compelling case to investors seeking emerging growth and dedicated cannabis exposure for their portfolios.”
Both marijuana smokers and non-smokers recognize April 20 as a national holiday for cannabis culture.
