Can ASX cannabis shares ever fully recover?

ASX cannabis shares have been mixed performers on the market in the year to date, but are there better days ahead?

Cannabis shares on the ASX include Cronos Australia Ltd (ASX: CAU), Incannex Healthcare Ltd (ASX: IHL), Emyria Ltd (ASX: EMD), Cann Group Ltd (ASX: CAN) and Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX: CPH).

Let’s take a look at some of the cannabis shares on the market.

What’s going on?

Many ASX cannabis shares have struggled year to date. Incannex shares have slumped 49% this year so far, while Creso Pharma shares have lost 52%.

Meanwhile, Cann Group shares have fallen nearly 2% and Emyria shares have lost nearly 30%.

Incannex is a cannabinoid and psychedelic compound medicine development company. Despite falling in the year to date, the company’s shares have experienced a recent boost on the back of recent news. The company stated it has the “world’s largest portfolio of patented medicinal cannabinoid drug formulations and psychedelic treatment protocols”.

Commenting on the cannabis industry, Former Incannex chief medical officer Dr Sud Agarwal told The Australian the “industry went off with a bang” in 2016 and 2017. However, he said by 2021 and the second half of early 2022, there has been “a real compression of values”. Dr Agarwal, current CEO and founder of Cannvalate Medical Cannabis, added:

That is mainly because a lot of companies haven’t performed in terms of revenues but also people who had previously been investors in cannabis probably just got fatigued.

Meanwhile, Cronos develops and sells cannabinoid brands and products in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. Cronos shares have soared 55% in the year to date.

SG Hiscock Medical Technology Fund manager Rory Hunter singled out Cronos as a company making money. Also commenting in The Australian, he said:

The fact is not all companies are underperforming. Cronos Australia is one ASX-listed company that has strong financial performance.

It’s downstream in the value chain, highly scalable and has a cash generative business model. It’s also the only ASX-listed company in the industry making money right now.

How have these ASX cannabis shares performed in the last month?

In the past month, ASX cannabis shares appear to be recovering. The Cronos share price has lifted nearly 57%, while Incannex shares have exploded 60% and Emyria shares have jumped nearly 23%.

However, Creso Pharma shares have descended 11% in the last month and Cann Group shares have fallen nearly 7%.

For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index has climbed 0.7% in the past month.