The diversity of the cannabis market is luring an increasing number of investors. In 2018, $10 billion had been invested in North America’s legal weed industry, let alone the markets blossoming elsewhere around the globe.

While some cannabis investors prefer to get up-close and personal with the plant, such as by pouring their money into cultivation operations and extraction facilities, others are less interested in dabbling directly in ‘dope’ deals.

Ancillary businesses are attracting the attention of cannabis investors

Thankfully for the cannabis investors who are shy to invest in pot stocks, there are a few alternative options. Let’s take a look at three stocks worth investing in to capitalize on the “Green Rush” without actually coming into contact with weed:

• Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) – Since late 2017, this company has been considered an ancillary cannabis business. How? Constellation, a drinks producer, invested $4 billion in Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp. The partnership welcomed the roll-out of a weed-infused drink range. Ingestible cannabis products, such as infused drinks, produce longer-lasting effects. However, they take longer to kick-in than smokable bud and extracted oils.
• Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) – Another ancillary company that will likely appeal to cannabis investors is Shopify. The multi-channel sales platform allows licensed sellers to sell cannabis-containing products in-store or online. Prior to this, merchants struggled to secure cannabis payment processing opportunities. Thankfully, in March, a 45-15 vote by the House Financial Services Committee saw the approval of a bill that would protect banks from federal disruption.
• Square (NYSE: SQ) – CBD businesses are also being accepted on Square’s payment processing platform. Before Square announced its foray into the cannabis industry back in May, the company imposed a ban on cannabis payments. This stock presents a lucrative investment opportunity, since the website is offering credit card processing for CBD and cannabis companies. Similarly, BigCommerce recently launched a CBD merchant processing system on its platform.

Cannabis investors can prepare for the “Green Rush” with associated stocks

Taking a risk and investing in the aforementioned stocks could provide newbie cannabis investors with a chance to assess the market from afar, before diving straight in. With New Frontier Data claiming that the global cannabis market is worth $344 billion, investors would bode well from putting their money in weed.

In addition to the stocks mentioned in this post, some other stocks that are not “plant-touching business” include packaging/branding company KushCo Holdings (OTC:KSHB), nutrient solution company Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) and cannabis real estate investment company Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR)