$1,000 in Tilray (TLRY) Stock 5 Years Ago? Here’s the Shocking Result Today

Would your wallet be greener if you'd bet on cannabis hype?

The Rollercoaster Ride No One Predicted

Tilray's journey from darling of legalization dreams to... whatever this is now proves one thing: volatility cuts deeper than a harvest scythe. Five years back, TLRY was the golden ticket—today? Let’s just say you’d have more fun lighting cash on fire (and at least get a warm glow).

By the Numbers: The Brutal Math

Original $1k stake now looks like pocket change—unless you sold at the 2021 peak, in which case, congrats on your psychic abilities. Everyone else? Oof.

Lessons From the Cannabis Crash

Moral of the story: When Wall Street hypes 'the next big thing,' check your exit strategy twice. Or just buy Bitcoin and spare yourself the heartburn.

Image source: Getty Images.

That might seem puzzling if you've watched state after state legalize sales of cannabis products and seen stats such as this, from Fortune Business Insights: "The global cannabis market size was valued at USD 43.72 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 57.18 billion in 2023 to USD 444.34 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 34.03%." (CAGR = compound annual growth rate.)

Here's the thing, though: It's still relatively early in the growth of this industry, and it's not yet clear which companies will prosper most. It won't necessarily be the ones with the best technology or the most visionary leaders or even the most money.

Tilray's stock is down for reasons such as overpaying for acquisitions. Its stock might look compelling now, with its recent price-to-sales ratio of 0.63 well below its five-year average of 1.9. But remember that the company isn't profitable at the moment, and it might be best to wait for clearer signs of success.