ETF Managers Group, based in Summit, New Jersey, has filed an initial registration statement for what could be the first cannabis exchange-traded fund (ETF), the Emerging AgroSphere ETF. The proposed fund will be focused on medical cannabis and will not invest in any companies that are focused on serving the non-medical marijuana market in the United States, Canada or any other country unless and until such time as the production and sale of non-medical marijuana becomes legal in the United States, Canada or such other country, respectively.

The fund will replicate an index created by BE Asset Management to “track the performance of the exchange-listed common stock (or corresponding American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”)) of companies across the globe that (i) engage in lawful medical research intended to lead to the production of government approved prescription drugs which utilize natural or synthetic versions of the cannabidiol CBD and other cannabis based extracts, (ii) are involved in the production or sale of products which are legal derivatives of industrial hemp, or (iii) are involved in the supply chain of either category of company.”

The current sixty-nine constituents include: 22nd Century Group, Abattis Bioceuticals, Abbott Laboratories, Abbvie, Aero Grow Intl, Affinor Growers, Agritek Holdings, American Cannabis Company, Americann, Aphria, Arrow Electronics, Aurora Cannabis, Axim Biotechnologies, Beleave, Cannabics Pharmaceuticals, Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Science, Cannabix Technologies, Cannagrow Holdings, Canopy Growth, Cara Therapeutics, Cree, CV Sciences, Easton Pharmaceuticals, Eco Science Solutions, Emblem, Emerald Health Therapeutics, General Cannabis, Golden Leaf Holdings, Green Cures & Botanical Distribution, Greengro Technologies, Growblox Sciences, GW Pharmaceuticals, Heliospectra, Hemp Inc, ICC International Cannabis, Inmed Pharmaceuticals, Insys Therapeutics, Kaya Holdings, Kush Bottles, Maple Leaf Green World, Marapharm Ventures, Marijuana Company Of America, Massroots, mCig, Medical Marijuana Inc, Medicine Man Technologies, Mentor Capital, Naturally Splendid Enterprises, New Colombia Resources, Novus Acquisition & Development, Nutritional High, Organigram, OWC Pharmaceutical, Pharmacan Capital, Pharmacyte Biotech, Rocky Mountain High Brands, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Signal Bay, Supreme Pharmaceuticals, Surna, Terra Tech, Tetra Bio-Pharma, THC Biomed, Trailblazer Resources, United Cannabis Corp, Veritas Pharma, Vodis Pharmaceuticals and Zynerba Pharmaceuticals.

Here is the performance of the index over the past year:

New Cannabis Ventures will provide an update in the future regarding the status of the fund and an assessment of the underlying index and the cost structure. Until then, let us know what you think of the idea in our LinkedIn group, Cannabis Investors & Entrepreneurs.

Get ahead of the crowd by signing up for 420 Investor, the largest & most comprehensive premium subscription service for cannabis traders and investors since 2013.

Breaking News by Alan Brochstein, CFA Facebook | LinkedIn | Email Based in Houston, Alan leverages his experience as founder of online communities 420 Investor , the first and still largest due diligence platform focused on the publicly-traded stocks in the cannabis industry. With his extensive network in the cannabis community, Alan continues to find new ways to connect the industry and facilitate its sustainable growth. At New Cannabis Ventures , he is responsible for content development and strategic alliances. Before shifting his focus to the cannabis industry in early 2013, Alan, who began his career on Wall Street in 1986, worked as an independent research analyst following over two decades in research and portfolio management. A prolific writer, with over 650 articles published since 2007 at Seeking Alpha , where he has 70,000 followers, Alan is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and a frequent source to the media, including the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, and Bloomberg TV. Contact Alan: Twitter