Cannabis Stocks with Lowest Debt
Updated March 2026Cannabis companies with the least debt on their balance sheet. Low-debt and debt-free marijuana stocks ranked.
Debt is a double-edged sword in any industry, but in cannabis it is particularly dangerous. Interest rates on cannabis debt typically range from 10-18% — sometimes higher — because lenders charge a significant premium for the legal and regulatory risk of lending to federally prohibited businesses. Companies that have kept their balance sheets clean by avoiding excessive debt are better positioned to survive industry downturns and emerge stronger when conditions improve.
Low-debt cannabis companies have several advantages. They are not hemorrhaging cash on interest payments that could otherwise fund growth or operations. They face less risk of default, covenant violations, or forced asset sales. And they have the financial flexibility to take on strategic debt in the future on favorable terms if attractive opportunities arise. In contrast, heavily indebted cannabis companies often find themselves trapped in a cycle of refinancing at punitive rates or issuing equity at depressed prices to service debt.
The table below ranks cannabis stocks from the lowest total debt to the highest. Companies at the top of this list have either avoided debt entirely or carry only minimal obligations, giving them maximum financial flexibility in an industry that rewards patience and balance sheet strength.
Cannabis Stocks with Lowest Debt — Full Rankings
30 stocks · Ranked by total debt
| # | Ticker | Name | Price | Change | Market Cap | Revenue | Margin | P/S | Total Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMG | Scotts Miracle-Gro | $60.96 | +0.96% | $3.54B | $3.35B | 25.0% | 1.06x | $0 |
| 2 | CURLF | Curaleaf Holdings | $2.36 | +2.83% | $1.80B | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 3 | TPB | Turning Point Brands | $90.62 | +0.69% | $1.73B | $463.1M | 55.9% | 3.75x | $0 |
| 4 | GTBIF | Green Thumb Industries | $6.56 | +7.01% | $1.54B | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 5 | IIPR | Innovative Industrial Properties | $52.66 | -2.34% | $1.48B | $276.0M | — | 5.37x | $0 |
| 6 | TCNNF | Trulieve Cannabis | $6.40 | +4.92% | $1.22B | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 7 | CRON | Cronos Group | $2.50 | +0.81% | $947.6M | $146.6M | 36.4% | 6.46x | $0 |
| 8 | TLRY | Tilray Brands | $6.89 | -1.57% | $802.7M | $837.3M | 26.4% | 0.96x | $0 |
| 9 | MSOS | AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF | $3.82 | +1.33% | $764.3M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 10 | GLASF | Glass House Brands | $7.50 | -2.72% | $608.3M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 11 | VRNOF | Verano Holdings | $1.26 | -8.70% | $457.6M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 12 | SNDL | SNDL Inc | $1.51 | -5.03% | $388.8M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 13 | CGC | Canopy Growth | $1.02 | -2.86% | $385.4M | $278.4M | 28.8% | 1.38x | $0 |
| 14 | NLCP | NewLake Capital Partners | $15.43 | -1.09% | $370.3M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 15 | INNPF | InnocanPharma | $5.07 | 0.00% | $354.9M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 16 | CRLBF | Cresco Labs | $0.97 | -0.27% | $346.1M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 17 | PLNHF | Planet 13 Holdings | $0.91 | +5.21% | $295.8M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 18 | LFLY | Leafly Holdings | $135.50 | +17.98% | $271.0M | $34.6M | 90.2% | 7.82x | $0 |
| 19 | TSNDF | TerrAscend Corp | $0.68 | +0.37% | $261.4M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 20 | CCHWF | Columbia Care | $1.14 | -4.20% | $232.6M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 21 | HITI | High Tide Inc | $2.46 | +2.50% | $216.1M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 22 | ACB | Aurora Cannabis | $3.43 | -3.65% | $194.5M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 23 | OGI | Organigram Holdings | $1.41 | -2.76% | $190.6M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 24 | GDNSF | Vireo Growth (Goodness Growth) | $0.44 | -1.12% | $182.2M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 25 | MJ | ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF | $24.79 | +0.74% | $123.1M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 26 | CBWTF | Auxly Cannabis Group | $0.09 | +1.07% | $111.6M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 27 | CWBHF | Charlotte's Web Holdings | $0.62 | -0.22% | $99.3M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 28 | JUSHF | Jushi Holdings | $0.49 | -0.26% | $96.4M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 29 | LOVFF | Cannara Biotech | $1.30 | -5.09% | $81.9M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
| 30 | CNBS | Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF | $23.50 | +1.95% | $77.3M | $0 | — | — | $0 |
Top 3 Spotlight
Scotts Miracle-Gro
Scotts Miracle-Gro ranks #1 in the cannabis stocks with lowest debt category with a share price of $60.96 and a market capitalization of $3.54B. The company operates in the Ancillary sector and is listed on the NYSE. With trailing twelve-month revenue of $3.35B and a gross margin of 25.0%, SMG represents the top-ranked stock in this category based on total debt.
Curaleaf Holdings
Curaleaf Holdings ranks #2 in the cannabis stocks with lowest debt category with a share price of $2.36 and a market capitalization of $1.80B. The company operates in the MSO sector and is listed on the OTC. With trailing twelve-month revenue of $0 and a gross margin of N/A, CURLF represents the second-ranked stock in this category based on total debt.
Turning Point Brands
Turning Point Brands ranks #3 in the cannabis stocks with lowest debt category with a share price of $90.62 and a market capitalization of $1.73B. The company operates in the Ancillary sector and is listed on the NYSE. With trailing twelve-month revenue of $463.1M and a gross margin of 55.9%, TPB represents the third-ranked stock in this category based on total debt.
Methodology
Stocks are filtered to include companies with reported debt figures (including zero debt) and ranked in ascending order by total debt, surfacing the least indebted companies first. Data is sourced from company filings, exchange feeds, and financial data providers. Rankings update automatically as new data becomes available. All financial figures are based on trailing twelve-month (TTM) data unless otherwise noted. The current ranking includes 30 qualifying stocks out of 100 total cannabis companies tracked by Cannabismarketcap.
Key Observations
The top-ranked stock in the cannabis stocks with lowest debt category is SMG (Scotts Miracle-Gro) with a total debt of $0. The stock trades at $60.96 per share with a market capitalization of $3.54B. In second place is CURLF ($0), followed by TPB ($0) in third.
Across all 30 qualifying stocks, the average share price is $15.41 and the average market capitalization is $639.0M. The combined trailing twelve-month revenue of all companies in this category is $5.39B. The average gross margin among companies with positive margins is 43.8%. The average price-to-sales ratio is 3.83x.
The most represented sector in this category is MSO with 11 out of 30 companies (37%). Among the ranked stocks, 14 are trading higher today while 15 are trading lower. Investors should use these observations as a starting point for further research rather than as the basis for trading decisions.
Investment Considerations
When evaluating stocks in the cannabis stocks with lowest debt category, consider looking beyond the primary ranking metric to build a holistic view of each company. A stock that ranks well by total debt may have weaknesses in other areas — such as high debt, poor margins, or slowing growth — that the ranking alone does not capture. Cross-reference this list with other Cannabismarketcap category pages and the screener tool to identify stocks that score well across multiple dimensions.
Position sizing is particularly important in cannabis. The sector is inherently volatile, and even the strongest companies can experience 30-50% drawdowns during sector-wide sell-offs triggered by legislative disappointments or broader market risk-off events. Most financial advisors suggest limiting total cannabis exposure to 5-15% of your portfolio, and individual positions to 1-3% depending on your risk tolerance and conviction level.
Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) is a widely recommended approach for building cannabis stock positions over time. Rather than investing your entire allocation at a single price point, spreading purchases across weeks or months can reduce the impact of short-term volatility and lower your average cost basis if prices decline after your initial purchase. This strategy is particularly relevant for the stocks in this category given the sector's history of sharp and sometimes prolonged drawdowns.
Risk Factors
Risk Warning
While low debt is generally positive, it is not the only factor in financial health. A company with zero debt but minimal cash and negative cash flow is still in a precarious position. Additionally, some companies have low debt simply because they could not access debt markets and instead funded operations through dilutive equity offerings — which may be worse for shareholders than moderate, well-structured debt. Also consider off-balance-sheet obligations like operating leases, purchase commitments, and contingent liabilities that do not appear in the total debt figure but still represent financial obligations.
Compare These Stocks
Head-to-head comparisons between top-ranked stocks in this category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is debt particularly risky for cannabis companies?
Cannabis debt is expensive and inflexible. Because traditional banks largely cannot lend to the industry, cannabis companies borrow from specialty lenders, private credit funds, and sale-leaseback providers at interest rates of 10-18%, sometimes with onerous covenants. If a company misses a debt payment, the lender may be able to seize assets, force a sale, or convert the debt into equity at steep discounts. The combination of high interest rates and an already cash-strapped industry makes debt service a major challenge for many operators.
Is a debt-free cannabis company always a better investment?
Not necessarily. Some level of debt can be beneficial if used to fund accretive acquisitions or capital projects that generate returns above the cost of borrowing. A company that borrows at 12% to fund a project generating 25% returns is creating value for shareholders. The problem arises when companies borrow to fund operating losses, when debt matures with no clear refinancing path, or when the interest burden consumes a disproportionate share of cash flow. Evaluate debt in the context of the company's overall capital structure, cash flow, and strategic goals.
What types of debt do cannabis companies typically carry?
Common debt instruments in cannabis include senior secured term loans (from specialty lenders), sale-leaseback arrangements (essentially real estate-backed debt), convertible notes (which can be converted into equity, diluting shareholders), equipment financing, and in Canada, traditional bank loans. Some US MSOs have also issued high-yield bonds. Each type carries different risk characteristics — convertible notes, for example, can create significant dilution, while sale-leasebacks obligate the company to long-term lease payments even if a location underperforms.
How does debt affect a cannabis company's valuation?
Debt directly impacts enterprise value (EV), which is calculated as market capitalization plus total debt minus cash. Two companies with identical market caps but different debt levels will have different enterprise values — and therefore different EV/Revenue multiples. A company trading at 1.5x P/S might actually be at 3.0x EV/Revenue if it carries significant debt. This is why savvy investors use EV-based multiples rather than price-based multiples when comparing cannabis companies with different capital structures.
More on Cannabismarketcap
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Cannabis stocks are highly speculative and carry significant risk of loss, including the potential loss of your entire investment. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The rankings and data presented are based on publicly available financial information and may contain errors or omissions. Always do your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Cannabismarketcap is not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, or financial planner.