This week the first psychedelic stock ETF (exchange-traded fund) will begin trading on the Canadian NEO exchange under the ticker PSYK on January 27. The base currency will be Canadian dollars. The ETF will be managed by Canadian financial services company Horizons ETF Management and it will be focused on the emerging psychedelics opportunity led by life science and pharmaceutical companies. Horizons noted that a growing body of clinical research has demonstrated the potential use of psychedelic compounds, such as psilocybin and ketamine, as treatment for mental illness, depression, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other medical conditions. As a result, there is a growing number of public companies listed in North America that are focused on the development of therapeutic solutions using psychedelics.

Horizons said that PSYK will seek to replicate the performance of a market index that is “designed to provide exposure to the performance of a basket of North American publicly-listed life sciences companies having significant business activities in, or significant exposure to, the psychedelics industry. PSYK will be using the North American Psychedelics Index as its market index. The Index is a proprietary index owned and operated by Horizons ETFs, and Solactive AG is the independent calculation agent for the Index.”

“After decades of restrictions, recent policy changes and exemptions in Canada and the United States have allowed for increased research in the therapeutic application of psychedelic compounds, and the potential to create an entirely new marketplace for drugs derived from psychedelics,” said Steve Hawkins, President, and CEO of Horizons ETFs. “PSYK will give investors exposure to the leading public companies undertaking this important research and development of treatments for the more than 700 million people globally that, according to the World Health Organization, suffer from some sort of mental illness, addiction or eating disorder.”

Companies In The ETF

A total of 17 North American life sciences companies have been included in the initial ETF portfolio. These companies form part of the North American Psychedelics Index, provided by German index provider Solactive, which underlies the PSYK ETF. They are:

• AbbVie Inc (ABBV)
• COMPASS Pathways (CMPS)
• Cybin (CYBN)
• Entheon Biomedical (ENBI)
• Field Trip Health (FTRP)
• Greenbrook TMS Inc (GTMS)
• Havn Life Sciences (HAVN)
• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
• Mind Cure Health (MCUR)
• MindMed (MMED)
• Mydecine Innovations (MYCO)
• Nova Mentis (NOVA)
• Numinus (NUMI)
• Psyched Wellness (PSYC)
• Red Light Holland (TRIP)
• Revive Therapeutics (RVV)
• Seelos Therapeutics (SEEL)

Management Comments

Tim Moore, CEO of Havn Life said in a statement,  “Our team is excited to be included in Horizons Psychedelics ETF, which will allow Havn Life to become visible to and available to a wider investment community. This is an opportunity to provide added shareholder value as we continue to execute our operational milestones.”

“We are honoured to be selected as part of the first-ever Psychedelic ETF. This is a milestone moment for our industry and for MINDCURE, as we continue to explore, develop and commercialize products to give hope and healing to a world in pain and suffering from a mental health crisis. This solidifies our position amongst peers and gives investors a great opportunity to support our industry as a whole,” said Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO, MINDCURE. “We congratulate our peers and believe it is a privilege to build a new category of care and investment together.”

“While medicinal psychedelics are certainly not new, the legal market and the ability to invest in these cutting-edge companies certainly is new,” said Joshua Bartch, Co-Founder & CEO, Mydecine in a company statement. “Together, with these 17 companies, Mydecine is helping to build an industry that is investing in and researching innovative solutions for treating previously untreatable mental illness. We are honored that we are included, and we are also mindful that this now gives more people, who may be new to the space, the ability to access and diversify their investments. By having exposure to many different companies with solid fundamentals, but different approaches, philosophies, indications, and technologies, is healthy for investors in the industry.”

“We launched the world’s first Cannabis-focused ETF in 2017, the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF (HMMJ), and we see many similarities between that industry in 2017 when it was in its infancy to the psychedelics industry now. We see the potential for significant growth from this new sector like what we have witnessed with the Cannabis industry during the last few years.” said Mr. Hawkins. “At Horizons ETFs we strive to be at the forefront of key global transformative investment themes. We believe the opportunities with psychedelics not only provide a compelling investment case, but also the potential to provide life-changing impact for those suffering with mental illness.”