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TLRY vs. CRLBF: Which Cannabis Player Offers Greater Upside?
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Key Takeaways
TLRY has surged ahead of CRLBF over six months as both compete in a rapidly expanding cannabis market.
TLRY expands internationally and grows Canadian revenues with large-scale cultivation capacity.
CRLBF enters Germany and leverages partnerships to diversify amid domestic pricing and regulatory pressure.
Investors are showing growing interest in the rapidly expanding cannabis market, which was valued at $43.72 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $444.34 billion by 2030, reflecting a CAGR of 34.03% over the forecast period (per Fortune Business Insights). Marijuana legalization is gaining momentum across the globe. Much of this momentum stems from the increasing acknowledgment of the product’s potential medicinal value and therapeutic uses. Tilray Brands (TLRY - Free Report) and Cresco Labs (CRLBF - Free Report) are two key players with significant presence in this market.
Price Performance Comparison
In the past six months, shares of Tilray have surged 105.5% while those of Cresco have gained 0.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Case for Tilray
Tilray delivered solid international performance in the fiscal first quarter, despite delays in securing export permits from Portugal. Across Europe, Tilray continues to expand its medical cannabis footprint, leveraging its strong infrastructure, including its 1.5-million-square-foot EU-GMP cultivation facility in Portugal and its German operations. Management expects to triple its German medical cannabis distribution footprint in fiscal 2026 and sees additional opportunity through its local cultivation facility.
Tilray Medical, a division of Tilray Brands, continues to expand its global medical cannabis footprint with key international developments. Through its joint venture with Top Tech Global Inc., the company established Solana Life Group in Panama, which has obtained regulatory approval to cultivate, manufacture and distribute medical cannabis locally.
Additionally, the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, FL Group S.R.L., entered into a strategic partnership with Italy’s Molteni to broaden the availability of Tilray Medical cannabis extracts for patients across the country. In Australia, Tilray Brand introduced its first medical cannabis edible, Good Supply Pastilles, a sugar-free, vegan-friendly option, underscoring its commitment to innovation and patient-focused treatment solutions worldwide.
Management emphasized that international expansion is strategically important because it gives Tilray access to high-growth reforming markets, enables the company to leverage its extensive cultivation and distribution infrastructure, diversifies revenue beyond Canada and positions it to scale as global medical cannabis adoption accelerates.
From a domestic standpoint, Tilray delivered a strong quarter in Canada, reinforcing its position as the country’s largest legal cannabis company by revenues. In the fiscal first quarter, Canadian cannabis revenues rose 4% year over year to $51 million, supported by the company’s significant scale, which includes approximately 5 million square feet of cultivation space and 210 metric tons of cannabis in production.
This capacity positions Tilray to meet future domestic demand while also supplying international markets as regulations evolve. Although overall Canadian market pricing fell 1.3% and volumes increased 6.5%, Tilray outperformed with a 2% increase in pricing and volume growth above market levels.
The Case for Cresco
Cresco Labs took a significant step toward international expansion with the launch of its flagship Cresco-branded flower in Germany, marking the company’s first entry into the European Union. Germany is one of the world’s fastest-growing regulated cannabis markets, supported by a well-structured regulatory framework and an expanding patient base. The launch serves as an opportunity to gather insights while building a foundation for Cresco Labs’ future expansion in international markets.
To support this expansion, Cresco has partnered with Blossom, its EU GMP-certified manufacturing partner in Portugal, for the production of three signature flower SKUs tailored to different patient effects. This strategic collaboration not only ensures compliance with rigorous European quality standards but also gives Cresco operational flexibility as it scales.
These expansions signal Cresco’s intent to diversify and tap into higher-quality growth avenues. This diversification also helps mitigate domestic volatility in pricing, competitive intensity and regulatory risk to a certain extent.
Domestically, Cresco Labs delivered steady operational results for the third quarter, driven by strong wholesale momentum and expanded cultivation capacity. The company continued to hold leading share positions in key limited-license states, including the #1 retail share in Illinois and Ohio and the #1 branded wholesale share in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
However, despite these operational strengths, the company's U.S. business remains highly exposed to the broader challenges of a tightly regulated and increasingly price-compressed domestic cannabis market. Revenues in the third quarter declined year over year, reflecting persistent top-line pressure.
Although Cresco is expanding its footprint, adding new Ohio dispensaries and advancing its cultivation and processing build-out in Kentucky, these growth initiatives require continued capital and operational investment, which may be more difficult to sustain if revenue softness persists.
Valuation of TLRY and CRLBF
Tilray is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.21, above its median of 0.99. Cresco’s forward sales multiple is 0.38, below its one-year median of 0.58. CRLBF is also trading at a discount to TLRY.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for TLRY & CRLBF?
For fiscal 2026, the loss per share for TLRY is projected to be 5 cents compared to the year-ago EPS of 1 cent. The loss per share estimates have remained stable over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
For 2025, CRLBF’s loss per share is projected to be 14 cents compared with the prior-year loss of 22 cents. The loss per share estimates have moved south 2 cents over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
TLRY or CRLBF: Which One to Pick?
Overall, both Tilray and Cresco Labs are positioning themselves to capture long-term value as global cannabis markets evolve. Tilray’s advantage lies in its established international infrastructure, accelerating regulatory access, and diversified medical and adult-use strategy, supported by strong scale and continued leadership in Canada. Cresco Labs, meanwhile, is taking its first meaningful steps into international markets while maintaining solid share positions in key limited-license U.S. states, using partnerships and targeted product launches to mitigate domestic volatility.
For investors, Tilray — currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) — appears to be the stronger choice, given that it has outperformed Cresco over the past six months and Cresco’s estimates have deteriorated. However, for investors seeking a more discounted entry, Cresco, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present, may offer deeper value but with meaningfully higher risk. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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TLRY vs. CRLBF: Which Cannabis Player Offers Greater Upside?
Key Takeaways
Investors are showing growing interest in the rapidly expanding cannabis market, which was valued at $43.72 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $444.34 billion by 2030, reflecting a CAGR of 34.03% over the forecast period (per Fortune Business Insights). Marijuana legalization is gaining momentum across the globe. Much of this momentum stems from the increasing acknowledgment of the product’s potential medicinal value and therapeutic uses. Tilray Brands (TLRY - Free Report) and Cresco Labs (CRLBF - Free Report) are two key players with significant presence in this market.
Price Performance Comparison
In the past six months, shares of Tilray have surged 105.5% while those of Cresco have gained 0.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Case for Tilray
Tilray delivered solid international performance in the fiscal first quarter, despite delays in securing export permits from Portugal. Across Europe, Tilray continues to expand its medical cannabis footprint, leveraging its strong infrastructure, including its 1.5-million-square-foot EU-GMP cultivation facility in Portugal and its German operations. Management expects to triple its German medical cannabis distribution footprint in fiscal 2026 and sees additional opportunity through its local cultivation facility.
Tilray Medical, a division of Tilray Brands, continues to expand its global medical cannabis footprint with key international developments. Through its joint venture with Top Tech Global Inc., the company established Solana Life Group in Panama, which has obtained regulatory approval to cultivate, manufacture and distribute medical cannabis locally.
Additionally, the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, FL Group S.R.L., entered into a strategic partnership with Italy’s Molteni to broaden the availability of Tilray Medical cannabis extracts for patients across the country. In Australia, Tilray Brand introduced its first medical cannabis edible, Good Supply Pastilles, a sugar-free, vegan-friendly option, underscoring its commitment to innovation and patient-focused treatment solutions worldwide.
Management emphasized that international expansion is strategically important because it gives Tilray access to high-growth reforming markets, enables the company to leverage its extensive cultivation and distribution infrastructure, diversifies revenue beyond Canada and positions it to scale as global medical cannabis adoption accelerates.
From a domestic standpoint, Tilray delivered a strong quarter in Canada, reinforcing its position as the country’s largest legal cannabis company by revenues. In the fiscal first quarter, Canadian cannabis revenues rose 4% year over year to $51 million, supported by the company’s significant scale, which includes approximately 5 million square feet of cultivation space and 210 metric tons of cannabis in production.
This capacity positions Tilray to meet future domestic demand while also supplying international markets as regulations evolve. Although overall Canadian market pricing fell 1.3% and volumes increased 6.5%, Tilray outperformed with a 2% increase in pricing and volume growth above market levels.
The Case for Cresco
Cresco Labs took a significant step toward international expansion with the launch of its flagship Cresco-branded flower in Germany, marking the company’s first entry into the European Union. Germany is one of the world’s fastest-growing regulated cannabis markets, supported by a well-structured regulatory framework and an expanding patient base. The launch serves as an opportunity to gather insights while building a foundation for Cresco Labs’ future expansion in international markets.
To support this expansion, Cresco has partnered with Blossom, its EU GMP-certified manufacturing partner in Portugal, for the production of three signature flower SKUs tailored to different patient effects. This strategic collaboration not only ensures compliance with rigorous European quality standards but also gives Cresco operational flexibility as it scales.
These expansions signal Cresco’s intent to diversify and tap into higher-quality growth avenues. This diversification also helps mitigate domestic volatility in pricing, competitive intensity and regulatory risk to a certain extent.
Domestically, Cresco Labs delivered steady operational results for the third quarter, driven by strong wholesale momentum and expanded cultivation capacity. The company continued to hold leading share positions in key limited-license states, including the #1 retail share in Illinois and Ohio and the #1 branded wholesale share in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
However, despite these operational strengths, the company's U.S. business remains highly exposed to the broader challenges of a tightly regulated and increasingly price-compressed domestic cannabis market. Revenues in the third quarter declined year over year, reflecting persistent top-line pressure.
Although Cresco is expanding its footprint, adding new Ohio dispensaries and advancing its cultivation and processing build-out in Kentucky, these growth initiatives require continued capital and operational investment, which may be more difficult to sustain if revenue softness persists.
Valuation of TLRY and CRLBF
Tilray is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.21, above its median of 0.99. Cresco’s forward sales multiple is 0.38, below its one-year median of 0.58. CRLBF is also trading at a discount to TLRY.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for TLRY & CRLBF?
For fiscal 2026, the loss per share for TLRY is projected to be 5 cents compared to the year-ago EPS of 1 cent. The loss per share estimates have remained stable over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
For 2025, CRLBF’s loss per share is projected to be 14 cents compared with the prior-year loss of 22 cents. The loss per share estimates have moved south 2 cents over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
TLRY or CRLBF: Which One to Pick?
Overall, both Tilray and Cresco Labs are positioning themselves to capture long-term value as global cannabis markets evolve. Tilray’s advantage lies in its established international infrastructure, accelerating regulatory access, and diversified medical and adult-use strategy, supported by strong scale and continued leadership in Canada. Cresco Labs, meanwhile, is taking its first meaningful steps into international markets while maintaining solid share positions in key limited-license U.S. states, using partnerships and targeted product launches to mitigate domestic volatility.
For investors, Tilray — currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) — appears to be the stronger choice, given that it has outperformed Cresco over the past six months and Cresco’s estimates have deteriorated. However, for investors seeking a more discounted entry, Cresco, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present, may offer deeper value but with meaningfully higher risk. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.