DEAL-MAKING

is rife in the City and venture capitalist Ed McDermott has his pen poised.

The chief executive of Fast Forward Innovations, an AIM-listed tiddler, has a handful of assets including sports video gaming specialist Leap. Now McDermott is spearheading a push into medicinal cannabis – another firm in his portfolio, Emmac, boasts cannabis farms in Portugal.

The‘ green rush’ into legal cannabis investment in North America has waned of late, but McDermott reckons his contacts and regulatory nous could help him snap up the best specialists across Europe.

He argues there’s been a growth in interest in cannabis products, chiming with a rise in veganism.

He tells me: ‘People seem to be wanting healthy alternatives not just to the way they live but the way they treat conditions.’

Fast Forward plans to list a cluster of its investments on the stock market next year after Covid hold-ups during 2020.

Tread carefully in this muchhyped investment class.