What Is the MJ ETF? A Complete Guide to Returns, Fees, Holdings and Alternative ETFs
The Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF (MJ), a cannabis industry theme ETF, invests in global cannabis cultivation, production and distribution stocks. It offers exposure to companies that are highly sensitive to legalization policy changes and sector outlook, and it has drawn steady attention from thematic investors.
What Is the Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF?
This is a thematic ETF that tracks the Prime Alternative Harvest Index, which follows the performance of companies in the global cannabis industry. It holds a broad range of companies, covering cultivation, production and distribution as well as industrial hemp.
It suits thematic investors who want to bet on growth driven by cannabis legalization and policy changes.
It is a passively managed (index-tracking) ETF run by Amplify.
How Does the Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF Invest?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Management style | Passive (index tracking) |
| Tracked index | Prime Alternative Harvest Index |
| Rebalancing frequency | Periodic reconstitution |
| Dividend frequency | Annual dividend |
| Total expense ratio | 0.75% |
The fund holds common shares of cannabis-related companies worldwide, along with ADRs and GDRs based on them, at index weights in order to track the industry's performance. Because it is a non-diversified structure, the weights of specific industries and individual stocks can be relatively high.
- One of the cannabis theme ETFs with a longer listing history
- A non-diversified structure that broadly includes global stocks
Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF Size and Costs (AUM and Management Fee)
Assets under management (AUM) stand at $97.4M, and the expense ratio is 0.75% per year.
Most of the comparison ETFs shown in the table invest in broad thematic or sector growth stocks, whereas MJ differs in character because it concentrates on the narrow cannabis industry theme.
Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF Performance and Trends
Repeated cycles of optimism and disappointment over cannabis legalization policy have produced highly volatile performance, typical of the sector. Sharp short-term swings tend to occur around policy events.
Fund flows tend to fluctuate widely with thematic investing enthusiasm and policy momentum, and recently the index reconstitution appears to have broadened the mix of industries held somewhat.
Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF Pros and Cons
Its strength is growth potential if legalization expands, while its weaknesses are volatility stemming from policy uncertainty and industry concentration.
💪 Key Strengths
⚠️ Points to Watch
Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF Alternative ETFs and Related Products
The comparison ETFs grouped together in the table invest in different growth themes such as technology, the new economy, nuclear power and digital transformation. They are shown alongside MJ in the category table, but the industries they actually invest in differ greatly. Data on listed products that can be compared directly within the cannabis theme is limited, and among related industries, the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector ETF XLV could serve as an indirect comparison.
| Ticker | Name | Price | Change | AUM | Total Expense Ratio | Dividend Yield | 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Future Exponential Technologies ETF | $83.47 | -1.9% | $4.1B | 0.46% | 1.02% | +19.6% | |
| State Street SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF | $62.46 | -3.3% | $2.6B | 0.20% | 1.63% | -1.9% | |
| VanEck Agribusiness ETF | $81.98 | +1.6% | $1.1B | 0.56% | 2.19% | +14.3% | |
| Range Nuclear Renaissance Index ETF | $56.79 | -2.9% | $627.7M | 0.85% | 1.02% | -23.0% | |
| VanEck Natural Resources ETF | $74.30 | -0.1% | $327.0M | 0.41% | 1.84% | +29.7% |
| Ticker | Name | Weight | Price | Change | Market Cap | P/E | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVO | Novo Nordisk ADR | 0.12% | $40.00 | +2.2% | $133.8B | 9.8 | 4.36% |
| LLY | Lilly(Eli) & Co | 0.12% | $1417.54 | +3.2% | $1.33T | 46.6 | 0.48% |
| United States Lime & Minerals Inc | 0.70% | $111.61 | -2.0% | $3.2B | 23.9 | 0.22% |
Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF Investor Checkpoints
These are the points to review before investing in MJ. Because it concentrates on the narrow cannabis industry theme, investors should thoroughly check policy variables and volatility in advance.
| Checkpoint | What to check | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| 💵 Expense ratio | Check the fee level given the nature of theme ETFs | Needs comparison with the category average |
| 📜 Policy variables | Legislative trends on legalization and regulation | Sensitive to policy events |
| 📊 Industry concentration | Stock and industry concentration in a non-diversified structure | Concentration present |
| 🌍 International weight | Weight of global cannabis companies held | International exposure present |
Volatility from policy uncertainty and the non-diversified structure is the key risk. When legalization expectations recede, the entire sector can be corrected together, so caution is needed.
It suits thematic investors who want to bet on the long-term growth story of the cannabis industry, and given its high volatility, keeping its weight in a portfolio limited is recommended.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. All investment responsibility lies with the investor.
This article reflects information as of July 2, 2026.