The turmoil in the markets makes it too easy to justify selling any stock these days. While an individual investor's panic never helps him or her, it's still a good idea to play devil's advocate with investments.

Consider small but sophisticated biopharma Geron (NASDAQ:GERN). Though the company's stem cell and cancer treatments show promise, you'll find more than a few of the 607 Motley Fool CAPS members who weighed in on the company offering reasons to be bearish.

Here at The Motley Fool, we like to consider both the good and bad sides of an investment, so in this article I'm highlighting three of the main bearish arguments on Geron today. Be sure to read the bullish side as well, weigh in with your own comments below, or rate Geron in CAPS.

1. No profits
Although Geron is making progress with its treatments, the time it will take to gain approvals and reap the profits they could generate isn't going to come overnight. Rather than holding onto a lottery ticket like Geron, some CAPS members see better and safer places for their money to capitalize on the potential profits in stem cells.

2. Cash burner
Geron is working diligently toward getting a product on the market, but at the same time burning through millions of dollars in cash each year. While the stock's potential is strong, some investors prefer to invest in stocks that generate billions in cash every year like Abbott Labs (NYSE:ABT), Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY), or GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK).

3. Gut check
While the development-stage company may eventually have strong commercial potential, Geron also has a history of high share-price volatility, similar to other pioneering companies like StemCells (NASDAQ:STEM), Cytori Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CYTX), and Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:OSIR). A highly volatile stock leaves many investors cautious about buying in at just the wrong time, and leaves other just avoiding it altogether. With the prospect of effectively valuing the company out the window, many opt for more stable investments.

To see details of what CAPS members are saying now about Geron, just click on over to Motley Fool CAPS and have a look -- or add your own thoughts directly to this story in the comments box below.