Business & Strategy

Cannabis operators are putting artificial intelligence to work in inventory forecasting, reporting, marketing, customer segmentation, sales analysis, and cultivation planning. But the businesses seeing the most practical benefit are not treating AI as a replacement for people. They are using it to help existing teams move faster, spot problems sooner, and spend more time on work that requires judgment, relationships, and real-world expertise.

Cannabis operators have more software options than ever, but a bigger technology stack does not automatically create a better business. During IgniteIt’s Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago, a panel of operators and technology leaders identified five priorities for making systems work harder: reducing tech debt, forecasting demand earlier, standardizing multi-state operations, connecting data, and measuring every investment against results.

AI may be fast and cheap, but original art can give cannabis brands a stronger identity, community credibility, and a more meaningful story to tell.

The elimination of 280E is the biggest brand-building moment for the cannabis industry this decade. As capital returns to balance sheets, the ultimate competitive advantage will go to operators who invest in high-authority digital assets, earned media, and advanced search visibility. Here’s how to turn a tax windfall into permanent brand authority.

Trulieve will begin trading on the NYSE after executing a strategic corporate restructuring to maintain a 100-percent medical consolidated footprint.

High revenue might catch a buyer’s eye, but it takes more than just strong numbers to close a deal. As federal reclassification reshapes the cannabis industry, acquirers are looking beyond EBITDA to determine a business's true worth. Here are the hidden operational drivers that maximize a dispensary’s valuation and help build a highly scalable, premium acquisition target.

Curaleaf Holdings is making its most tangible move yet toward a major U.S. stock exchange listing with a reverse split of its subordinate shares.

Expanding your cannabis operation is an exciting milestone, but it’s also the exact moment your bank starts paying closer attention. Every new license, state, or investor changes your company's risk profile in the eyes of financial institutions. If left unmanaged, this newfound complexity can unexpectedly put your banking relationships in jeopardy. Two bankers reveal the hidden risks of rapid expansion, why your bank suddenly has so many questions, and how to successfully scale your business without losing access to crucial financial services.

The historic federal shift reclassifying medical marijuana to Schedule III brings undeniable progress, offering long-awaited tax relief from Section 280E. Yet, despite the initial market excitement, rescheduling is not a cure-all for the industry’s deep-rooted liquidity crisis. Cash buyers remain scarce, transactions rely heavily on seller financing, and regulatory fragmentation persists. True competitive advantage in a mature market won’t come from waiting on Washington. It will come from corporate architecture. Here’s why some cannabis operators are looking past policy hype and leveraging independent buyouts to achieve the ultimate business goal: a tax-free exit.

Splash Beverage Group (NYSE: SBEV) appoints Sunburn Cannabis CEO Brady Cobb to lead its strategic pivot from alcohol to the high-growth cannabinoid and regulated wellness sectors.