Tag: Featured Story

Federal rescheduling may give cannabis operators more than tax relief and investor confidence. The next real growth opportunity lies in building medical cannabis into healthcare infrastructure: provider visibility, compliant data systems, patient records, eligibility verification, education, and reimbursement pathways. Retail discipline helped the industry mature, but healthcare legitimacy will require operators to support patients, not just sell products.

The accessories case may not look like a revolution, but it might be one of the cleanest margin opportunities dispensaries have left. Grinders, trays, papers, storage jars, and other add-ons can lift basket size, improve the customer experience, and give retailers a profitable category that does not depend on wholesale prices or federal tax reform.

AI already is embedded in many dispensary operations, from point-of-sale forecasting and online menu recommendations to loyalty segmentation, compliance reporting, and security systems. The retailers gaining ground are not necessarily buying the flashiest new tools. They are learning to use, deliberately, the technology already in their stack, turning everyday data into faster decisions, sharper operations, and more durable competitive advantage.

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.

Before a single witness testifies at the DEA’s June 29 marijuana rescheduling hearing, the most consequential decision may already be made: who gets into the room. Finalizing the approved participant roster on June 22 is the first real indicator of whether the federal government intends to face the multi-billion-dollar commercial reality of the market — or bury it in administrative bureaucracy.

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

In a dramatic political paradox, Louisiana lawmakers recently passed a near-unanimous medical cannabis expansion while simultaneously introducing harsh new felony penalties for public consumption. The landmark legislation positions the state as only the second in the nation to mandate medical cannabis access inside hospital walls for terminally ill patients. But behind the bipartisan victory lies a complex web of strict operational boundaries, liability protection, and a sweeping federal opt-out clause that operators must understand.

Aging inventory turns premium flower into discounted cash, making freshness a vital financial control for retailers. When package dates age and velocity slows, dispensary profit margins take a direct hit. But proactive operators do not wait for quality to fade. By adopting proven inventory strategies from the grocery aisle — like FEFO rotation and preventive promotions — dispensaries can protect cash flow, minimize shrink, and stop stale flower from killing their bottom line.

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.

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.