Edibles & Beverages
How CPG Standardization Can Help Cannabis Edibles Scale
Imagine buying a standard over-the-counter pain reliever in Miami, and then buying the same brand in Denver, only to find the second bottle is twice as potent because of the altitude where it was manufactured. In any mainstream industry, this could trigger an immediate federal recall. In the cannabis industry, it is a daily operational […]
Cannabis Gummies Move Into the Multivitamin Aisle
As cannabis brands look for new ways to reach consumers, some are developing products that look less like recreational edibles and more like daily wellness supplements. The latest example comes from MariMed Inc.’s Betty’s Eddies™, which has introduced Betty’s Bite-A-Mins, a daily wellness chew that combines cannabinoids with a multivitamin-inspired formula. The tropical smoothie-flavored chews […]
Hemp Beverage Operators Are in Fight Mode
“Everybody who came here today, and not giving up and saying that we’re going to continue to fight for this category, thank you, give yourself a round of applause, please,” were the fighting words of Christopher Lackner, President of the Hemp Beverage Alliance (HBA), as he opened the panel discussions for the Hemp Beverage Expo […]
What the Wholesale Numbers Tell Us About Where Cannabis Markets Are Headed
LeafLink’s Wholesale Cannabis Pricing Guide, drawing on over 400,000 SKUs and billions of dollars in transaction data across 18 U.S. markets throughout 2025, paints a picture of the wholesale cannabis pricing continuing its downward march as markets mature and supply expands — with each market and product category telling a slightly different story. The Big […]
CSQ Launches EU GMP Tool to Help Cannabis Businesses Break Into European Markets
As U.S. cannabis rescheduling moves forward and export opportunities to the European Union become available, a new certification tool to help producers prove their products meet EU standards and fight back against supply chain fraud is now available. CSQ (Cannabis Safety & Quality), the first ANAB-accredited cannabis and hemp safety and quality certification program, announced […]
How to Evaluate Cannabis Packaging Suppliers Before You Commit
Cannabis packaging decisions have downstream consequences for compliance, operations, customer perception, and margins. This article offers a practical framework for evaluating packaging suppliers across five dimensions: compliance, product quality, operational fit, customization, and partnership reliability. It closes with a pre-commitment checklist that operators can use before signing any supplier agreement. Cannabis packaging is no longer […]
Colorado Pushes to Normalize THC Beverages in Bars as Federal Pressure Mounts
As federal policymakers move toward restricting hemp-derived cannabinoid products, a new state-level effort in Colorado is taking the opposite approach by moving to integrate low-dose THC beverages into mainstream hospitality. A coalition led by Colorado-based attorney Brian Vicente, partner at Vicente LLP, has formed the Colorado THC Beverage Coalition and introduced legislation that would allow […]
What MJ Unpacked Reveals About Cannabis in 2026
From cultivation to retail, businesses are digging deep to tighten operations and increase margins as the only way to endure another grueling year in cannabis without federal support. A common sales pitch these days centers on cost-saving systems and operational efficiency. The industry has shifted from “how fast can we grow?” to “how do we […]
Are Acidic Cannabinoids the Next Frontier for Product Innovation?
While the cannabis industry has made significant strides in incorporating minor cannabinoids into product formulations, a vast number of therapeutic compounds remain largely unexplored. Researchers and cannabis physicians have been experimenting with acidic cannabinoids for several years with promising results, but the broader industry is only now beginning to catch up. As extraction technologies improve […]
Building Inside Maryland’s Limited License Cannabis Market
Maryland launched its medical cannabis program in 2018 and transitioned to adult use in 2024 as a limited-license state. Currently, there are 108 active dispensaries, with additional operators expected to come online following a March 2024 lottery that awarded conditional licenses to social equity entrepreneurs. However, these licensees still need to clear a vetting process […]