Focus Article
Cannabis Has a Water Activity Standard. Why Aren’t States Using It?
Cannabis flower sold in regulated markets across the country is routinely being dried below an existing national standard, according to a new analysis of nearly 145,000 laboratory samples. The report, produced by the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH) with FTI Consulting, analyzed samples from 10 states. Average water activity fell below the […]
Cannabis Has a Water Activity Standard. Why Aren’t States Using It?
Cannabis flower sold in regulated markets across the country is routinely being dried below an existing national standard, according to a new analysis of nearly 145,000 laboratory samples. The report, produced by the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH) with FTI Consulting, analyzed samples from 10 states. Average water activity fell below the […]
Cannabis Testing Is Broken Across State Lines. State-Run Testing Is the Real Fix
State regulators are spending unnecessary time and money trying to police a private testing model that fails to protect consumers. From Maryland’s newly launched CSQ CLEAR audit pilot to New York’s shutdown of Lexachrom Analytical Laboratory, Michigan’s historic license revocations of Viridis Laboratories, and New Jersey putting out RFPs to audit its testing ecosystem, regulators […]
What Food-Safety Teams Should Ask a Cannabinoid Supplier
The cannabinoid industry has historically focused heavily on manufacturing compliance: GMPs, certificates of analysis, potency testing, contaminant testing, traceability, and state licensing. Those systems are important, and Floraworks has invested significantly in them. But when you begin evaluating an ingredient through established food and dietary supplement frameworks, you realize that manufacturing compliance is really just […]
Can You Reconstruct Your Cannabis Inventory Without the State System?
For years, California’s licensed cannabis operators have tagged plants, scanned packages, reconciled inventory, and paid for the privilege, on the understanding that Sacramento was using the data to identify diversion. On August 4, an Orange County Superior Court judgment confirmed what many operators complained about for years: the system was not flagging irregularities as the […]
The $3 ‘Cover Charge’ Cannabis Retailers Are Leaving on the Table
Imagine every customer who enters a dispensary paying the business an additional $3. No new entrance fee. No increase in cannabis prices. No additional foot traffic required. The retailer simply captures about $5 in accessory sales per customer, with an average gross margin of roughly 60%. That produces approximately $3 in additional gross profit from […]
Are Pharmacies the New Dispensary Model? Utah Thinks So
Georgia has captured national attention by allowing medical cannabis to be sold through independent pharmacies. Utah has spent the past six years developing another version of the pharmacy model, one designed specifically for cannabis. Utah’s medical cannabis pharmacies do not dispense conventional prescription drugs. They sell cannabis products exclusively, but each location must have a […]
What Does Cannabis Rescheduling Mean for Hemp Beverages?
On April 23, 2026, the Department of Justice placed FDA-approved marijuana products and marijuana products subject to qualifying state medical licenses into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. But the bigger hurdle- whether recreational marijuana should move from Schedule I to Schedule III- is still being decided. The Drug Enforcement Administration wrapped up its […]
Here Is What to Expect at the Upcoming Cannabis Quality Conference
This year’s Cannabis Quality Conference is being held alongside the long-running Food Safety Consortium, bringing cannabis quality professionals into the same room as food safety experts and creating an overlap between the two industries as they work through many of the same quality, testing, traceability, and safety challenges. That overlap is particularly relevant as cannabis […]