Industry Analysis
New York’s Cannabis Boom Is Real, But So Are the Risks
The Most Exciting US Market No cannabis market in the United States has experienced a more compelling growth trajectory over the past two years than New York. After a halting and often-criticized launch, the state’s legal adult-use market has accelerated at an unmatched pace. In 2023, New York generated a paltry $100 million in legal […]
How Cannabis Brands Plan To Drive Retail Sales in 2026
Retailers are not in the business of building brands. They are in the business of selling products. The most effective way to earn buyer attention is still the same: proven sales velocity paired with brand awareness that brings customers through the door. Retail Is the Battleground Brendan McKee, co-founder of Massachusetts dispensary Silver Therapeutics, wants […]
New Study Shows Chromatin Accessibility as Key Factor in Cannabis Potency and Flavor
Genetics determines cannabis potency, flavor, and therapeutic value. Choose the right cultivar, stabilize the right traits, and the chemistry will follow. But a new in-depth biological study suggests that genetics may be only part of the equation. A recent study published in Frontiers in Plant Science reveals that chromatin accessibility—an epigenetic mechanism that determines whether […]
The Fight Against New York’s METRC Monopoly Heats Up
There is a growing fear among New York cannabis operators that the lawsuit challenging Metrc’s Retail ID program will “kill track and trace” and return the state to the chaos of inversion and inventory failures experienced last year. That fear is understandable. It is also wrong. Retail ID is not track-and-trace. Retail ID is a […]
Why Most Cannabis COGS Would Fail an Audit — and How Operators Can Fix It
For cannabis operators, the cost of goods sold (COGS) is far more than an accounting line item. It’s the most critical financial number in the entire business. Under IRC Section 280E, most ordinary business deductions are disallowed, making COGS the primary mechanism for reducing taxable income. At the same time, COGS drives pricing decisions, product […]
Building a Cannabis Banking Eco-System with Terry Mendez
The cannabis industry is still operating within a cobbled-together financial system—one defined by workarounds, instability, and uncertainty. Most major banks remain unwilling to work with cannabis businesses due to the risk and compliance burdens associated with serving a federally illegal industry. In 2014, former Safe Harbor Financial CEO Sundie Seefried helped establish one of the […]
While Everyone Waits for 280E Relief, Smart Cannabis CEOs Are Creating Their Own
For years, cannabis executives have built their financial strategies around a single hope: that Section 280E would vanish with federal reform. But hope has quietly drained billions from balance sheets. Every year, operators “wait it out”; they forfeit the one thing they can’t afford to lose, cash flow. It’s an understandable reflex. No one likes […]
The Hidden Costs of Getting HR Wrong in Cannabis Startups
When a new cannabis business starts hiring, the focus is usually on speed. You need people to pack, label, deliver, and sell. Payroll and HR often come later—until a compliance notice, tax penalty, or angry employee forces attention. By that point, “later” has turned into a crisis. I’ve watched that scene play out too many […]
Cannabis Seeds Could Be The Next Frontier For Space AgTech
NASA’s core mission is to explore space and aeronautics, expand scientific knowledge, develop breakthrough technologies, and ultimately bring new knowledge and opportunity back to Earth. What many people do not realize is that some of NASA’s most impactful discoveries have reshaped industries far beyond aerospace, including modern agriculture. Vertical farming and LED lighting are two […]