Retail
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 […]
Hemp Beverage Expo 2026: Get in the Room Where the THC Beverage Industry Is Being Built
The Hemp Beverage Expo (HBE) heads into its second show this June in Austin, Texas, and the energy is full speed ahead — even with November 12th looming over the industry. With policy updates shifting rapidly and operators scrambling to brainstorm contingency plans, getting in the room with businesses and advocates from across the beverage […]
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 […]
Pre-Roll Packaging in 2026
Pre-rolls generated $4 billion in sales in 2025 and are projected to grow faster than any other top cannabis category, at a 10% compound annual growth rate, according to BDSA retail tracking data. Infused formats now account for 43% of the segment, and the category has grown by 271% since 2020. That kind of volume […]
Dispensaries Are Winning on Google and Disappearing on ChatGPT
SOCi’s 2026 Local Visibility Index analyzed more than 350,000 business locations across 2,751 brands and found a gap every dispensary operator should take seriously. ChatGPT recommends 1.2% of those locations. Perplexity recommends 7.4%. Gemini reaches 11%. Google’s local 3-pack surfaces 35.9% of the same locations. That is not a small gap. It is a different […]
5 Reasons Why Mylar Bags are the Go-to Solution for Cannabis Brands
Packing is meant to provide protection and preservation for the contents, but some products require an additional layer of safety. Just like cannabis related products, they can’t be packed in unreliable packaging that poses the risk of degradation of the quality. In this article, we’ll explore the reason why Mylar bags are the ideal option […]
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 […]
Industry Coalition Warns New Bill Would Wipe Out California’s Legal Cannabis Beverage Market
A letter to California’s Assembly Committee on Business and Professions argues a proposed 10mg THC-per-package cap would eliminate 93% of beverage sales — and more than $21 million in annual tax revenue. But the bill has a longer backstory rooted in child safety, audit findings, and a statewide crackdown on unregulated hemp products. A broad […]
Industry Coalition Warns AB 2532 Would Wipe Out California’s Legal Cannabis Beverage Market
A letter to California’s Assembly Committee on Business and Professions argues a proposed 10mg THC-per-package cap would eliminate 93% of beverage sales — and more than $21 million in annual tax revenue. But the bill has a longer backstory rooted in child safety, audit findings, and a statewide crackdown on unregulated hemp products. A broad […]
Inventory Is the Biggest Cash Flow Problem in Cannabis
All roads in cannabis retail lead back to inventory. Retail cannabis operators across the country are being squeezed by razor-thin margins, declining cash flow, and a growing inability to pay vendors on time. The culprit is often not weak sales or lack of demand. It is mismanaged inventory. Inventory is the foundation on which the […]