Focus Article
Move Over Flower, Pre-roll is King
Driven by innovation and convenience, pre-roll sales in 2025 not only had the strongest growth of any major category, topping $3.6 billion in sales and moving 383 million units, but supplanted flower as the most units sold for the first time in the industry’s history, according to a new report from Custom Cones USA. It’s […]
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 […]
Operational Efficiency Is Driving the Next Phase of Cannabis Growth
For years, the cannabis industry operated in an environment where expansion was the primary signal of success, and investors were excited to get involved. New markets opened, and rapid growth often took priority over efficiency. Companies could move quickly and sort out the details later, trusting that scale would eventually smooth things out. That environment […]
Commercial Insurance Has Failed Cannabis. Here’s What’s Next
In 2024, Colorado state officials announced a recall affecting 172 stores across the state. Batches of flower and pre-rolled joints from one grower exceeded mold and yeast limits. The losses were immense, including for companies that thought the money they were paying each year to insurance companies for premiums would provide, only to discover that […]
Cannabis Biopharma Company Enters Fight Over CMS Hemp Pilot
A cannabis biopharma company is seeking to join the federal lawsuit challenging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new hemp and CBD pilot program, adding a pharmaceutical voice to a government-sanctioned program allowing untested and unregulated hemp products into the marketplace. MMJ International Holdings and its subsidiaries, MMJ BioPharma Labs and MMJ BioPharma […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Third Exit Path for Cannabis Founders
For many cannabis founders, the exit problem is not finding the right buyer. It is that there are barely any buyers at all. The field is narrow, capital is tight, and the strategic buyers that do exist are rarely showing up with clean cash offers. More often, founders are being asked to accept low valuations, […]
Why Cannabis Businesses Are Turning to Captive Insurance for Better Coverage
It starts with a routine test result. A mid-size cannabis brand discovers that a batch of infused edibles has failed a pesticide screening. Within 48 hours, the company issues a voluntary recall, pulls product from dozens of dispensary shelves, and begins fielding calls from anxious retail partners. The financial damage — replacement inventory, logistics, regulatory […]
Operating in the Missouri Market with Curio Wellness
Missouri has quietly built one of the country’s more successful adult-use cannabis markets since launching recreational sales in 2023. Since legalization, the state has quickly grown into one of the largest cannabis markets in the Midwest, generating strong sales and supporting an expanding network of cultivators, processors, and dispensaries. Unlike many states that see medical […]