Business
Case Study: Better Data, Better Decisions: How Clean Inputs Strengthen Cannabis Strategy
NEW YORK- In a highly regulated and competitive industry like Cannabis, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — it’s the foundation of effective decision-making. Yet many operators still struggle with messy, inconsistent, or incomplete data that undermines inventory management, complicates operations, and blunts strategic insights. No software platform, no matter how advanced, can produce ...
Verano Pushes Digital Voting as Postal Strike Disrupts Shareholder Materials
CHICAGO – Verano Holdings Corp. is telling investors to submit votes electronically for its special meeting next month, citing delays from Canada's postal workers strike. The company released a statement warning that physical copies of meeting materials, detailing a proposed shift in corporate domicile from British Columbia to Nevada, might not reach all shareholders in ...
Vireo Takes 86% Stake in Schwazze’s Convertible Notes in $62M Deal
DENVER – Vireo Growth Inc., a multistate Cannabis operator, has entered into definitive agreements to purchase about 86% of the senior secured convertible notes held by Medicine Man Technologies Inc., which operates as Schwazze, for roughly $62 million in company stock. The move comes as Schwazze navigates financial pressures in a competitive industry and positions ...
France Upholds Pesticide Ban, Guaranteeing Survival of the Bees
LOS ANGELES- Over the past decade, France has stood at the center of Europe’s fight to protect pollinators from the devastating effects of pesticides. In 2018, the nation became the first EU member to ban several neonicotinoid insecticides—chemicals long linked to colony collapse and bee mortality. These so-called “bee-killing” pesticides disrupt navigation, reproduction, and immune ...
OPINION: The People Have Spoken: It’s Time to End Federal Cannabis Prohibition (and Release the Epstein Files)
LOS ANGELES- With 87% of Americans supporting Cannabis legalization — and nearly 80% demanding the release of the Epstein files — public consensus on reform and transparency has never been stronger. The question now is whether Republican leadership will finally act. Public opinion on Cannabis has reached rare, bipartisan clarity. In the most recent Pew ...
How Professional Services Firms That Serve Cannabis Can Thrive in the Wellness Industry
NEW YORK- Professional service providers — from accountants and attorneys to brand strategists and tech consultants — have played an indispensable role in legitimizing and professionalizing the Cannabis sector. These same firms now have a once-in-a-generation chance to apply their expertise to another high-growth, fragmented market: wellness. The logic is simple. Cannabis and wellness share ...
Curaleaf Executive Vice Chairman Adopts Automated Share Sales Plan
STAMFORD – Joseph F. Lusardi, executive vice chairman of Curaleaf Holdings Inc., has put in a place an automatic securities disposition plan (ASDP) to sell company shares, a move designed to handle tax obligations tied to upcoming stock options. The company disclosed the arrangement on Tuesday, stating that Lusardi established the plan on September 30. ...
Case Study: Better Data, Better Decisions: How Clean Inputs Strengthen Cannabis Strategy
LOS ANGELES- In a highly regulated and competitive industry like cannabis, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — it’s the foundation of effective decision-making. Yet many operators still struggle with messy, inconsistent, or incomplete data that undermines inventory management, complicates operations, and blunts strategic insights. No software platform, no matter how advanced, can produce ...
Australia’s Medicinal Cannabis Imports Hit Record Highs
SYDNEY – Figures released this week by Australia's Office of Drug Control paint a picture of robust expansion in the country's regulated Cannabis sector, with imports leading the charge alongside steady advances in domestic output and overseas shipments. The data, covering 2021 through 2024, shows imports of medicinal Cannabis climbing to 77,406kg last year, up ...
Alcohol Trade Group Welcomes Hemp-Derived THC Beverage Maker as First in Category
WASHINGTON – The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a key advocacy organization for the beverage alcohol distribution sector, has accepted CannaBuzz, a Kentucky-based producer of hemp-derived THC drinks, as its inaugural associate member in the THC beverage category. The move, detailed in a company announcement last week, underscores efforts to integrate regulated cannabinoid ...
EU Releases Cannapol Toolkit to Aid Member States in Crafting Adult-Use Cannabis Rules
BRUSSELS – The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) unveiled the Cannapol toolkit, a set of resources intended to help national governments build regulated markets for recreational Cannabis. Developed over months of consultation with experts and regulators, the toolkit draws on data from early adopters like Germany and Malta to offer practical guidance on everything from ...
Starmer Rules Out Cannabis Legalization in UK
LIVERPOOL – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made clear during a question-and-answer session with high school students this week that his government has no plans to legalize Cannabis, a position that stands in contrast to shifting attitudes across the country. Speaking Tuesday at the Liverpool Echo offices ahead of the Labor Party's annual conference here, ...
Ohio Cannabis Health and Business Summit Returns to I-X Center October 3-4, 2025
CLEVELAND, OH – September 16, 2025 — The Ohio Cannabis Health and Business Summit (OCHBS), founded by entrepreneur and community leader Lenny Berry, returns this fall with its biggest gathering yet. Some of the organizers of OCHBS What began as a grassroots effort to bring healthcare leaders, business innovators, and the cannabis community together has grown ...
Cannabis Stocks Surge After Trump Champions CBD for Seniors — But Is It Another False Dawn?
LOS ANGELES- Cannabis and hemp company shares surged Monday after former President Donald Trump publicly endorsed cannabidiol (CBD) as a potential game changer for senior healthcare. His remarks, shared on Truth Social, called for CBD to be integrated into the healthcare system and even covered under Medicare — sparking renewed optimism for federal reform. But ...
Cracking the Code to California Cannabis Success: Anaheim Hosts Market Spotlight on October 8
LOS ANGELES- California is the largest Cannabis market in the world, setting trends that shape global culture, regulation, and business strategy. On October 8, 2025, leaders from across the industry will gather in Anaheim for IgniteIt’s Market Spotlight: California — a one-day event focused on actionable strategies for operators, investors, and policymakers. After two sold-out ...
Week In Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights
LOS ANGELES – Wrapping up September 2025, it's clear the U.S. Cannabis sector is buzzing with a mix of encouraging expansion signs and sobering challenges, ranging from record-breaking sales in emerging markets to the frustrating realities of illicit infiltration, margin squeezes, and Trump’s tariff pressures. While psychedelics research simmers quietly without major breakthroughs, Cannabis operators ...
Texas Regulators Set Age Limit on Hemp-Derived THC Sales
AUSTIN – The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) voted unanimously on Tuesday to bar liquor-license holders from selling hemp-derived THC products to customers under 21, marking the state's initial response to Governor Greg Abbott's call for tighter controls on the multibillion-dollar industry. Enforcement of the emergency rule begins October 1, with violators facing immediate license ...
High Tide Expands Canna Cabana Footprint in Ontario and Alberta
CALGARY – High Tide, Inc. announced plans to open three new Canna Cabana stores in the coming weeks, adding dispensaries in North York and Etobicoke, Ontario, and Fort McMurray, Alberta. The move pushes the company's total to 210 locations nationwide, with 88 in Ontario and 89 in Alberta. The North York site sits in a ...
Grown Rogue Takes Full Ownership of Illinois Cultivation Project
MEDFORD – Grown Rogue International Inc. has acquired the remaining 30% stake in its Illinois subsidiary, Rogue EBC LLC, for $1.5 million. The transaction, announced Sunday, brings the company's ownership to 100% and clears the way for unencumbered development of a new indoor facility in the state. The payment structure spreads the cost over time: ...
Winners and Losers in Cannabis: The Efficiency Divide
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Cannabis industry is evolving—but not in the way headlines suggest. Yes, national retail sales remain strong at a $32 billion annualized pace. And yes, states like New York and Ohio are posting impressive gains following adult-use rollouts. But the real story—the one determining which operators thrive and which fade away—is ...
Highly Capitalized Network Launches “Battle of the Brands” — A New Show Redefining Cannabis Marketing Conversations
LOS ANGELES— Highly Capitalized Network (HCN), a leading business and financial media platform for Cannabis, today announced the launch of its newest original series: Battle of the Brands. This new podcast series brings together some of the most respected voices in the industry for candid conversations about the future of Cannabis branding, marketing, and consumer ...
Curaleaf Gains Entry to S&P/TSX Composite Index, Today Officially
TORONTO – Today, Curaleaf Holdings Inc. officially joined the S&P/TSX Composite Index, becoming the first U.S.-based Cannabis company to achieve this status. The addition, effective before the market open and following a two-week set period, positions Curaleaf under the healthcare category within Canada's main equity benchmark, which tracks roughly 250 large-cap stocks. Curaleaf's inclusion reflects ...
GTI Launches $50M Share Buyback Program
CHICAGO – Green Thumb Industries announced that its board has approved a program to repurchase up to $50 million of its subordinate voting shares over the next year. The initiative, set to begin on September 23 and run through September 22, 2026, allows the company to acquire as many as 10.4 million shares through open ...
Switzerland Advances Draft for Regulated Cannabis Sales with Centralized Online Distribution
BERN – Switzerland has released a draft proposal for legalizing adult-use Cannabis, featuring a tightly controlled system that includes one authorized online retailer alongside licensed brick-and-mortar stores. The plan, now open for public input through a three-month consultation period starting this month, aims to shift consumers away from the black market while prioritizing public health ...
GTI Opens Rise Dispensaries in Minnesota, Expanding Access to Adult-Use Cannabis Buyers
CHICAGO – Green Thumb Industries (GTI) announced opening its Rise dispensaries across Minnesota, marking a key step in the state's shift to broader access for adult consumers. The move comes two years after lawmakers approved legalization, allowing established medical providers to expand into the general market ahead of a full retail licensing rollout. Sales start ...
