Business
Morocco Approves Licenses for 67 Cannabis-Based Products
RABAT – Moroccan regulators have cleared 67 Cannabis-derived products, signaling steady progress in the country's push toward a structured legal framework for the plant. The batch includes 26 cosmetic items and 41 dietary supplements, each vetted and registered by the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products for either local distribution or overseas shipment. This ...
The Scrappy Cannabis Retailer’s Playbook
LOS ANGELES- A Practical Guide to Building a Smarter Marketing System by Tim Naughton. The Cannabis retail landscape is competitive, taxed heavily, and increasingly crowded by new entrants including Hemp and THCA brands selling direct to consumer. In this hyper-competitive and dynamic environment, marketers ought to live on the cutting edge, looking for opportunities to ...
Curaleaf Set to Join S&P/TSX Composite Index
STAMFORD – Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. announced it has been selected for inclusion to the S&P/TSX Composite Index later this month, marking it as the initial U.S.-headquartered company in the sector to achieve this status. The move stems from the latest quarterly review by S&P Dow Jones Indices, which oversees the benchmark tracking around 250 of ...
Canadian Legal Cannabis Industry Contributes $16 Billion to GDP in 2024, Report Reveals
TORONTO – A new report from Organigram Global Inc., in collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, details the substantial economic role of Canada's legal Cannabis industry last year. The sector added more than $16 billion to the national gross domestic product (GDP) and produced close to $29 billion in overall economic activity. The document, ...
AYR Locks In $50M Bridge Loan to Strengthen Restructuring Efforts
MIAMI – AYR Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated multistate Cannabis operator, has finalized a senior secured bridge credit agreement offering up to $50 million in funding to maintain operations and advance its restructuring plan. The deal, executed last week, comes as the company navigates financial pressures, including recent missed interest payments on its senior notes. ...
Case Study: Navigating Cannabis Tax Hikes in California & New Mexico
LOS ANGELES- In July 2025, cannabis operators in California and New Mexico woke up to another line item tightening their margins: higher excise taxes.California’s excise tax jumped from 15% to 19% — a 25% increase. This was not a surprise move; Assembly Bill 195 (2022) had already eliminated cultivation taxes and empowered the state to ...
Opinion: Rolling Toward a Greener Future: The Case for Industrial Hemp Toilet Paper
LOS ANGELES–When most people think about sustainability, they imagine renewable energy, electric cars, or organic farming. I don’t know many who stop to consider the humble roll of toilet paper. But TP production has a significant environmental cost, and the way we make and use it shows how everyday choices affect forests, water, and the ...
Trulieve Opens Dispensary in Cincinnati, Strengthening Ohio Market Position
TALLAHASSEE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a major multi-state Cannabis operator, has launched its first dispensary in Cincinnati, marking the company's 7th location in Ohio and its 238th nationwide. The facility stocks a range of Trulieve's in-house brands, focusing on flower, edibles, tinctures, and other formats. This move comes through a partnership with Harvest Grows LLC, ...
STUDY: Cannabis Consumers Engage in Greater Levels of Physical Exercise
OKLAHOMA CITY–Middle-aged adults are more likely to engage in physical activities on days when they also consume cannabis, according to data published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Researchers affiliated with the University of Oklahoma assessed the relationship between cannabis use and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a cohort of 98 healthy middle-aged adults. They found that participants typically engaged in ...
Agrify Corp Rebrands to RYTHM Inc Following $50M Green Thumb Brands Portfolio Acquisition
CHICAGO – Agrify Corporation has acquired a portfolio of intellectual property from Green Thumb Industries (GTI) for $50 million, including cannabis brands like RYTHM, Dogwalkers, Beboe, incredibles, &Shine, Doctor Solomon’s, Good Green, and Señorita. Concurrently, Agrify announced it will rebrand as RYTHM, Inc., with its Nasdaq-listed shares trading under the ticker RYM starting September 2. ...
Colombian President Pushing Congress for Swift Action on Full Cannabis Legalization
BOGOTÁ – Colombia's House of Representatives First Committee has passed a bill to legalize adult-use Cannabis, marking an early win for reformers in a country long at the center of global drug policy debates. Sponsored by Rep. Alejandro Ocampo, the legislation cleared the panel last week and now heads to the full chamber for debate. ...
Australian Cannabis Prices Drop to New Lows, Pressuring Domestic Producers
MELBOURNE – Medicinal Cannabis flower prices in Australia have fallen to a minimum of $3.30 per gram at the patient level, a development that has intensified debates over the viability of the country's homegrown industry. This marks a sharp decline, with nearly 40% of flower products now available for under $10 per gram, compared to ...
SynBiotic Builds North American Ties to Secure Overseas Funding
DÜSSELDORF – SynBiotic SE, a publicly traded European company focused on medical Сannabis and industrial hemp, has formed alliances with several North American advisory firms to broaden its reach among global investors. The move aims to support the firm's acquisition-driven growth plan by tapping into fresh capital sources beyond Europe. Announced recently, the partnerships include ...
Seasoned Media Executives Launch IgniteIt Inc., a New Media and Events Powerhouse formerly operated as Benzinga Cannabis
Detroit, MI —Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 —Today, IgniteIt Inc. (IgniteIt) announced that the cannabis industry’s premier business conference and media platform, formerly operated by Benzinga Cannabis, is entering a new chapter, separate and not affiliated with Benzinga. Led by former Benzinga executives, IgniteIt will serve as a dedicated platform for the cannabis industry to connect, ...
Cannara Biotech Secures $10M Credit Expansion for Valleyfield Facility Growth
MONTREAL – Cannara Biotech Inc., has announced a $10 million expansion of its credit facility with Bank of Montreal (BMO) to fund enhancements at its Valleyfield, Quebec, facility. This strategic move supports the company’s ambition to reach an annual production capacity of 100,000 kilograms of premium-grade Cannabis, leveraging its two Quebec-based facilities spanning over 1.65 ...
DCC and Metrc Advance California Cannabis Safety with QR Recalls
LAKELAND – In a move aimed at strengthening public health protections in the state's regulated Cannabis sector, Metrc has introduced a new recall notification system tied to its Metrc Retail ID™ QR codes. The feature, developed alongside the California Department of Cannabis Control, allows buyers to scan product packaging with their phones to check for ...
German Health Ministry Draft Sparks Patient Backlash Over Medical Cannabis Access
FRANKFURT – A recent survey by MedCanOneStop, a German medical Cannabis platform, has highlighted sharp concerns among patients about a proposed amendment from the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, BMG) that would limit digital services in Cannabis care. The study, which polled 9,583 individuals, comes as the ministry weighs changes to tighten regulations ...
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works for Cannabis Leaders
LOS ANGELES -The Cannabis industry is filled with ambitious operators, visionary founders, and well-funded enterprises. Yet despite enormous energy and investment, many companies still struggle to answer the most fundamental question in business: what is our strategy? Too often, Cannabis leadership mistakes survival for strategy. But survival alone is not a winning aspiration. To move ...
Cannabist Finalizes Pennsylvania Dispensary Sale, Prioritizing Wholesale Model
NEW YORK – The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc., a major player in the U.S. Cannabis sector, has completed the sale of its Pennsylvania retail operations for $10 million in cash. The buyer, VP Investment Holdings LLC, includes key figures from Restore Integrative Wellness Center LLC, a prominent dispensary operator in the state. This deal transfers ...
Week In Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights
LOS ANGELES – Lively discussions were fueled last week by policy developments, financial reports, and strategic expansions in the Cannabis and Psychedelics industries. From federal rescheduling debates to global market moves, the Highly Capitalized Network team delivers the most notable news straight from the industry frontlines. Cannabis stocks climbed as President Donald Trump considered a ...
A LIFE IN A DAY: David Peck, CEO of Headquarters
LOS ANGELES- In this edition of A LIFE IN A DAY, Highly Capitalized Network catches up with David Peck, the founder and CEO of Headquarters (HQ)—an operations partner for Cannabis businesses across the country. Headquarters helps retailers and operators run smoother by handling the work most companies don’t have time or teams for: staffing, systems, ...
High Tide Enters German Medical Cannabis Market with Remexian Majority Stake Acquisition
CALGARY – High Tide Inc., a leading Canadian Cannabis retailer, announced its strategic entry into Germany’s medical Cannabis market through a 51% acquisition of Remexian Pharma GmbH, a Frankfurt-based pharmaceutical wholesaler. The deal, valued at an estimated €27.2 million (approx. $29.5 million), marks a significant step for High Tide as it expands its footprint beyond ...
Germany’s Medical Cannabis Imports Hit Record in Q2 2025, Sparking Debate Over Misuse
BERLIN – Germany’s medical Cannabis market continues to set records, with imports reaching 43.3 tons in the second quarter of 2025, according to data from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). This marks a 5.8% increase over the previous high of 37.5 tons in Q1 2025, bringing the first half of the ...
NYC Near-School Cannabis Dispensaries Avoid Shutdown or Relocation
NEW YORK – A significant number of New York’s licensed Cannabis dispensaries, previously at risk of closure for being too close to schools, have received a lifeline from state regulators. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced that these businesses will not be forced to shut down or relocate, as Governor Kathy Hochul and state ...
Aurora Launches Whistler Brand in Australia
EDMONTON – Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced the introduction of its Whistler Cannabis Co. brand to the Australian market, marking a significant step in its international expansion strategy. The launch brings two high-potency cultivars, Ginger Breath and Critical Diesel, to Australian patients, thereby broadening their access to premium medical Cannabis products. Whistler Cannabis Co., a brand ...
