Insights
U.S. Cannabis Operators Trail Canadian Counterparts in Valuation Metrics, Tied to Tax Constraints
LOS ANGELES – In the ongoing tug-of-war between regulatory challenges and market potential in the Cannabis sector, a fresh analysis underscores how a longstanding IRS provision continues to weigh on American companies. According to Viridian Capital Advisors' latest Chart of the Week, the disparity in enterprise value-to-EBITDA multiples between top U.S. multi-state operators (MSOs) and ...
🚨🚨 BREAKING: TRUMP RESCHEDULES CANNABIS 🚨🚨
WASHINGTON, D.C. –After months of speculation, President Trump Issues Executive Order Directing Federal Rescheduling of Cannabis to Schedule III President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to complete the rescheduling of Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This is the most significant federal Cannabis policy ...
MSOS ETF Rally Hints at Bigger Gains Ahead, Zuanic Report Finds
LOS ANGELES – A recent report from equity research firm Zuanic & Associates outlines substantial financial gains for U.S. MSOs if federal regulators shift Cannabis to Schedule III status, with savings potentially exceeding hundreds of millions in back taxes alone. Authored by Wall Street analyst Pablo Zuanic, the document, titled "US MSOs: The S3 Math ...
The Supreme Court Declines to Resolve Federal Cannabis Prohibition—And the Silence Speaks Volumes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In its December Orders List, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case that many hoped would finally force a reckoning between federal Cannabis prohibition and state-legal markets. By declining review, the Court effectively allows existing federal law to remain in place without comment, despite the widespread legalization of Cannabis at ...
Mid-Cap Cannabis Operators Face Liquidity Pressures Despite Solid Leverage, Viridian Report Finds
LOS ANGELES – Public Cannabis companies with $25-100 million market values are navigating a patchwork of financial strengths and vulnerabilities, according to the latest Weekly Credit Report from Viridian Capital Advisors. It tracks eight U.S.-based cultivation and retail companies, revealing a sector where half the group can cover short-term obligations without fresh capital, but several ...
OPINION: MJBizCon25 Review: The Race To Be Second
LAS VEGAS- Gosh… the MJBizCon I attended was awesome — genuinely one of the best and most productive ones I’ve ever been to — which is why I was so surprised to see how much negative commentary appeared afterward. Because the MJBizCon I experienced was vibrant, busy, and full of serious people doing serious business ...
CMI Projects Double-Digit Expansion for Cannabis Testing Market
LOS ANGELES – A recent analysis from Custom Market Insights (CMI) forecasts the global Cannabis testing market to climb from $2.13 billion in 2025 to $11.15 billion by 2034, powered by a CAGR of 18%. The projection underscores how stricter quality controls in an industry still navigating patchwork regulations could sustain steady investment in lab ...
OPINION: The Looming Federal Clampdown on THC Drinks and Hemp-Derived Edibles: What It Means for the Industry
NEW YORK- The quiet addition of a single paragraph in November’s federal shutdown bill has sent shockwaves through one of the fastest-growing segments of U.S. Cannabis: hemp-derived THC beverages and edibles. Unless Congress intervenes, a nationwide ban on intoxicating hemp products will go into effect in November 2026, threatening thousands of businesses and reshaping a ...
How to Make the Most of MJBizCon? Take Full Advantage of LinkedIn
LOS ANGELES- Each year, the global Cannabis industry converges on Las Vegas for MJBizCon Dec 2-5 in the Las Vegas Convention Center—a concentrated, high-value moment where operators, investors, executives, retailers, lenders, lawyers, accountants, manufacturers, and innovators all show up in the same place. Yet year after year, the same mistake repeats: brands spend tens of ...
Viridian Capital Advisors Reports Valuation Metrics for U.S. MSOs with Market Caps >$100M
LOS ANGELES – Multi-state cannabis operators in the United States are carrying valuation multiples that signal caution among investors, even as growth prospects brighten for the coming year. According to a fresh Weekly Valuation Report from Viridian Capital Advisors, the 11 publicly traded MSOs with market capitalizations exceeding $100 million posted a median enterprise value ...
OPINION: Industrial hemp just got ‘future proofed.’
NEW YORK- Industrial hemp just received the clearest signal yet that it's not a fad, not a loophole, and not going away. It was effectively declared “future proof.” When Congress passed the funding bill to reopen the federal government last week, it did more than end a shutdown. It rewrote the rules for the entire ...
EU Cannabis Imports Explained: Rules, Regulations, Safety & Quality Control
LOS ANGELES – Germany's medical Cannabis imports reached 56.9 tons in Q3 2025, a 19% jump from the prior period and a fresh record that highlights the market's relentless pull. With an estimated 900k prescriptions issued, the sector's appetite shows no signs of waning, even as regulators mull curbs on online ordering to slow the ...
Opinion: Lean In? Sometimes You Have To Lean Out
LOS ANGELES- For years, women have been told that if we want to succeed, we need to “lean in.” Work twice as hard to get half as much. Push through. Prove ourselves. Be unstoppable. And we’ve done it—at work, at home, everywhere. But somewhere along the way, many of us lost sight of what we ...
OPINION: Careful What You Wish For, You Might End Up With A 12-Inch Pianist
LOS ANGELES- The regulated cannabis industry should be collectively objecting to the language in the Big Beautiful Bill that effectively makes intoxicating hemp products illegal in 12 months. They should be screaming from the roof like Tevye! For those in the regulated cannabis industry celebrating Congress' budget language that will effectively stall the intoxicating hemp ...
The Intoxicating Hemp Ban Is About to Become Law — and It’s a Pyrrhic Victory for Cannabis
LOS ANGELES- The federal government just erased a $20-billion industry under the guise of “closing a loophole.” But rather than protecting consumers, Washington has dealt a crippling blow to both hemp and legal Cannabis — leaving no winners, only fallout. The U.S. Senate has passed legislation redefining hemp to include all forms of THC — ...
Alcohol Giants Press Congress to Outlaw Intoxicating Hemp Derivatives
WASHINGTON – In a letter sent Tuesday, a coalition of leading alcohol trade groups urged congressional leaders to suspend sales of intoxicating hemp-derived products until federal rules can be established, warning that the market's unchecked growth endangers consumers and violates existing law. The American Distilled Spirits Alliance, Beer Institute, Distilled Spirits Council of the United ...
Whiskey Maker Trims Footprint as Buyers Turn to Cannabis
SEATTLE – Heritage Distilling Company, a craft spirits producer based in the Pacific Northwest, disclosed plans this week to streamline its operations, pointing to changing buyer habits that favor Cannabis products over traditional liquor. The company, known for its award-winning whiskeys and vodkas produced at facilities in Oregon and Washington, will shutter its tasting rooms ...
Revolving Credit Lines Break New Ground in Cannabis Debt Markets
LOS ANGELES – Two leading multistate Cannabis operators, Verano Holdings Corp. and Curaleaf Holdings Inc., have closed pioneering revolving credit agreements in recent weeks, marking a quiet but telling step forward for the sector's access to debt financing. Verano secured a $75 million facility on October 1, arranged by Chicago Atlantic Admin LLC and backed ...
Pre-Rolls Claim Top Spot in Canadian Cannabis Sales, Signal Shift Across the US
LOS ANGELES – Pre-rolled Cannabis joints have quietly moved ahead of loose flower to become the leading product in Canada's $5.8 billion 2024 legal market, a milestone that underscores a broader turn toward convenience in North American consumption habits. In the United States, where the category trails flower but posts the sharpest gains, analysts see ...
LinkedIn Research Study: People Don’t Trust What You Say — They Trust What Others Say About You
LOS ANGELES- According to LinkedIn’s 2025 B2B Marketing Benchmark, video is now the #1 driver of trust — outperforming every other content format for credibility and conversion. The study shows that brands using video and creator-led storytelling build trust up to 2.5x faster and generate 2–3x higher engagement than those relying on static content. That ...
What’s Changing Now for Cannabis Operators: Lessons from Anaheim’s IgniteIt 2025
LOS ANGELES- The cannabis industry has always been about resilience, reinvention, and relentless adaptation. At this year’s IgniteIt Market Spotlight: California (formerly the Benzinga Cannabis Conference) in Anaheim, that message was louder than ever. The event gathered California’s leading operators, investors, regulators, and innovators for a candid look at what comes next—and what must change ...
Global Cannabis Market Tightens Amid Surging Demand and Supply Snags
LOS ANGELES – Germany's medical Cannabis imports jumped more than 400% in H1 2025, pushing the European market into a period of rapid expansion and testing the limits of international supply chains. That surge has drawn heavy exports from Canada and created openings for established players while squeezing margins for others. The Federal Institute for ...
Poll Finds Broad Voter Support for Legal Hemp with Stricter Safeguards
WASHINGTON – A national survey released this week reveals that a solid majority of American voters back the continued legality of consumable hemp products, provided federal authorities introduce tougher safety and licensing rules aimed at shielding children and ensuring consumer protections. The poll, carried out by McLaughlin & Associates on behalf of the Hemp Industry ...
Cannabis Industry Eyes Quadrupled Growth Through 2033, Research and Markets Reports
LOS ANGELES – A new report from Research and Markets forecasts the global Cannabis market will expand from $39.1 billion in 2024 to $151.72 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.26% over the next eight years. This projection, detailed in the firm's latest analysis, attributes the surge to steady rises ...
From Cherokee to California: The New Bipartisan Crackdown on ‘Kid-Friendly’ Cannabis Marketing
LOS ANGELES- The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) issued fresh guidance this week reminding licensees that marketing, packaging, and labeling that could appeal to minors is strictly prohibited under MAUCRSA. It specifically highlighted bright candy-like visuals, seasonal promotions, and digital ordering systems as risk areas — the exact same themes Tillis (main image) cited ...
