News
HCN Launches HCN Pay: The First Dual-Processor Payments Solution Designed Specifically for Cannabis Retail
LOS ANGELES — Highly Capitalized Network, a leading business and financial media platform for the Cannabis, psychedelics, and wellness industries, has officially launched HCN Pay, a breakthrough payments solution built exclusively for Cannabis retailers. HCN Pay is the first platform in the sector to offer fully redundant, dual-processor terminals, ensuring business continuity even in the ...
Week In Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights – August 4, 2025
LOS ANGELES- Critical compliance issues, market exits, and clinical and regulatory breakthroughs shaped a turbulent week for cannabis and psychedelics businesses. Cannabis Industry Highlights Cresco Labs Exits California, Refocuses on Profitability Cresco Labs confirmed its full exit from California, divesting cultivation and manufacturing assets to redeploy capital into states with stronger profitability and scale. The ...
Glass House Brands Tightens Up Compliance After ICE Raids Shake Operations
LOS ANGELES – Glass House Brands Inc. has swiftly moved to strengthen its compliance protocols following federal immigration raids on two of its California farms on July 10. Conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the raids targeted potential violations under Title 8 of the U.S. Code, resulting in the detention of approximately 360 ...
Canada’s Cannabis Industry Defies Economic Odds
TORONTO – In a striking contrast to Canada’s faltering economy, the legal Cannabis industry continues to flourish, bolstering the nation’s GDP while other sectors struggle. Statistics Canada reports that the licensed cannabis sector grew by 0.63% in May 2025, contributing $9.28 billion to the GDP, even as the country’s real GDP dipped by 0.1% for ...
Cannabis Giants Grapple with Weak ROIC, Viridian Report Finds
LOS ANGELES – A recent analysis by Viridian Capital Advisors paints a somber picture for the Cannabis industry, projecting that none [!] of the 11 major companies studied will achieve a Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) exceeding their Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) in 2025. This gap signals potential value destruction for investors, as ...
Aurora Cannabis Inc. Reports 93% Sales Surge & Focus on Medical Market Dominance
OTTAWA – Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACB), a leading Canadian cannabis producer, has reported a 93% jump in sales for its latest quarter, cementing its position in the medical cannabis market. The Edmonton-based company’s financial results, released last week, underscore its focus on high-margin medical products and international expansion, even as the global cannabis industry navigates ...
Cannabis Real Estate Valuations Highlight Sector Dynamics
LOS ANGELES – A recent report from Viridian Capital Advisors sheds light on the valuations of four key players in the U.S. Cannabis real estate sector: Chicago Atlantic and AFC Gamma, the leading specialty lenders, and NewLake Capital and Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR), the top sales-leaseback providers. These companies, critical to the infrastructure of Cannabis ...
Germany Breaks Ground with EU’s First Psilocybin Compassionate Use Approval
BERLIN – Germany has become the first European Union nation to authorize the compassionate use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Under this program, approved by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), two leading facilities, the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim ...
Golden Gate Park Celebrates Grateful Dead’s Timeless Legacy at 60th Anniversary Show
SAN FRANCISCO – This weekend, August 1-3, Dead & Company will take the stage at Golden Gate Park’s Polo Fields for a monumental three-night concert series commemorating the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary. The event, expected to draw 60,000 fans daily, is a tribute to the legendary jam band’s enduring musical legacy and a historic moment ...
Analysis: The Quiet Revolution in U.S. Cannabis: Efficiency Is the New Growth Engine
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 ...
Ayr Wellness Faces Drastic Restructuring as Noteholders Take Control
LOS ANGELES – Ayr Wellness Inc., a prominent player in the U.S. Cannabis industry, is set to undergo a seismic restructuring that could mark the end of the company as it exists today. On July 30, Ayr announced a Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) that hands significant control to its senior secured noteholders. The move signals ...
Verano Reimagines Cannabis Retail with Bodega-Style Store in Phoenix
PHOENIX – Verano Holdings Corp., a Chicago-based multistate Cannabis operator, introduced a novel retail concept with its "bodega-style" dispensary at the Zen Leaf Phoenix-Cave Creek location. This innovative store offers a new take on the Cannabis shopping experience, blending accessibility with a familiar, neighborhood vibe. Unlike traditional dispensaries where customers interact with budtenders at a ...
GTI Launches Señorita’s Ranch Water, Fusing THC and Texas Flair
LOS ANGELES – Green Thumb Industries (GTI) has introduced Señorita’s Ranch Water flavor, a THC-infused, alcohol-free beverage inspired by the iconic West Texas cocktail. Unveiled on July 27, this crisp drink blends sparkling water, real lime juice, and organic Mexican blue agave syrup with 5mg or 10mg of hemp-derived Delta-9 THC, delivering a refreshing, 40-calorie, ...
Consumers Demand Clean Label Cannabis, Survey Reveals
LOS ANGELES – A recent survey commissioned by XRPure has uncovered a strong consumer push for cleaner, safer Cannabis products. Conducted among 516 adults, the survey found that an overwhelming 91.7% believe medical Cannabis should be decontaminated to eliminate harmful contaminants like mold, bacteria, and pesticides. Additionally, 90.5% of respondents emphasized that decontaminated Cannabis should ...
Cannabis Rescheduling Omitted from Cole’s Priorities, Raising Questions About Trump’s Stance
LOS ANGELES – In a surprising turn, newly appointed DEA administrator Terrance Cole has sidelined Cannabis rescheduling, despite pledging it as a top priority during his April 2025 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. According to a recent strategic priorities document released by Cole, Cannabis reform was conspicuously absent, leaving advocates and analysts questioning the administration’s direction ...
New York’s Licensing Blunder
NEW YORK – NY’s adult-use cannabis market, now boasting 436 licensed dispensaries [a 93-store increase since late 2024] has hit a snag. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently acknowledged a critical error in its compliance measurements and issued a proximity correction. A state law prohibits dispensaries within 500 feet of schools or places of ...
Massachusetts Psychiatric Society Backs Psilocybin Decriminalization in Historic Move
BOSTON – In a groundbreaking development for psychedelic policy reform, the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society (MPS) has publicly endorsed legislation to decriminalize psilocybin, marking the first time a branch of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has supported such a measure. The endorsement, announced during a legislative hearing, signals a significant shift in the psychiatric community's stance ...
THC Levels Vary Across Plant Layers, Study Reveals
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA – A landmark study published in Scientific Reports by researchers from Pure Sunfarms Corporation has provided the first in-depth analysis of total THC variability in greenhouse-cultivated Cannabis. The research tackles a critical gap in Cannabis science by examining how THC content fluctuates within individual plants and across different cultivars, offering actionable insights ...
Cannabis Earnings Outlook Dims as Q2 2025 Looms, Latest Analysis
LOS ANGELES – As the Cannabis industry braces for Q2 2025 earnings releases in early August, a sobering picture emerges from Viridian Capital Advisors’ Chart of the Week. Ten of twelve tracked companies are projected to see year-over-year EBITDA declines, with an aggregate drop of 12.3%. Only Vireo Health and MariMed buck the trend, with ...
Cash, Crime, and Cannabis: Attorneys General Push Congress on SAFER Banking Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.–In a rare show of bipartisan unity, attorneys general from 32 states and U.S. territories issued a pointed appeal to Congress on Thursday: pass the SAFER Banking Act of 2025 — and finally bring the Cannabis industry into the financial mainstream. The letter, addressed to congressional leadership, presses lawmakers to provide regulated financial access ...
Cresco Labs Exits California Cannabis Market in Bold Strategic Pivot
LOS ANGELES – Cresco Labs Inc. (OTCQX: CRLBF), a multistate cannabis operator, announced its withdrawal from California, the world’s largest cannabis market. This move aligns with the company's broader strategic restructuring aimed at stabilizing its finances and prioritizing high-margin opportunities. The Chicago-based company is actively negotiating the sale of its California assets, including cultivation, manufacturing, ...
Arkansas Activists Blaze Trail for Psychedelic Reform
BENTONVILLE – In the heart of Northwest Arkansas, a group of dedicated activists is pushing to reshape the legal landscape for psychedelics. Decriminalize Nature NW Arkansas, founded in 2023, is leading the charge to decriminalize naturally occurring entheogenic plants and fungi, such as psilocybin mushrooms, in Bentonville and beyond. Their efforts signal a growing movement ...
Kentucky Governor Urges Trump to Honor Campaign Promise on Cannabis Rescheduling
FRANKFORT – Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) has stepped into the national spotlight, urging President Donald Trump to oppose congressional efforts that would halt the federal rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In a letter sent to Trump, Beshear invoked the president’s own campaign pledge to ...
The DEA’s Time‑Warp Appointment: Terrance Cole and the Revival of “Reefer Madness”
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Terrance Cole, the newly confirmed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator, brings a worldview rooted in 1980s-era drug hysteria—one that dismisses decades of research, economic gains from cannabis legalization, and evolving public opinion. His alarmist rhetoric, linking cannabis to autism, stunted brain growth, and youth suicide, threatens to stall the long-awaited, evidence-based rescheduling ...
Texas Governor Backs Regulation Over Ban in Hemp THC Showdown
DALLAS —Texas Governor Greg Abbott has drawn a firm line in the sand when it comes to the future of the hemp industry in the Lone Star State. In a public statement on July 22, Abbott clarified his preference for a tightly regulated adult-use market for hemp-derived products—countering efforts by Senate leaders pushing for an ...
