This past year has been game-changing for the industry. Cannabis was deemed essential, and regulators showed a willingness to quickly revise and roll out emergency rules allowing for online ordering and more flexible delivery options. These changes advanced the industry by several years in a short period of time and reassured investors who returned to […]
Opinions
COVID-19’s Prolonged Impact on the Cannabis Industry
To say 2020 has thrown us a curve ball would be the understatement of the century. From growers, to producers and wholesalers, to retail sellers — the entire cannabis industry end-to-end has been impacted in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to pick up the pieces of the initial shock from back in […]
The Children are Back in School – Vaping Issues?
By Joan Irvine For the last several months, I’ve been writing about youth vaping and the issues it raises for the entire regulated cannabis industry. Legitimate cannabis companies were not responsible for the majority of the illnesses caused by the 2019 vaping crisis. However, many legislators don’t see it this way and equate unhealthy, highly-addictive […]
Cannabis is Booming, But There’s Reason for Caution
2020’s record-breaking cannabis sales tell an incredibly optimistic story about the industry’s resilience during an economic downturn. Many cannabis business operators are putting all their faith into that story as they plan their next steps. Here’s why I wouldn’t get too comfortable with that perspective yet. Looking at the Bright Side: Essential Designation Pays Off […]
Virginia, just legalize marijuana already
Virginia Democrats are making headway in the efforts to reform the commonwealth’s criminal justice system, even if, on issues such as qualified immunity for police officers, it takes a couple of tries to get moving in the right direction. But they are still not ready to fully embrace one issue: marijuana legalization. Virginia did enact […]
How CO HB1090 Cements Importance of Due Diligence in the Cannabis Industry
Colorado House Bill 19-1090 has dramatically altered cannabis business ownership and investment across the Centennial State. Prior to its passage in late 2019, ownership in a Colorado marijuana business was limited to private companies of 15 or fewer individual owners. Regardless of an individual’s percentage of ownership or control, every owner was required to pass […]
New normal means new challenges for cannabis companies
For the cannabis industry specifically, our new norm means a business environment in which pandemic health concerns are here to stay, as are the effects on staffing and customer interactions. Cannabis sales may be rising in general, and the industry has secured an “essential” business status to stay open as other businesses such as bars […]
The Resilience of the Massachusetts Adult-Use Marijuana Market
Now in July 2020, two months into the reopening of the Massachusetts adult use marijuana industry, it is time to take a step back and look at the numbers. The second adult use retail store in Boston opened this past Monday, adding to the 16 others that have opened throughout the Commonwealth since the state’s […]
How The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Affect The Cannabis Industry
As the world finds itself engrossed in the largest public health crisis of our lifetimes, the Covid-19 pandemic, the novel coronavirus disrupting life for every American and most across the globe, is naturally on the top of everyone’s minds. As difficult as it is to think about the cannabis industry and reform movement at a time […]
When the Magic Fades: Avoiding a Bad Canna-Business Breakup
The cannabis industry is no different than any other when it comes to the importance of – and its reliance on – business partnerships. And just like any other industry, it’s seen its share of breakups, too. Bruce Linton’s firing last year at Canopy was a cautionary one for company founders. Now, the bloodletting at Aurora Cannabis has claimed co-founder Terry Booth. What can cannabis entrepreneurs learn to prevent similar outcomes?
