Author: Vanessa
When cannabis legalization first began its march across North America, retail storefronts often looked more like passion projects than polished businesses. Operators focused on cultivating community and navigating regulation, leaving the digital experience to catch up later. Into that gap stepped Dutchie, a technology partner that now powers more than six thousand cannabis retailers with everything from point of sale to payments and e-commerce. Chris Ostrowski, Dutchie’s Chief Technology Officer, describes the company’s role in simple terms: “Our role is to power the backbone of cannabis retail so operators can focus on what matters most: their products, their people, and…
In the district belonging to Congresswoman Dina Titus, the cannabis conversation is in full bloom. She may be new to her chairmanship at the Cannabis Caucus, but she is no stranger to the issues at hand. Nevada has been an early adopter of the cannabis initiative: allowing it for medical uses, then for recreational uses, and now the first in the country to have cannabis lounges. The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act (EBDPA) hopes to further this mission through education, research and regulation. Results Through Research Titus sees promise in the EBDPA either enabling legislation, amending the appropriations process, or helping…
Marijuana Venture magazine hosted its first Interchange speed networking event in Massachusetts in early September, building on its previous 30-plus Interchange-style events in Washington, Oregon, and Michigan, which it launched in June 2016. Retail buyers participate for free; vendors pay to have a booth and meet with retailers in pre-scheduled, 20-minute meetings. In order to participate in the “speed dating,” participants signed up online in advance. Approximately 30 retailers and 27 vendors/sponsors exhibited during the expo at the AC Marriott in Worcester, Massachusetts. Cannabis industry fixture and Editor of Marijuana Venture Magazine, Garrett Rudolph, designed the events to be hyperlocal,…
The question I hear most frequently in my decades-long sales career is, “Why should we support your brand?” It’s an entirely valid question, especially in cannabis sales, where regulation, fierce competition, and price are among the most significant barriers to entry. When it comes to non-THC products in the dispensary space, there is an added challenge of added value. How do you compete with infused products and stand out on dispensary shelves? How do you educate your budtender and customer that accessories are part of the overall experience? Especially when the history of smoking is directly tied to paper, a…
Welcome to the latest edition of “Last week in Weed,” catching you up on the latest breaking news and industry developments in the world of cannabis. Here’s what you may have missed over the last week: Ohio Declares State of Emergency, Bans Hemp-Derived THC for 60 Days Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has declared a state of emergency and issued a 60-day halt on all hemp-derived THC sales, a sweeping move that immediately shutters the state’s booming market for hemp-based edibles, vapes, and beverages. The order, which took effect Oct. 14, aims to curb unregulated intoxicating hemp products that have flooded…
When the Business of Cannabis: New York Summit convenes at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg on November 6, more than 300 policymakers, investors, and executives will gather to assess one of the world’s most dynamic cannabis markets. Presented by Prohibition Partners, the event will serve as both a networking hub and a strategic forum for those shaping the state’s fast-developing cannabis economy. A Market Maturing in Real Time Now in its fourth year, the Summit has grown into a cornerstone event for East Coast cannabis professionals. This year’s focus is depth over breadth marking a move toward fostering genuine dialogue…
Accelerant Manufacturing upholds its reputation for groundbreaking innovation with new, American-made Pre-roll Cones (Iowa) and significant advancements in its Kief-Coating Machines (Missouri) and Pre-roll Machines (Maryland). Accelerant’s “PaaS” (Production-as-a-Service) business model where partners pay only for pre-rolls produced has always helped operators preserve capital, avoid CapEx, and align the machine builders with their manufacturing partners’ goals. The new alignment—actually making the cones used in the pre-roll machines is a game-changer. The best cones, at the best prices, going into the best and ever-improving pre-roll machines is a winning formula. Accelerant, famous for its high-end pre-roll machines, will announce and demo…
Buying Kratom has come a long way. It is much better nowadays than it used to be years ago. In the past, one had to use word of mouth or local headshops to get a vendor, and even when one did, strains such as green horn kratom were literally impossible to get reliably. Nowadays, though, things are quite different. With the rise of online vendors, people can explore a wide range of options and have products shipped right to their door. This has made it much easier to buy specialty strains like green horn kratom without worrying about availability and…
Search engine optimization (SEO) gets a lot of attention in cannabis marketing circles. Operators hear “rank higher on Google” and assume that investing in technical SEO alone will get customers in the door. The nuance here is that SEO does not work in a vacuum. For dispensaries, one of the biggest missed opportunities is Google reviews. Too often treated as a defensive tactic, something you monitor but do not actively manage, reviews are one of the most powerful levers for improving local rankings, driving traffic, and ultimately impacting revenue. If you want SEO to deliver real ROI, you need to…
Welcome to the latest edition of “Last week in Weed,” catching you up on the latest breaking news and industry developments in the world of cannabis. Here’s what you may have missed over the last week: Supreme Court to Hear Cannabis and Gun Rights Case The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up a case challenging the federal ban that prevents cannabis users from owning firearms. This ruling could crack the whole system wide open. A seismic moment in the long, strange war between state freedom and federal control. What happens here has the power to redefine what it means…