2022 marks the ten year anniversary of Colorado becoming the first state to legalize recreational cannabis. It’s hard to say if anyone truly grasped at the time just how influential this period in history would be at that time, unknowingly setting off a green wave in the United States and across the world – and it’s only continuing to build momentum.  Enough time has passed to where Colorado’s cannabis policies and their impact on Colorado’s consumers can be better understood. Recently legal states and new cannabiz owners often look to Colorado for insights into what works and what does ..read more

CAURD (Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary) license applications were the first Dispensary applications to open in New York State.  Applicants are businesses owned by justice-involved individuals and are positioned to be the first dispensaries open for legal adult-use cannabis sales in the state. On October 28, 2022, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) released a guidance document that serves to provide the regulatory framework that will assist Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licensees on how to operate their dispensaries before regulations are formally adopted. Addition ..read more

“I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been preparedwhen the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.”Oprah Winfrey If you are one of the many people interested in getting in on one of the hottest predicted cannabis markets in America, NY State, then you are probably spending your days pacing, checking the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) website for updates, and wondering what you should be doing to prepare for when Applications drop.  On Monday, November 21, New York took a significant step toward launching the legal market for recre ..read more

Updated November 28, 2022 Missouri ballot initiative, Amendment 3 passed on Tuesday, November 8, providing for the legalization of the purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacturing, and sale of marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of 21. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is granted licensing authority for the cultivation, manufacture, sale, or dispensing of marijuana and has already published the first draft of rule on November 10, 2022, for the state’s forthcoming adult-use cannabis industry. Current medical marijuana licensees wil ..read more

Updated November 23, 2022 Maryland has become the 20th state in the nation to approve recreational marijuana on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. According to MJBizDaily estimates, the recreational cannabis market in Maryland will be a robust one, generating $550 million to $600 million in its first year, and potentially up to $1 billion in its fourth year. For anyone interested in gaining entry into the Industry, this is a State to watch. Maryland ballot Question 4, passed legalizing marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older beginning in July 2023. Question 4 amends the Maryland Constitution ..read more

Sweeping legalization has taken place at the state level over the last several years, it’s been hard to keep up with the excitement. New Jersey, Montana, and Arizona legalized cannabis for adult use in 2020. New York, New Mexico, Virginia, and Connecticut passed initiatives in 2021. 2022 is poised to bring another wave of cannabis legalization to the United States, most especially with the general election in November. Activists and lawmakers are working to get legalization and other drug policy reform measures on ballots in over a dozen states. Here are the states that are most likely to ma ..read more

2022 marks the ten year anniversary of Colorado becoming the first state to legalize recreational cannabis. It’s hard to say if anyone truly grasped at the time just how influential this period in history would be at that time, unknowingly setting off a green wave in the United States and across the world – and it’s only continuing to build momentum.  Enough time has passed to where Colorado’s cannabis policies and their impact on Colorado’s consumers can be better understood. Recently legal states and new cannabiz owners often look to Colorado for insights into what works and what does ..read more

There’s no doubt that the cannabis industry has been growing leaps and bounds. Medical marijuana has been legalized in the majority of states, and recreational cannabis legislation had a blockbuster year in 2019. By the end of the year, even the federal government was making recommendations about descheduling marijuana. As of 2022, 18 states have legalized recreational cannabis and 37 have legalized medical cannabis. Even more states have legislation in the works. The industry isn’t bound to US shores either. Germany has one of Europe’s largest medical marijuana markets, and it’s considering ..read more

There are very few industries that are still in their infancy and cannabis is one of them. As more and more states move towards legalization and the green rush arrives, everyone is rushing to get into the cannabis industry. Increased competition and a market that is restricted by state lines mean that companies and brands need to differentiate themselves before market saturation leaves them fighting a price war that is nothing more than a rush to the bottom.  Differentiating a business and finding niche markets to serve is an exciting strategic growth plan that can oftentimes take years ..read more

Cannabis Meets Design As the legalization of recreational cannabis ignites across the country, dispensaries are popping up in a shopping center near you creating heavy competition. Most dispensaries follow the Field of Dreams model, assuming that if they build a standard dispensary, consumers will come. While that is true for the first year or two in a legal market, dispensaries in older legal markets have found their sales decreasing in a “race to the bottom” on pricing because there’s nothing to separate them from their competitors.  Business owners have free creative reign on most di ..read more