Cannabis Industry News

At GreenPharms in Mesa, Arizona, cannabis shopping feels less like a counter transaction and more like a quick stop at the corner store. Customers grab a basket or cart, browse bright aisles, read labels, and compare products at their own pace, but budtenders remain available at the flower bar and checkout counter. Founder and CEO Marie Saloum spent two years navigating regulatory pushback to bring Arizona its first supermarket-style dispensary, and now she's planning a larger Phoenix flagship.

According to a new report from Americans for Safe Access, impending federal changes to hemp definitions could strip access from veterans, seniors, and those with rare diseases who rely on full-spectrum products.

Beyond basic utility, the modern cannabis grinder has evolved into a precision-engineered tool and a luxury design object. From aerospace-grade aluminum and non-stick ceramic coatings to handcrafted exotic hardwoods, we explore the eight must-have grinders redefining retail inventory for 2026.

Rescheduling may bring long-awaited 280E relief and a new sheen of mainstream legitimacy, but it also opens the door to federal-grade oversight, GMP expectations, stricter lender requirements, and expanded liability exposure. The “extra” cash operators anticipate could be quickly absorbed by compliance upgrades, professional services, and risk management. For CEOs, COOs, and CFOs, reclassification isn’t a finish line. It’s the starting gun for a tougher operational race.

Zen Leaf operates dispensaries in 13 states, each shaped by different regulations, real estate constraints, and local culture. Instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all store model, the brand designs for consistency of experience: hospitality-led service, approachable education, and localized storytelling that still feels unmistakably Zen Leaf. Executive Vice President Robert Cohen explains how the company translates its “DNA and intention” across markets without losing the qualities that make cannabis retail feel human.

Many cannabis beverages promise faster onset and better bioavailability but still struggle in the market. The problem isn’t delivery science. It’s flavor. From bitterness and mouthfeel to preservation and stability, beverage success depends on principles long understood by the food-and-beverage industry. A flavor chemist explains why taste — not potency or onset speed — is the real driver of repeat consumption.

For years, legal cannabis behaved like a precocious teenager — full of ambition but fueled by optimism more than discipline. In 2025, that adolescence ended. Price compression, oversupply, and tighter capital forced operators to confront hard truths about efficiency, quality, and sustainability. The result? A more mature industry trading hype for resilience and learning how to earn legitimacy instead of chasing it.

Impressions and clicks once defined digital marketing success, but they never showed whether anyone actually paid attention. As privacy rules tighten and AI accelerates audience behavior, cannabis brands are turning to attention data to understand real engagement. Here's why vanity metrics are fading, how attention metrics work, and what they mean for compliant cannabis marketing strategies moving forward.

As winter settles in, cannabis consumers are gravitating toward comfort, intention, and small rituals that support rest and well-being. For retailers, this shift creates an opportunity to reframe cannabis as part of everyday self-care through thoughtful merchandising, wellness-forward education, and cozy seasonal storytelling. From topicals and low-dose edibles to premium flower, winter has become one of cannabis retail’s most meaningful moments to build trust and long-term loyalty.

Public relations plays an outsized role in cannabis marketing — but impressions alone don’t prove value. This feature breaks down how to measure PR ROI, connect earned media to revenue and market share, and build attribution systems executives and CFOs actually trust.