Tag: Featured Story

A new national survey reveals cannabis consumers value digital convenience, personalized recommendations, and knowledgeable budtenders — especially heading into Green Wednesday, one of the year’s biggest sales days. The findings highlight demand for features like online ordering, one-click rebuys, loyalty incentives, and promotional deals. Retailers that blend smart technology with strong customer service appear best positioned to drive repeat visits and larger baskets.

Certificates of analysis (COAs) are widely treated as the gold standard of cannabis ingredient quality, but they don’t always tell the full story. Many reveal only what the lab was asked to test for, and labs have powerful incentives to report favorable results. The result is a quiet but growing crisis of inconsistency, reformulations, and lost consumer trust.

Cannabis beverages are stepping into the spotlight while alcohol consumption rapidly falls as Americans rethink their drinking habits. A new report forecasts U.S. cannabis drink sales will reach $2.8 billion by 2028, growing nearly seven times faster than alcohol. From infused seltzers to low-dose tonics promising relaxation or recovery, innovation is bubbling across the category as health-conscious and budget-minded consumers seek alternatives to traditional beer, wine, and spirits.

In a category shaped by state lines, restricted visibility, and heavy competition, even experienced operators fall into predictable traps. From misunderstood audiences and underleveraged PR to packaging misfires and unrealistic growth expectations, these blind spots quietly erode market position. Here’s how to spot them early and fix them before they cap your brand’s potential.

Overreliance on fragile social platforms can leave brands exposed. The most successful operators pair paid media with resilient distribution channels they own or co-own, creating reach that survives policy shifts and algorithmic shutdowns.

Halloween goes high-end this year, with cannabis and hemp brands summoning limited-edition products, haunting events, and collectible strains that captivate consumers and inspire retailers. Whether you’re curating shelves or just chasing chills, these eerie delights offer both thrills and ROI for operators who know how to merchandise the moment.

Shrinkage is one of the most persistent threats to cannabis retail profitability — and most losses don’t come from smash-and-grabs, but from preventable internal breakdowns in procedure. The most reliable defense isn’t heavier locks or more cameras; it’s well-designed SOPs that hard-wire accountability into each step of operations. From cash handling to inventory transfers and close-of-day reconciliation, disciplined procedures create visibility, reduce human error, and deter misconduct. When paired with the right technology, SOPs move loss prevention from reactive damage control to proactive protection.

Every October, pink ribbons flood social feeds, but in cannabis, awareness often comes with tangible support. From funding research and patient care to sponsoring community walks, blood drives, and local nonprofit partners, these six brands are turning cause marketing into year-round impact. Their campaigns go beyond surface-level symbolism, tapping into cannabis culture’s legacy of care, healing, and community-first values and demonstrating how the industry can mobilize for meaningful change.

For decades, terpenes dominated the discussion around cannabis flavor and fragrance. But new research shows the real story lies deeper, in trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that give each cultivar its unique aroma and effects. From lab mapping and enzymatic chemistry to the cold-chain preservation techniques borrowed from agriculture, a new generation of scientists and cultivators is uncovering the plant’s hidden potential and learning the path to premium flower begins long before harvest and continues all the way to the shelf.

Nutrient deficiencies are among the most common — and costly — problems in cannabis cultivation. From nitrogen shortages to micronutrient lockout, imbalances can quietly erode plant health, diminish quality, and cut yields. This practical guide explains how to identify visible symptoms, correct underlying causes like pH imbalance or improper EC, and restore plants to peak performance. Whether you’re growing in peat, coir, or rockwool, these science-backed solutions can help keep your crop thriving from veg to flower.