Dispensaries & Retail | Cannabis Industry Journal

Featured Articles

Five Things Every Cannabis Business Needs Before They Open

By Tim Allen

From licensing and bank accounts to installing the right shelves, here are a few things you should know before you open your doors to the public. Obviously, there’s going to be a lot of other hurdles and requirements that come with starting a business – but by remembering these five things, you’ll be off to a much better start than many others. Read more →

Digital Marketing Tips to Help Grow Your Cannabis Business

By Steven Clayton

With the cannabis industry booming, following rules and regulations of marketing and advertising can be tedious, but there are organic ways to use digital marketing to reach more customers. Read more →

Implement These Tips to Quickly Fortify Cannabis Dispensaries

By Heather Bender

In the past year, more than 120 burglaries at dispensaries occurred in Portland, Oregon. With a number of cannabis thefts hitting the news recently, it’s clear that retailers need to have more robust security measures in place. Read more →

FDA Issues Warning Letters on Marketing and Sale of OTC CBD Products

By Seth Mailhot, Steve Levine, Emily Lyons, Leah Kaiser, Marshall Custer

The FDA issued warning letters to two companies this month, alleging FD&C Act violations stemming from marketing new drugs without approval. Companies marketing CBD products should be careful not to market OTC drugs containing CBD. Read more →

Jane & Leafly Join Forces: An Interview with Socrates Rosenfeld, CEO of Jane

By Aaron Green

Aaron Green sits down and interviews Socrates Rosenfeld, CEO of Jane, about their recent strategic partnership with Leafly. The partnership combines two of the largest online tech platforms in the North American cannabis market. Read more →

FAQs: How Cannabis Businesses Can Avoid TCPA Liability

By Artin Betpera

Some well-known names in cannabis have been the target of TCPA class action lawsuits and they share a common thread: they are based on marketing or promotional text messages sent to consumers. In this piece, Betpera runs through the most frequently asked questions on how cannabis companies can avoid TCPA liability. Read more →

Learning from the First Wave Part 2: California’s Cannabis Supply Chain and Vertical Integration, with a Grain of Salt

By Todd Feldman

In this three-part series, cannabis lawyer and compliance expert Todd Feldman takes a look at how laws shape California’s supply chain, constrains business practices and affects the cost of doing business. In Part Two, we take a look at how regulation defines vertical integration in California. Read more →

CA Health and Safety Warning Laws Have Changed: Are You In Compliance?

By Megan Caldwell, Lindy Martinez

A new California Proposition 65 mandate took effect on January 3, requiring health warning labels for all cannabis products sold in the state. Failure to comply with the requirements can and will result in enforcement against cannabis producers and sellers, resulting in hefty penalties. Read more →

Integrating a Culture of Quality Into the Cannabis Industry

By David Vaillencourt

Cannabis businesses know that compliance with state regulations are critical to surviving, but overlook the benefits of a quality management system that can allow them to thrive. Read more →

Due Diligence for Suppliers & Cannabis Supply Chain Partners

By Mark Slaugh

Ensuring accountability across the supply chain means selectively choosing partners who share the same values of integrity and professionalism. Compliance affects most everyone in the supply chain and the loss of any operator hurts the entire industry. Read more →

Cresco Labs Acquires Bluma Wellness

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

Cresco Labs will enter the Florida market with the acquisition of Bluma Wellness (and its subsidiary One Plant Florida) for an equity value of $213 million, expected to be finalized by the second quarter of this year. Read more →

Q&A with Bruce Macdonald, Chairman of C21 Investments

By Aaron Green

In this article, Aaron Green sits down with Bruce Macdonald, Chairman of C21 Investments, Inc. to learn more about the how he got involved with the MSO, the company’s strategy and how C21 delivers competitive advantage in today’s market. Read more →

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Columns

February 9, 2021

The (Arrested) Rise of Craft Cannabis in Canada

By Steven Burton

While the cannabis legalization story in Canada has had its bumps, the clear path forward for greater legal market success lies in increased support for micro-cultivators. By increasing support for these small-scale producers to navigate regulatory requirements, more will be able to enter the legal market and actually compete against their illicit counterparts.

October 26, 2020

Overcoming Challenges in the Private Label CBD Industry

By Josh Epstein

Epstein details what to look for when launching your new CBD brand, how to build credibility, secure quality sources and how to create a unique product.

September 15, 2020

Biros' Blog

Judge Dismisses Claims in Vaping Illness Lawsuit

By Aaron G. Biros

Almost a year ago, a mysterious vaping-related lung illness affected consumers in the 2019 vaping crisis, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations, a number of lawsuits and even 68 fatalities. This week, the first of those lawsuits was dismissed.

August 18, 2020

Cannabis & COVID: Changes, Advances & Opportunities

By Laura Bianchi

From essential business designations to staffing and financial opportunities, this pandemic is changing the cannabis market dramatically. Understanding how to anticipate change and pivot quickly can often be the key to success.

August 12, 2020

The Brand Marketing Byte

The Hottest U.S. Cannabis Retail Brands Right Now

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

In this week’s Brand Marketing Byte, we take a look at Pioneer Intelligence’s hottest U.S. cannabis retail brands for the month of July. Using their large data set and gauging metrics within social media, earned media attention and more, these are the companies that are getting the most out of their marketing.

August 11, 2020

Soapbox

Need to Improve Your Cannabis Initiatives? Consider Marker-based Augmented Reality

By Amanda Byrd

I truly believe that as brands work to differentiate themselves in the space, leaving a lasting impression will be the catalyst for brands to thrive and grow in an increasingly competitive market while also directly impacting a customer’s lifetime value.

August 5, 2020

The Brand Marketing Byte

The Hottest U.S. Cannabis Brands Right Now

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

In this week’s Brand Marketing Byte, we take a look at Pioneer Intelligence’s hottest U.S. (non-retail) cannabis brands for the month of July. Using their large data set and gauging metrics within social media, earned media attention and more, these are the companies that are getting the most out of their marketing.

July 22, 2020

The Changing Landscape of CBD in the UK

By Mike Barnes

Up to 8 million people in the UK use CBD. As acceptance and demand continues to increase, so does the case for an independent UK industry and finally overcoming regulatory roadblocks.

June 16, 2020

Soapbox

COVID-19 & The Hypocrisy of Essential Cannabis Business

By Dr. Leslie Apgar, Gina Dubbé

Our country has had an unfortunate historical relationship with a plant that has the potential to ease suffering safely and bring about some much-needed economic stimulation. It's high time we fix the mistakes of our past and create a kinder and more inclusive future.

June 16, 2020

Soapbox

Cannabis Shifts to a Luxury Brand

By John Shearman

From authentication to tagging and tracing: In this piece, Shearman takes a look at all of the innovative ways growers are elevating cannabis products to luxury status.

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Upcoming Events & Webinars

May 4, 2021 – 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference

For five years now, we have been hosting this complimentary collection of webinar presentations, designed to help attendees better understand some of the more technical aspects of starting and operating a laboratory. We will take a deep dive into cannabis and hemp testing, laboratory accreditation, regulatory compliance and much more. Four sessions back-to-back, all on the same day and free to attend. Stay tuned for the agenda announcement and registration page coming soon!