Business

Most cannabis operators rely on incomplete or inaccurate data when calculating COGS, and the fallout is brutal. Hidden labor, compliance fees, packaging, taxes, and channel costs quietly erode margins long before pricing decisions are made. In this foundational guide, Azam Khan explains the most common COGS mistakes, the traps that sabotage pricing strategy, and how operators can rebuild their data, rethink margins, and price every SKU for true profitability.

MJBizCon panelists said AI offers major promise in cultivation, but only after operators fix environmental inconsistencies that undermine data and automation.

Effective cannabis branding starts at retail. From experiential events to field marketing, dispensaries have become the true gatekeepers of customer education, product discovery, and long-term brand loyalty. A multistate brand owner reveals the secrets to building profitable retail partnerships.

The cannabis industry’s biggest financial challenge isn’t banking access alone. It’s fragmentation. Operators juggle separate solutions for payroll, lending, insurance, and payments, leading to repetitive work, high fees, and compliance headaches. A unified, purpose-built financial infrastructure could eliminate duplicative workflows, automate compliance, improve access to capital, and give operators room to grow. Here’s how that vision could look.

With price compression squeezing margins, more dispensaries are shifting away from discount-driven strategies and toward curated menus that create real differentiation. By focusing on relevance, selection, and customer value, retailers are carving out a competitive edge in saturated markets.

Heavy metals can find their way into cannabis through water, soil, fertilizers, and even aging equipment—yet most growers don’t realize how easily contamination can occur. Researchers are just beginning to understand how the plant interacts with metals like arsenic, cadmium, and lead, but cultivators can take practical steps now to minimize risk. From input testing and pH management to smarter irrigation practices, here’s what every grower should know to keep crops compliant and consumers safe.

Cannabis Marketing 3.0 is here, and the old playbook doesn’t work anymore. Social myths have collapsed, AI alone can’t save creative, and brands are losing customers because their websites feel like relics from 2017. These are the new realities of marketing in a rapidly changing industry where creativity, speed, data, and customer understanding must work together. The brave win. The passive fade. Here’s what actually drives growth now.

Cannabis cultivators often celebrate yield, but volume alone doesn’t guarantee profitability. Many grows unknowingly scale losses because key expenses — overhead, indirect labor, and material consumption — aren’t accurately tracked. When cost visibility is missing, even high-performing strains can drain margins. In today’s tight market, operators need precise cost intelligence, not guesses. Knowing the real cost per gram helps cultivators eliminate waste, refine their product mix, and build a more resilient, profitable operation.

Wyoming’s U.S. attorney said marijuana possession on federal lands will face strict prosecution under revised Justice Department guidance.

As cannabis markets evolve worldwide, operators are leaning on automation not just to boost efficiency but also to strengthen culture. From Canada’s GMP-driven systems to Germany’s early adopters and Latin America’s export-focused producers, global peers reveal a clear reality: Manual systems can carry a company only so far. Here's how equipment, flexibility, and people-first training help manufacturers scale sustainably without losing their identity.