The Dime

What if we told you the future of cannabis looks less like dispensaries... and more like the milk aisle? Everyone’s chasing growth, market share, and the next hot product — but few are asking the deeper question: What will the cannabis industry actually become? While cannabis is certainly disruptive, its future likely follows a few predictable paths — built on established infrastructure where comp...

There’s no exits. There’s no cash. There’s no buyers. So what do you do? Batten down the hatches. Crush your market. Squeeze out the little guys who can’t compete — and wait. This week, Seth Yakatan returns to discuss the following: • How he’s seeing the board • Why cannabis can’t hit reset like other industries • What operators need to do right now to survive Chapters 00:00 The Resilience of the...

"Cash strapped" might be the most heard phrase in the cannabis industry right now. So… where’s the cash? Without disciplined forecasting and visibility into true costs, growth is meaningless. Most companies aren’t failing from bad ideas — they’re failing in execution. That’s where cash leaks into missed forecasts, bloated inventory, and lost opportunity. Cash flow isn’t a quarterly metric — it has...

Florida and New York are massive markets — but they’re still early. Everyone’s fighting for attention, trust, and long-term positioning. So how did The Flowery rise to the top and become the go-to partner for the industry’s premier brands? 710 Labs. Wizard Trees. Preferred Gardens. Doja Pak the list goes on. These brands are some of the most sought-after names in the entire cannabis industry. They...

Big Tobacco knows cigarettes are dead. They’re sitting on cash, looking for growth — and cannabis is the obvious move. They’re no longer silently watching from the sidelines. They’re investing, expanding — some through public acquisitions, others through quieter plays. But one thing is clear: it’s no secret anymore. Big Tobacco is here, leveraging its resources to capture market share quickly, whi...

Specialization is coming — and surviving will mean doing one thing better than anyone else. But that’s only the beginning. Getting there takes a relentless growth mindset: an obsession with stacking small operational wins — data, tech, genetics, process — to create massive separation over time. Extraction isn’t simple. And in a world of margin compression, “this is how we’ve always done it” won’t...

You produced the product. They said they needed terms — “as soon as it sells, we’ll pay.” But the days kept going by… and nothing came in. In cannabis, collections are brutally difficult. With limited banking and tight cash flow, cash is king . So how do you know who’s trustworthy? Who’s a repeat offender? And where do you even go to collect? Sadly, this scenario is far too common — and it’s crush...

It’s not about planting flags anymore. It’s about profitability. As the cannabis industry shifts from rapid growth at all costs to operational precision, hard decisions are being made. Which assets are sized properly? Where can we build a well-rounded, potentially profitable business given the realities of today’s market?  And how do we make the right calls for our teams while positioning for the...

While it feels like progress isn’t happening — and that may be true at the federal level — inside the industry, it’s a completely different story. The financial model you built, the regulatory category you operate in, the market dynamics, the consumer behavior — every one of those variables is in motion. Constantly evolving. And new competitors are entering, disrupting your playbook from every ang...

Can cannabis be the key to lowering healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes? Impossible, right? Think again. Leafwell has analyzed millions of data points and uncovered staggering, undeniable results—cannabis patients experience fewer ER visits, reduced prescription drug use, and better health outcomes compared to non-users. These findings aren’t just groundbreaking—they’re a wake-up call....

“It’s this crazy melody of things constantly happening, and you need an incredible degree of grit and fortitude. Even the best-prepared individuals with meticulous plans have to throw them up in the air like confetti. It’s an intangible feeling—until you get into it, you really don’t know.” This quote from Christina Betancourt Johnson perfectly captures the cannabis industry—where relentless highs...

Want to know what a company really values? Look at where they spend their money. In cannabis, where cash is a rare commodity, Jetty Extracts is choosing to invest in: Thousands of dollars each month in additional third-party testing that isn’t required OCal-certified cannabis , the cleanest on the market Most companies can’t even consider this level of investment. Jetty does it because they’ve spe...

Cannabis started as a movement, not just a business. But as legalization expanded, the industry found itself caught between profit and purpose, struggling under massive overregulation and taxation. So how do we get back on track? For over 11 years, Luna Stower has been on the front lines—fighting for safe access, patient rights, and the end of prohibition. While many have lost steam, her relentles...

Vaping is more than just oil and hardware—it’s a delicate balance of oil, terpenes, device performance, and supply chain efficiency. When one element is off, consumers notice, and brands suffer. With new tariffs on China and CCELL  massive  U.S. investment, what does this mean for the future of the vape industry? How do hardware vendors differentiate themselves while ensuring brands thrive? And ca...

Consumer buy brands. And in cannabis, California brands reign supreme because they uphold the most sacred element in any relationship—trust. Trust isn’t just about marketing—it’s about consistency, quality, and experience . The moment a brand breaks that trust, it loses everything. But expanding a highly trusted California brand into new markets isn’t just about slapping a logo on a jar—it’s about...

"Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status." — Laurence J. Peter Nowhere is that more evident than in cannabis, where local governments resist change, operators scramble for clarity, and policies shift overnight. The biggest mistake cannabis operators make? Waiting too long to ask for help. Navigating cannabis regulations isn’t just about compliance—it’...

Are you considering expanding to Germany? The answer should be yes. As a brand or retailer, deciding where to grow is critical. California is the ultimate proving ground—fiercely competitive and filled with industry leaders. If you want to be a national player, is this where you make your mark? But what about Germany? A high-potential market, still in its early stages, with adult-use legalization...

Everyone can agree—cannabis operates in a legal gray area.  For starters, anyone in the industry is technically breaking federal law, as cannabis remains federally illegal.  But for an in-house attorney at an MSO, the job isn’t just about navigating federal risk.  It’s about understanding where gray meets red, balancing state-by-state regulations, and ensuring compliance across an industry with ev...

Standard Operating Procedures—every company has them. But how do you maintain consistency when a single change can ripple across 14 states, 15 cultivation sites, and 150 retail locations? Verano faces the challenge of creating continuity across a vast and diverse footprint. Each state presents unique regulations and operational nuances, yet the expectation for repeatability in product quality and...

Cake is hitting different. A hockey stick chart is every founder's dream—but what looks like overnight success often hides expertise built years behind the scenes. Thriving in California's intense, competitive cannabis market? That’s a different beast altogether. Pink, chrome, fur—Cake's branding immediately resonates with its target audience. A masterclass in brand authenticity. This week, we sit...

Why does it feel like the hemp industry is exploding while regulated cannabis remains stagnant? The numbers may tell one story, but they don’t capture the whole picture.  What would a combined cannabis and hemp market look like if both operated with fewer restrictions, better access to resources, and increased capital? This week, we welcome back Ben Burstein to dive into these critical questions a...

F1 hybrid seeds are the cornerstone of modern agriculture, offering the least expensive and most reliable way to grow uniform plants with predictable traits. In the cannabis industry, however, growing from clones has long been the standard because true F1 hybrid seeds were unavailable—until now. Today, F1 hybrid seeds have arrived in cannabis cultivation, delivering the same consumer and agronomic...

Partnerships are more critical in cannabis than in many other industries.  The line between success and failure is razor-thin, and most companies don’t have the resources to recover from a failed “marriage.” One of the unique and beautiful challenges of the cannabis industry is the emotional connection founders have with their businesses. Much like a parent’s love for a child, founders tend to see...

Software is unique: when it works as it should, no one thinks twice about it. But the moment there’s a hiccup or delay, it becomes an issue. Building software that consistently runs seamlessly, while integrating additional features to create an “all-in-one” solution that’s easy to use? That’s nearly impossible. Kudos to Chris Violas and the Blaze team for achieving just that. Leveraging his AWS ba...

Kiva's products now reach 80% of the U.S. population. Think about that for a second. It’s a testament to how far the cannabis industry has come and the progress being made.  But, as with anything in the cannabis space, there are complexities, caveats, and unique challenges. For instance, in some markets, consumers can access products directly through D2C channels or dispensaries. While these chann...