Every industry reaches a point where it has to stop running on instinct and start looking in the mirror. For cannabis, that time feels close.
We’ve been creating the meal — growing, selling, innovating, adapting — but somewhere along the way, we forgot to set the table. In this case, the table is data.
There’s a whole landscape of information around us: what’s selling, where, to whom and at what price; what drives loyalty, what slows growth, what promotions drive revenue and which ones hurt the bottom line. It’s all available, quietly waiting to be uncovered and used. Many companies already have access to this valuable information, but they are underutilizing it or don’t have a team that can interpret and execute on it just yet.
Cannabis is young. We’re writing the playbook as we go. And because so many of us came here out of passion, advocacy, or other industries entirely, we don’t always have the same foundation when it comes to data literacy. That’s okay, but it’s also something we should fix. Through education, practice and communication, we can elevate each other, speak the same language and start looking at the things that improve our businesses together.
In more mature industries, such as alcohol, beauty or CPG, data is common language. It’s how teams decide what to make next, how to price it, where to sell it, and how to serve their customers better. Cannabis deserves that same clarity, and understanding data insights better is the answer.
It seems like data and cannabis don’t go hand in hand. It’s a plant with such intention and feeling that it seems natural to follow those same instincts when it comes to business. But data isn’t cold or impersonal. It’s a reflection of people: what they choose, what they love, and how they connect with us. From a market level, it tells the story of an industry trying to find its rhythm in real time.
Gone are the days of business being based solely on relationships. It still happens, and relationships are still a driver, but more brands and retailers are turning to data out of necessity — and they should! Soon, most decisions will be based on real data, not just assumptions.
The companies, advocates and individuals who learn to listen to that story and make data a part of how they move will be the ones who survive and shape where we go next.
Data itself isn’t for the future of cannabis; understanding and executing on it is.
And that’s something we can all pull up a chair for.