Category: Features

As many have come to realize, cannabis is one of the most challenging industries in which to operate a business. COVID-19 presents yet another challenge to the cannabis industry, but also an opportunity to show resilience in the face of crisis and be an example for the rest of the…

Retained executive search has been the focus of my career for the past 20 years, which has included thousands of hires for hundreds of companies in all corners of the world in industries such as medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, pharma, biotech and food and (adult) beverage consumer packaged goods companies.…

There have been times that Shanel Lindsay has been “green with envy” seeing other cannabis-focused companies raise millions of dollars in venture capital. The founder and president of Ardent Cannabis kept a watchful eye as companies with flashy marketing plans and experience-laden executive teams successfully landed seven-figure investments without so…

As companies adopt response plans to protect against coronavirus, some employees may push back, wondering if skipping that next in-person meeting could really make a difference. Two recent stories illustrate that one meeting can matter. Consider the difficult story of one biotech firm. About 175 of its managers from around the…

As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc around the world, cannabis business owners must do their part to protect their people, patients and consumers. The first step is to have a thorough understanding of the virus itself, as well as how it is contracted. Nomenclature is always critical, especially with…

Government officials across the country are quickly implementing a variety of regulations to staunch the coronavirus pandemic. On March 17, for example, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a public health order to close bars, restaurants, gyms, theaters and casinos for 30 days in an effort to…

Over the past four years, Michale Beraki has grown Kush 21 into a chain of four cannabis retail stores, with its flagship location breaking into the top 10 of Washington retailers in revenue. Now, Beraki, an African immigrant, serial entrepreneur and one of the industry’s few minority business owners, is…

Doobie Nights could be the only cannabis retail store where shoppers might want to toke up before visiting. Using immersive, cutting-edge technology and thousands of LED lights, the Santa Rosa, California shop envelopes customers in a limitless array of shopping experiences. One day the store could be set in a…

In June 2019, Justin Dye’s private equity firm invested $14 million into Medicine Man Technologies, paving the way for the company to expand its operations substantially. By the end of the year, the company had acquired nine Colorado businesses, including Los Sueños Farms, Strawberry Fields and Starbuds, with three more acquisitions…

The marijuana industry is quickly becoming big business. In 2019, analysts estimated that marijuana retail sales in the U.S. surpassed $13 billion. This explosive growth has resulted in a tremendous increase in the number of jobs within the marijuana industry. Studies project there will be at least 330,000 jobs in…