BRIAN HOLLER / THE ARCHIVE
cannabis business
Reporting, observations, and practical ideas from business, cannabis, media, culture, and the places they meet.
Cannabis Is Now Canada’s Fifth Biggest Cash Crop
At $3 billion, cannabis is Canada’s fifth most valuable crop, beating potatoes by nearly a billion dollars.
Rescheduling Hits a New Deadline Today and the Court Fight Runs Into 2027
October 13 brings a new procedural deadline in the DEA rescheduling case while the court fight over the April order now runs into 2027.
Can Metrc Prove Its California Compliance Burden Is Worth It?
Consumers love the idea of track and trace. Operators hate paying for it. A Metrc commissioned study of 3,061 consumers across 33 legal jurisdictions found that QR codes…
Sherb Cake Strain: Sunset Sherbet Meets Wedding Cake
Sherb Cake pairs Sunset Sherbet with Wedding Cake for vanilla frosting and berry aromas, but several genetic lines share the name. What buyers and growers should know.
Point Break Strain: Surfr Seeds’ Citrus Forward Cultivar
Point Break from Surfr Seeds is a useful case study in how cannabis cultivars become recognizable products: genetics, aroma, consumer experience and the story inside the jar matter…
Vireo Went From 15% to 8.5% and That Is the Whole Story
Vireo’s refinancing from roughly 15% debt to 8.5% shows how dramatically the cost of capital can change cannabis economics. The operator lesson is not the headline rate—it is…
Washington Built the Paperwork Bridge to Federal Registration
Washington state built a procedural bridge toward federal cannabis registration while national policy remains unsettled. The bigger operator lesson: implementation paperwork can shape a market long before the…
Bedrocan Is Bankrupt and the Dutch Medical Monopoly Is Over
Bedrocan’s bankruptcy ended a long-running Dutch medical cannabis monopoly and exposed a broader lesson about protected markets: exclusivity can create stability, but it can also concentrate operational risk…
The Price War Is Really a Licensing War
Cannabis price compression is often treated as a demand story, but licensing structure and supply access can determine where the floor lands. Brian Holler looks at why the…
Rescheduling Is a Starting Gun, Not a Finish Line
Cannabis rescheduling matters less as a ceremonial finish line than as a change in the risk model institutional capital uses. Brian Holler on why financing, compliance and implementation…
Beard Bros and British Cannabis Join Forces Across Three Markets
How can companies expand into new markets without rebuilding everything? Partnerships can combine complementary strengths, local access and existing infrastructure while reducing expansion risk.
100% of Cannabis Consumers Say QR Codes Make Them Feel More Protected
A cannabis QR-code study produced an unusually strong trust signal. The durable lesson is bigger than the technology: verified product information can reduce uncertainty when consumers understand who…
California Treasurer Fiona Ma Calls Prop 64 a Complete Disaster
California Treasurer Fiona Ma’s criticism of Proposition 64 matters because it moves familiar operator complaints into statewide political language. Brian Holler looks at taxes, local control, illicit competition…
Tilray Hit Record Revenue While Its Cannabis Business Shrank
How can record company revenue hide a weakening core business? Revenue mix matters: diversification can grow the top line while the original operating engine shrinks.
The New Jersey Straw Owner Lawsuit Is a Gut Punch to Real Equity
New Jersey’s alleged straw-ownership case shows why social-equity programs need enforcement after licenses are awarded, not just eligibility rules at the front door. Equity fails when ownership exists…
Hoodie’s LA County Market Spotlight: Flat at the Top, Hungry Below
LA County cannabis data shows a mature market where total size can hide radically different operator realities. Brian Holler on flat category growth, store-level performance and why market…
Why Are Cannabis MSOs Backing an Anti Cannabis Senate Candidate?
Campaign spending can reveal an industry’s priorities more clearly than its public statements. Brian Holler examines why cannabis companies may support politicians whose policy positions conflict with legalization—and…
Rosario Dawson Is Fighting to Save THC Drinks
The fight over hemp-derived THC beverages is also a fight over which regulatory lane intoxicating products should occupy. Celebrity involvement creates attention; the durable questions are safety standards,…
Some Guys Talking Ep. 3: Dina Nagib — Grass Goddess Consulting
Dina Nagib joins Brian Holler and Aaron Washington to discuss dispensary software, data cleanup, change management, trusted relationships, and her path from biotech into cannabis consulting.
Some Guys Talking Ep. 7: Shaun Salvaje — Conflict, Cannabis & Radical Honesty
Shaun Salvaje discusses conflict resolution, advocacy, and communication in cannabis and psychedelics. The publisher’s description covers the Parley platform, mediation, proactive communication in business relationships, and the value…
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