Cannabis banking's hardest problem: compliance does not equal permission. Every payment solution runs on the card brands' tolerance.

The Payment Problem I Still Can't Explain

The largest payment processor in the world handles cannabis in Canada. In the U.S., they will not touch it. That’s the gap.
Aubrey Amatelli left JP Morgan believing that if you followed the rules, aligned with card brand...

The Legal Market Was Never Built for Payments, Why Cannabis Still Breaks the Rules ft. Aubrey Amatelli

Politics is a dirty business. Sometimes being feared is the influence you need because access is not the problem.
Politicians say "we'll take care of this." Gretchen Gailey has a different approach: stab them in the back...

Gretchen Gailey: Cannabis Industry Has No Idea How DC Works, Why Rescheduling Is Delayed

What happens when a Silicon Valley exec who helped Lyft rewrite the rules brings that same playbook to cannabis?This week we sit down with Ashwin Raj, CEO of LeafLink, to break down how disciplined tech thinking and firs...

The Lyft Playbook for Cannabis: Building Trust Through Tech ft. Ashwin Raj

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...

If You’re Chasing Invoices in Cannabis, Listen to This ft. Brett Gelfand

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 additiona...

Chris Violas Breaks Down Blaze’s Software Infrastructure

What is Bank Secrecy, and why are cash-heavy businesses like cannabis dispensaries, casinos, and laundromats treated the same?Did regulators understand that they forced cannabis businesses were once forced into "criminal...

Sundie Seefried: Bank Secrecy, Hemp vs. Cannabis Banking, and Credit Card Barriers – What You Need to Know for the Future

Cannabis reform always feels like it's on the verge of a breakthrough with policy.We know some policies can pass both the House & Senate yet it doesn’t , but it ends up feeling like a pawn in the horse trading by policym...

Behind the Scenes of Cannabis Lobbying: How it REALLY Works ft. The Liaison Group

Creating a powerful and emotionally resonant message is essential in the cannabis industry, where many people have unique and personal connections to the plant. Crafting a message that genuinely resonates can yield compo...

Mastering Cannabis Storytelling/How to Talk to Your Kids About Cannabis ft. Jordan Isenstadt

The cannabis industry requires a unique personality and skill set to do what feels like building in quicksand. This personality and perspective is known as Cannabis DNA. This week, we sit down with Kmesh to discuss the f...

Do You Have  Cannabis DNA? ft. Kmesh

From 1971 to 1986, Barry Foy of the Gentleman Smugglers was the mastermind of the importation of over 250 tons of cannabis, valued at an astonishing one billion dollars. His story is one of legend, marked by audacious mo...

The Secrets of Global Cannabis Smuggling with Kingpin Barry Foy

The Cannabis industry is still in its infancy stage.Data models show that California ALONE could handle 1600 more dispensaries, and this is before we get into interstate commerce or state packs.This week, we have sat dow...

The Future of the Industry: State Packs & Market Dynamics, Safe Banking, Capitol Hill Updates ft. Rob Sechrist

Cannabis Flower is the category leader, but there is one variable that is universal across buyer demographics.ConvenienceWhether it’s grabbing a coffee on the go or delivery of every possible item, people are drawn to it...

Pairing Convenience & Cannabis Flower: Why Pre-Rolls is here to stay ft. Harrison Bard

So you won a license for a cannabis dispensary. How do you ensure you follow all the rules and regulations for compliance when you have never been inside the back of a dispensary or worked in the cannabis industry before...

Banking & Payments

Analysis on Banking & Payments