The Dealer's Diary is where we share the work. Cannabis HR insights, retention math, compliance gaps, and the operational decisions that actually move the needle for cannabis dispensaries, cultivators, processors, and multi-state operators.
We write for the founder losing sleep over turnover. The GM weighing a PEO against fractional HR. The compliance lead who just got blindsided by a state inspector. The cultivator scaling from one license to three.
Every post is real work with real cannabis operators. The math is real. The advice is what we'd say in a discovery call, written down so you can read it before you call us.
Dealer's
Diary
Picture a dispensary with 13 employees. This is a hypothetical, not a real company and not a story from a client. On a Thursday afternoon, its investor calls to say the next round of funding is off. Payroll covers two more pay periods at most, and rent is due on the first. The owner has […]
October 23, 2026
Hypothetical, not a real case: it is 7:40 on a Tuesday morning at a dispensary. A budtender tells the shift lead that the camera over the back stockroom has been turned toward the wall since Sunday night. She adds that she saw a coworker go into that room twice after close. By lunch, the owner […]
October 21, 2026
Here is what we found for cannabis events October 19-25, along with the Massachusetts ballot news that shapes how employers should treat them. Voters decide Question 8 on Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026, which is now two weeks away. This week brings a national research conference in San Diego and four Massachusetts harvest and Halloween markets. […]
October 19, 2026
Massachusetts Question 8 workforce plan for cannabis employers shown with a manager meeting a dispensary team to discuss planning
October 16, 2026
The Federal Hemp THC Rules Arrive December 11: What Cannabis Employers Should Update in Their Policies Now
October 14, 2026
Here is what we found for cannabis events October 12-18, along with the Massachusetts news that shapes how operators should treat every one of them. Voters decide Ballot Question 8 on Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026. A yes vote would repeal adult-use sales while keeping medical marijuana. With that vote three weeks away, a conference ticket […]
October 12, 2026
Every staffing guide on this site so far has been about the sales floor. That’s not an accident. Most cannabis HR content anywhere is retail-focused, because retail is the part of the industry most people see. But a cultivation site, an extraction lab, or a production and packaging line runs on a completely different HR […]
October 9, 2026
This isn’t a new topic. KayaPush has a piece on people-management tips for multi-location dispensaries, built around their own scheduling and payroll software. Cova has a staffing guide covering how to identify roles, recruit, and onboard. Both are worth reading if you’re comparing platforms. Neither is what this article is. This is the practitioner version […]
October 7, 2026
This week has far more going on than a quick glance suggests, and it isn’t a Massachusetts-only story. Massachusetts has a fresh poll and a public regulatory meeting on the calendar. A California capital conference and a Long Beach community night both land in this window too. A full slate of regional meetups and festivals […]
