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
A dispensary staffing plan is the method for answering one question: how many employees does a dispensary need? There’s no single number. Anyone who gives you one without asking about your hours, your traffic, or your state’s rules is guessing. What you actually need is a dispensary staffing plan built from your own numbers. Figure […]
October 2, 2026
A cannabis HR tech stack is the full set of systems an operator uses to manage employees. That includes payroll and scheduling. It also covers employee records, hiring and onboarding, benefits, training and compliance documentation, badge and license tracking, and reporting. Most operators build this stack piece by piece as they grow. Most of what’s […]
September 30, 2026
If you work in New York cannabis, you’ve probably heard people talk about “Revelry” like it’s a can’t-miss reunion. There’s a reason for that. Revelry Buyers Club is On The Revel’s flagship event platform. In 2026 it marked ten years of running cannabis community events. It celebrated by hosting two of them: one in Hudson […]
September 29, 2026
Cannabis events September 2026 are quiet this week (September 28 to October 4). No big multi-city expo, no marquee cup. What isn’t quiet is the news. A Massachusetts ballot question would eliminate the state’s recreational cannabis market. It broke this week, and it’s the kind of story every MA operator and their team should have […]
September 28, 2026
In late August, cultivation and processing workers at New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Franklin, Massachusetts ratified a new one-year contract with UFCW Local 1445. The agreement covers eighteen workers in cultivation, harvest, cure, and pest management roles. It raises wages across the board, adds a one-time $700 ratification bonus, and improves holiday pay, overtime […]
September 25, 2026
“What should we pay a budtender?” This cannabis salary guide 2026 exists because we get some version of that question almost every week. Sometimes it’s a budtender question. Sometimes it’s “are we underpaying our managers?” Sometimes it’s “why can’t we fill this role at the salary we posted?” Sometimes it’s “should an AGM really make […]
September 23, 2026
Cannabis events this week, September 21-27, 2026, span three states and three different reasons to show up. Black Cannabis Week returns to Philadelphia for a full week of policy, workforce, and expungement programming. The Ohio Cannabis Health & Business Summit brings Columbus its main industry gathering of the month. Legacy Cup VII, Minnesota’s largest cannabis […]
September 21, 2026
Workers’ compensation covers an employee who gets hurt on the job. It also protects the employer from a direct lawsuit over that injury. Most states require it. Most operators outside cannabis set it up once and forget about it. Cannabis doesn’t get that luxury. The product’s federal status complicates insurance, banking, and coverage in ways […]
September 18, 2026
Cannabis Performance Reviews: Why Most Dispensaries Skip Them (And What Happens When You Don’t)
