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
This post reports patterns we have observed across the 50+ cannabis operators we work with and the 6 cannabis M&A integrations we have led. It is not published survey data or investment advice. Compensation varies by market, license type, operator size, and role scope. Verify with your CFO, employment counsel, and a cannabis-specialized compensation partner […]
July 29, 2026
This week in cannabis: a lighter industry-conference calendar makes room for community and wellness events, including two New Jersey activations, a Chicago wellness series worth sending your IL staff to, and Minnesota’s Canna Connect Brainerd. Here are the operator picks worth building your week around. Week 3 of Zen Den’s weekly events cadence. See last […]
July 27, 2026
This post discusses cannabis wrongful termination frameworks in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and California. It is informational only. Not legal advice. Cannabis employment law varies by state, by role, and by fact pattern. If you are facing an active claim, threat of a claim, or an imminent termination that could result in one, consult […]
July 24, 2026
This post is informational and reflects patterns we have seen across the 50+ cannabis operators we work with. It is not legal, tax, or licensing advice. HR decisions interact with state cannabis regulations, employment law, and 280E tax structure in ways that vary by operator size and footprint. Consult licensed counsel and a cannabis-specialized CPA […]
July 22, 2026
This post discusses allegations in an active federal lawsuit, EEOC v. Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. The case is at an early stage. No court has ruled on the merits, and the allegations described below have not been proven. This post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If your operation […]
July 21, 2026
This week in cannabis: the HIGHER Conference lands in Philadelphia as the biggest women-in-cannabis convergence of the year, the Pocono Canna Fair pulls 325+ vendors to eastern Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts operators can catch a real dispensary block-party activation at Zahara’s in Attleboro. Here are the operator picks worth building your week around. Week 2 of […]
July 20, 2026
A Massachusetts dispensary operator called us on July 8. Massachusetts had quietly raised its minimum wage on July 1, and the operator’s assistant manager was now within $0.75 an hour of a shift lead. Compression was already showing up in staff conversations. The assistant manager was five days away from taking a job at the […]
July 17, 2026
Cannabis Events Week of July 13, 2026: Operator Picks From MA, NY, NJ, RI, and ME post-710 recovery mode collides with the FIFA World Cup 2026 in full swing, a Massachusetts rally against a potential adult-use repeal, a full networking calendar in NYC, and the fifth annual Maine Women’s Cannabiz Symposium in the woods of […]
July 15, 2026
This post is informational and reflects patterns we have seen across the 50+ cannabis operators we work with and the 6 cannabis M&A integrations we have led. It is not legal, tax, or licensing advice. Cannabis M&A carries state-specific licensing, badging, and successor-liability rules that vary and change often. Consult licensed cannabis counsel, a cannabis-specialized […]
