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
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
“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
Four years. That’s how long it took workers at a Springfield, Missouri dispensary to get a ratified union contract after they voted to unionize, and the reason for the wait has nothing to do with the union and everything to do with who owned the building. This is a cannabis union contract delay story, and it’s a due diligence story for anyone buying a unionized cannabis business.
September 4, 2026
This post is informational only. Massachusetts’s cannabis social equity program eligibility, deadlines, and requirements are set by the Cannabis Control Commission and can change. Confirm current details directly with the CCC before advising a client or candidate on eligibility. Most operators read “cannabis social equity program” and think licensing. That’s only half of what Massachusetts […]
September 1, 2026
This post is informational and reflects patterns we have observed across cannabis operator engagements. It is not legal, tax, or hiring compliance advice. Consult licensed employment counsel and your state cannabis control commission for specific guidance on badging timelines and hiring compliance in your operating states. Labor Day is two to three weeks away. If […]
August 29, 2026
Cannabis M&A HR Playbook 2026: 6 Things Cross-Border Deals Get Wrong
