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News & Insights
Here you'll find the latest news and industry insights from PacGarden including case studies and legal updates.

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Cannabis Vape Sales Overtake Flower in California
Cannabis vape sales have overtaken flower in California for the first time. The shift highlights durable consumer demand and growing M&A focus on manufacturing.
Feb 54 min read


NFL Cannabis Policy and Super Bowl Culture: Legal Cannabis Now Part of America’s Biggest Game
With the Super Bowl in San Francisco, cannabis culture, NFL policy shifts, and California’s legal market collide in a defining moment for normalization.
Feb 34 min read


California Illicit Cannabis Seizures 2025: Is the Tide Turning Against the Black Market?
California reports $609M in illicit cannabis seized in 2025 and $1.2B since 2022. If enforcement holds, the regulated market may finally get a fair fight.
Jan 315 min read


When Cannabis Deals Go Wrong, Part 3: Winning the Eviction and Still Losing the Asset in Cannabis Real Estate
Winning an eviction does not guarantee success in cannabis real estate. Many landlords regain possession only to face vacancy, unpaid rent, and stranded licenses.
Jan 295 min read


Schedule III Is Already Reshaping Cannabis Expansion and M&A
Schedule III is already influencing how cannabis companies think about expansion, research, and consolidation. Early strategic positioning by public operators may have lasting implications for cannabis M&A.
Jan 274 min read


Lease Restructuring After an Unlawful Detainer: When Staying Makes Sense
Most operators assume an unlawful detainer means eviction. In cannabis real estate, many leases survive through restructuring. Here’s when renegotiation works, and why some UDs end in better deals.
Jan 244 min read


When Cannabis Deals Go Wrong: What to Expect from an Unlawful Detainer
Unlawful detainers are rising in cannabis real estate. Here’s what operators should expect when eviction notices arrive.
Jan 224 min read


Cannabis, MLK Day, and Civil Rights: Correcting a Historic Injustice
Cannabis prohibition has deep civil rights roots. MLK Day is a moment to reflect on why Schedule III is a meaningful correction.
Jan 194 min read


U.S. Cannabis Sales Are Hitting Records
Cannabis sales are breaking records nationwide. New York, Missouri, Massachusetts, and emerging markets are driving demand and reshaping the industry.
Jan 174 min read


Cannabis Brand Acquisitions Signal a New Era for Cannabis M&A Under Schedule III
Cannabis M&A under Schedule III is accelerating as strategic buyers acquire cannabis brands with durable equity, IP, and consumer trust.
Jan 134 min read


Cannabis Research Enters a New Era After Federal Rescheduling
Federal cannabis rescheduling and new UCLA research funding mark a turning point for science, policy, and the future of cannabis.
Jan 104 min read


Cannabis M&A Is Heating Up: Recent Deals Signal a Turning Point
How Mid-Market Acquisitions Point to Broader Consolidation Ahead For much of the past several years, cannabis mergers and acquisitions have felt frozen in place. Capital markets were cautious, valuations faltered, and many buyers sat on the sidelines. But that appears to be changing. A series of recent deals — from strategic infrastructure buys to brand consolidations — suggests that cannabis M&A activity is beginning to heat up. While none of these deals are traditional “blo
Jan 84 min read


San Diego Cannabis Taxes Hurting Dispensaries
San Diego raised cannabis taxes expecting higher revenue. Instead, collections fell. The reason lies in price sensitivity, substitution, and black-market competition.
Jan 64 min read


Trump Reschedules Cannabis: A New Era for U.S. Policy and Industry
President Trump has rescheduled cannabis to Schedule III. This historic executive action expands research access, improves tax treatment, and reshapes federal cannabis policy.
Dec 19, 20255 min read


Trump Cannabis Rescheduling: What a Schedule III Executive Order Would Really Change
Reports suggest Trump may move cannabis to Schedule III by executive order. We examine the history, politics, and why reform still falls short.
Dec 13, 20257 min read


THC for the Holidays: What Green Wednesday Signals About the Future of Social Intoxication
Green Wednesday and “Danksgiving” reveal a new holiday ritual: THC for the Holidays. As alcohol loses share and hemp faces bans, demand shifts to regulated cannabis.
Nov 26, 20257 min read


How the Federal Intoxicating Hemp Ban Impacts the Market Landscape
The federal intoxicating hemp ban gives operators one year before enforcement begins—disrupting state hemp markets, shifting demand, and reshaping the future of THC commerce.
Nov 19, 20256 min read


Open Government, Closed Market: The Federal Intoxicating Hemp Ban
As the Senate votes to reopen the government, hidden language in the same bill could effectively close 95% of the hemp-derived THC market. The Federal Intoxicating Hemp Ban redefines hemp, imposes strict THC limits, and gives the industry one year to adapt—or vanish.
Nov 11, 20255 min read


Beyond the Dispensary: How Hemp-Derived THC Drinks Are Winning on Mainstream Retail Shelves
Hemp-derived THC drinks use the same emulsified technology as cannabis beverages, but thrive outside dispensaries—on grocery, c-store, and smoke-shop shelves. Learn how they work and why they’re reshaping access to intoxicating products across the U.S.
Oct 28, 20257 min read


Alcohol Brands Enter THC Beverage Market: From Beer to Canna-Buzz
Major beer and liquor brands are eyeing the rising THC-infused beverage market as traditional alcohol sales stagnate. This post explores their strategies, new emulsified-THC technologies, and the changing drinker mindset reshaping the future of social beverages.
Oct 25, 20255 min read
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