Our Articles

Coverage of trends in licensing, square footage, and large license conversion throughout California's cannabis industry, as well as manufacturing and commercial sectors.

california's cannabis industry has a lot of economic problems, and the historic model of buyer's clubs may provide a solution

California's Department Of Cannabis Control published inaccurate data which indicates issues with METRC track and trace

Economic theory and practice to help California Cannabis retailers stabilize their business, supply chain, and help small farms

An economic model for how distribution can be altered to support small farms in the California Cannabis Industry

An ideal economic model for small cannabis farms involves collaborative information sharing and high quality genetics, similar to before legalization

We interview Ed Mason of Mason Family Farms, a small cannabis farm in Mendocino County California. We share Ed's stories from both sides of the law, and his thoughts on the state of the cannabis industry

End Of Year analysis of the 2023 California Cannabis Industry. We cover trends in licensing and square footage for cultivation, commercial, and manufacturing licenses.

Here we cover a few small updates, including our dev work on trading partners and expanding our cannabis partnerships, legislation on unpaid invoices, and changes to METRC's transfers and tag requirements

Grassdoor recently failed as a company but there is a scam website operating under their name. We dig into the obvious red flags and explain how to vet cannabis sites for authenticity.

In this article we talk about the failures of California Cannabis companies Herbl and Grassdoor GetHerb. We detail they reasons for their failure, and how we are learning from their failures to make Higher Origins more resilient

In this article we interview Eric Edgerton of Tilth Farms, a cannabis farm in the high desert of Mono County California. We talk about the unique challenges of the environment, his story, signature strain Sweetwater, and the struggles of farming

In this article we cover California's METRC cannabis track and trace software, including it's high cost, excessive data collection, and inefficiency, as well as suggest an alternative simple CSV solution

Higher Origins is a cannabis community platform built for the legal industry. We shorten supply chains, connect farmers with retail and customers, ease sourcing and compliance, analyze trends, and respect the origins of the cannabis culture.

In this article we respond to the California Department of Cannabis Control's goals and priorities plan, with our own feedback and recommendations for how they can achieve the results they are looking for

In this article we dive deep into why we think cannabis and blockchain don't mix well. We don't think that crypto fits cannabis well, and we cover red flags, technical reasons, as well as break down the current proposed solutions out there.

In this quarterly report, we analyze the current trends in the California Cannabis industry in terms of licensing, square footage, and geographic production/consumption. Also include is data on Large cannabis licenses

In this article we cover new features to the Higher Origins Cannabis platform, including California license exploration, terpene profiles, region exploration, and our new code base

In this article, the second in a series, we focus on the value that small California cannabis farms and their unique products can bring to retailers. We discuss: everything from sustainability, to unique offerings, to social responsibility.

In this report we discuss the large cannabis license type, it's reporting, and it's impact on the California market, as well as difficulties in reporting and analyzing large farms. We include our recommendations and list the large farms in the state

In the first article in this 2 part series we discuss reasons why brands should consider buying from small cannabis farms, including their greater stain variety, cultural connection, and customer appeal, we also explain how Higher Origins enables this

In this interview we talk to Kevin Bush of Bush Family Farms, a small cannabis farm in Mendocino County California. We cover his thoughts on getting involved in the social equity process through his nonprofit SEEDS and his story as a grower

This article covers changes we would like to see in how METRC is applied to California cannabis farms, as well as the elimination of minimum taxes, the legal definition of marketing terms, and clearer labels to clarify farm size and lab accountability

In our work with cannabis cultivators we've notice they lack a connection to their consumers. Here we discuss three ways to bridge the gap, including guided tastings, budtender education, and curated subscription boxes.

The market is always changing for cannabis cultivators. In this article we focus on changes to laboratory testing, health and safety labeling, and the challenges faced by farms attempting to start their own brand.

In this article we cover the trends in the California cannabis industry in the first half of 2023. We cover cultivation, manufacturing, and commercial licenses, square footage, and the growth and losses across different sectors of the market.

How does the California cannabis industry look this year? Here’s the top 5 trends we can see. We discuss big money M&A, tax bummers and breaks, brand evolution, the lack of good data, and failing verticals.

In this article we discuss the ongoing lawsuits between Catalyst Cannabis and Glass House Farms/Brands. We discuss the claims of black marketeering, the math behind the claims, and our take on the variables at play

In this interview we talk with Marty Clein of Martyjuana, a small cannabis farm in Mendocino County with award winning flower, roots in the Prop 215 era, and a passion for terpenes, terroir, and supporting patients

In this article we break down how small and large farming businesses compare in the California cannabis market, and discuss some of the reasons why small farms are more resilient, even in bad market conditions.

In this article we break down the trends and changes in the California Cannabis Industry throughout the first quarter of 2023. We discuss trends in cultivation, commercial, and manufacturing licenses, and share our conclusions on the state of the industry.

In the first Farm Interview article, we speak with Venus and Francisco from Healing Wonders Farms, a cannabis farm in Mendocino county, about their experiences, struggles, and vision for the California Cannabis Industry

In this article we introduce our new distribution partner, Maui Ben, explain the advantages of this partnership for our community cannabis platform, and share an interview with Ben about his experience in cultivation over the decades.

Announcing the Higher Origins Marketplace: an accessible, METRC-integrated platform where licensed wholesalers, retailers, and cultivators can buy and sell cannabis products. Designed on the mountain with the cultivator in mind.

In this article we analyze California State data on the cannabis industry. We discuss trends in licensing, sales, and license loss/gain across the past year, as well as share our take on what these trends mean for the industry.

In this article we share the progress of Higher Origins through 2022, including marketplace information, growth statistics, small farm collaborations, and our forward looking statements for our 2023 goals.

In this article we explain how METRC's track and trace tags work in California. discuss their usefulness to consumer safety, and question the sustainability of the newly announced environmentally friendly tags.

In this article we take a look at the current state of sustainable cannabis packaging, discuss the regulatory and waste recycling systems, and introduce several plastic alternatives.

In this article we summarize ten recent pieces of legislation Gavin Newsom signed into law, and give our perspective on how they will impact the California Cannabis industry.

We've noticed a trend of less variety in California Cannabis. Where are the strains going? In this article we discuss how the standardized genetic needs of large operations are preventing struggling small farms from bringing craft variety to market.

In this article we deliver cannabis cultivation industry insights pulled from our current Higher Origins community. We share planting and harvest data since 2019 and explain what the data means.