Blog

Who’s Funding Cannabis Now? Seth Yakatan Explains

SparkPlug — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:48:26 GMT

If you talk to enough cannabis founders right now, you'll hear the same thing: capital has dried up, investors have moved on, the window is closed. Seth Yakatan doesn't buy it.

3 Cannabis Business Models That Actually Work, According to Seth Yakatan

SparkPlug — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:46:52 GMT

Spend enough time around cannabis companies and a pattern starts to emerge. Some operators are constantly raising, restructuring, or explaining why this next phase is going to be different. Others are just running their businesses — profitably, consistently, without much drama. Seth Yakatan has spent enough time under the hood of both types to know the difference isn't luck. It's structure.

The Fight Over Cannabis Normalization: Seth Yakatan’s Take

SparkPlug — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:42:20 GMT

Ask most people what's holding cannabis back and they'll say regulation. Seth Yakatan thinks that's only part of the answer. The bigger battle, in his view, isn't about whether cannabis is legal — it's about who gets to control how people access it. And that fight has been playing out in a much messier way than most people expected.

Seth Yakatan: Cannabis Is No Longer a Story—It’s a Cash Flow Game

SparkPlug — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:17:45 GMT

There was a time when you could build a cannabis company on a good pitch deck. Big market, inevitable legalization, first-mover advantage — that was enough to get a meeting, and sometimes enough to get a check.

Survival, Retail Reality, and Why Cannabis Still Points to the Future

Andrew Duffy — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 20:49:09 GMT

By Andrew Duffy, CEO & Founder, SparkPlug

Why THC Beverages Are Changing How Adults Socialize

SparkPlug — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:16:46 GMT

The rise of THC beverages isn’t just a retail story. It’s a cultural one. Behind the growth numbers and shelf expansions is a quieter shift in how adults want to relax, socialize, and feel the next morning.

The Uncomfortable Truth About THC Beverage Brands

SparkPlug — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:08:25 GMT

The THC beverage category is expanding rapidly, but brand power hasn’t kept pace. Shelves are crowded. SKUs are multiplying. Yet from a retailer’s perspective, very few brands have achieved meaningful, defensible recognition.

Why Liquor Stores Are Becoming THC’s Front Door

SparkPlug — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:50:17 GMT

Why Liquor Stores Are Becoming THC’s Front Door

For many consumers, cannabis still feels like a commitment. Dispensaries require intention, planning, and a willingness to step into an unfamiliar environment. Liquor stores, by contrast, are already part of daily life. That difference is quietly reshaping how people first encounter THC.

Frontline Secrets: What 500 Budtenders Say About Great Promotions

Isabel Carter — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 20:07:12 GMT

Why your best promotions are falling flat—and it's not what you think.

You've crafted the perfect promotion. The margin math works. The timing is right. The creative looks great. But when it hits the sales floor, something's off. Sales don't pop the way they should. Budtenders seem caught off guard. Customers ask questions your team can't answer.

Sound familiar?

At SparkPlug, we understand that the point of sale is the point of truth. That’s why we surveyed 500+ budtenders across the country to understand what's really happening on the frontlines of cannabis retail promotions. What we found reveals a critical blind spot that's costing brands and retailers millions in lost sales—and it has nothing to do with your promotional strategy.

Budtender Training: How to Build Knowledge, Confidence, and Career Growth

Isabel Carter — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 21:47:05 GMT

Budtender Training: The Foundation of Cannabis Success

Budtenders are the connection point between cannabis brands and customers. They translate product information into real-world understanding, guide shoppers toward the right experiences, and represent the heart of the retail environment. A confident, informed budtender can elevate every interaction, creating loyalty and driving sales.

Courses Just Got Better: Introducing Custom Rewards

SparkPlug — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 21:23:41 GMT

Keeping frontline teams engaged in training is not always easy, especially when rewards feel one size fits all. That is why we are excited to introduce Custom Rewards for SparkPlug Courses. This new capability helps companies motivate employees with incentives that reflect their own culture and goals.

From Natural Products to Cannabis VC: How Patrick Rea Helped Build the Industry’s Startup Ecosystem

SparkPlug — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:22:36 GMT

Before Patrick Rea became one of the most influential early investors in cannabis, he was helping shape an entirely different emerging market: natural products. From functional foods to dietary supplements, Patrick spent 15 years watching that space mature—and the parallels to cannabis weren’t lost on him.