weed farm business plan

Cannabis Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their cannabis businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a cannabis business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your cannabis business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a cannabis business, or grow your existing cannabis business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your cannabis business in order to improve your chances of success. Your cannabis business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Cannabis Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a cannabis business are personal savings, credit cards, and angel investors. Personal savings is the most common form of funding for a cannabis business.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

If you want to start a cannabis business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below are links to each section of a free cannabis business plan template:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of cannabis business you are operating and its status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a cannabis business that you would like to grow, or are you operating cannabis businesses in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the cannabis industry. Discuss the type of cannabis business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of cannabis business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of cannabis businesses:

Cannabis cultivation : this type of business grows and harvests cannabis either from an outdoor farm, or from a greenhouse or hydroponics operation.
Cannabis product manufacturing: this type of business takes cannabis and makes a variety of products for end consumers, such as food, beverages, oils, tinctures, etc.
Cannabis dispensary : this type of business retails cannabis and cannabis products, for adult use and/or for those with medical cards.
Vertically integrated operation : this type of business grows and manufactures all or most of its products in-house, as well as retailing them.

In addition to explaining the type of cannabis business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your marijuana business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

When and why did you start the business?
What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of products you manufacture, number of distribution contracts, etc.
Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the cannabis industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the cannabis industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your cannabis business plan:

How big is the cannabis industry (in dollars)?
Is the market declining or increasing?
Who are the key competitors in the market?
Who are the key suppliers in the market?
What trends are affecting the industry?
What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your cannabis business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your cannabis business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: cannabis manufacturers, dispensaries, and consumers.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of cannabis business you operate. Clearly, cannabis dispensaries would respond to different marketing promotions than manufacturers, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most cannabis businesses primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

Finish Your Cannabis Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other cannabis businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes alternate pharmaceutical products, or individuals who choose to grow and produce their own cannabis.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other cannabis businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be cannabis businesses located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

What types of products do they offer?
Do they distribute to a particular type of dispensary (retail, medical-only, etc.)?
What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
What are they good at?
What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

Will you provide a wider variety of products?
Will you offer extra services, such as white label services?
Will you provide better customer service?
Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a marijuana business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of cannabis company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to smokable cannabis, will your cannabis business offer edibles, tinctures and oils?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your cannabis company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, will you sell your products directly to consumers via a storefront? Will you sell via an ecommerce site? Or will you sell your products to other retailers who will then sell to consumers? In this section, document each method by which you will sell your products.

Promotions : The final part of your cannabis marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

Advertising in local papers and magazines
Reaching out to local websites
Signs and billboards
Social media marketing
Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your cannabis business, including marketing; growing cannabis; developing, manufacturing and packaging products; and meeting with prospective distributors/retailers.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to sign a distribution contract with your 25 th retailer, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to open a cannabis business in a new location.

Management Team

To demonstrate your cannabis business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing cannabis businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in manufacturing consumer products, or successfully running small businesses.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you produce a single product, or will you have a line of 10 products? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your cannabis business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a cannabis business:

Garden, greenhouse, or hydroponic facility development
Manufacturing facility build-out
Cost of production machinery
Cost of packaging and other supplies
Payroll or salaries paid to staff
Business insurance
Taxes and permits
Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your facility lease, or an overview of all the products you provide.

Putting together a business plan for your cannabis business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the cannabis industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful cannabis business.

Cannabis Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my cannabis business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Cannabis Business Plan.

Where Can I Download a Cannabis Business Plan PDF?

You can download our Cannabis business plan PDF here. This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of cannabis business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a cannabis business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of cannabis businesses?

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Cannabis business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Click here to see how a Growthink business plan consultant can create your business plan for you.

How to Write a Cannabis Business Plan + Free Template

2. Create an executive summary

An executive summary offers a concise summary of your cannabis dispensary business plan. It is recommended to write this section at last after you are done writing for other aspects.

Potential investors gauge the viability of your business model after reading your executive summary. If it’s intriguing enough, they will move forward and use it as a reference point.

Consider adding all the important information in this section using a storytelling approach.

This includes business details like its name and location, contact information, market overview, products and services, team members, operations, goals, objectives, and everything that makes your company unique.

An ideal executive summary must offer a snapshot of your business plan. It should attract investors with a hook and persuade them to read further.

Say goodbye to boring templates

Build your business plan faster and easier with AI

Plans starting from $7/month

3. Prepare a company overview section

This section offers a brief description of your company and an insight into its important details.

Remember, the different types of business models we discussed earlier? It’s now time to highlight the type of cannabis company you are planning to open.

Mention if it is a startup or an already established company. Also, specify the legal structure of your business, i.e. sole proprietorship, S Corp, LLC, partnership firm.

Include other details such as:

Why do you want to start a company?
What is the value proposition of your business?
If it’s an established business, when did it start?
What are the future business goals, aspirations, and objectives of your business?

It’s okay to brag a little but offer your readers a realistic picture of your company.

4. Conduct an industry analysis of your cannabis market

The industry analysis section offers a brief overview of the cannabis industry. Although it may seem unnecessary, this market research will play an extremely important role in determining your business strategies.

The market analysis will enhance your knowledge of the cannabis market and make you aware of the emerging trends that are worth considering. Not only that, it will establish your expertise as a professional amongst readers.

Now, what should an industry analysis section include?

The relevant market size of the cannabis industry
The growth rate in the marijuana market
The industry’s growth forecast for the next 5-10 years
The key suppliers for your cannabis dispensary
The competitive analysis of your business
Current industry trends and emerging trends
Potential market share and growth opportunities for your dispensary

While writing this section narrow down the focus from the broad to the specific marijuana market you would be covering. This will help establish the logical flow of information.

For instance,

The US marijuana market is projected to reach 71 billion dollars by 2030, of which legal sales in Arizona alone are projected to reach $1740.2 million. This shows a favorable growth opportunity for cannabis dispensaries in Arizona.

5. Competitors analysis

The Cannabis industry has a competitive market landscape in the US especially since it was legalized. The question is do you stand a competitive edge in this market?

In this section of a business plan, focus on evaluating your competitors and identifying your key strengths through competitive analysis.

To begin with, identify your direct and indirect competitors. Direct competitors are other cannabis businesses offering the same products and services as you, i.e. cannabis dispensaries in your location.

Indirect competitors are businesses that offer replacement products for marijuana.

Study industry reports and publications and use methods like SWOT analysis, competitor profiling, etc. to analyze your competitors. The market research will help you identify their product offerings, strengths, weaknesses, pricing, and distribution channels.

Now, identify your competitive advantage over these cannabis businesses and outline them strategically. Highlight the details like prices, products, or services that make you stand apart.

6. Describe your cannabis product line

In this section of a cannabis dispensary business plan, you offer a line down of all the products and services offered by you.

A variety of marijuana products can be found in a dispensary. From flower buds to edibles, oils, pre-rolls, vaporizers, and cartridges- determine what you will sell or intend to sell as the business scales.

Mention if you would be offering any luxury or branded options in medical and recreational cannabis. And also highlights additional services like consultation, delivery, white labeling, etc. that are relevant to your business.

7. Detail out a cannabis sales and marketing plan

All the analysis and market research in the previous stages will now come together to form a plan of action. This action plan will bring you sales and make your dispensary profitable eventually.

Firstly, detail your sales strategy and highlight different methods that will help you achieve your sales plan.

For instance, a medical dispensary can partner with medical professionals to sell their high-THC cannabis products.

Now, line down your marketing plan that will help you achieve desired sales and popularity in the market.

Cannabis marketing is tricky and you need a proper understanding of the product, price, and place to market your products.

Here are a few things to consider while strategizing your marketing plan:

Where will you sell cannabis products- online or physical store
What customer segments or age groups will you cater to Youths, medical patients, seniors, etc..
What is the placement of your product- luxury, mid-range, low-price
What marketing channels will work for your audience- online marketing, print media, social media marketing, Emails or SMS

Find a correlation between each of these factors and form varying marketing strategies.

8. Introduce your management team

In this section of your business plan, outline the organizational structure of your business and introduce the founding members of your dispensary. Also, introduce your key management team and important personnel.

Outline their relevant experiences and skill sets and show how they are an asset to your business.

9. Outline an operational plan

The operations plan streamlines the backend processes and details the everyday operations of running a dispensary.

In this section, mention standard operating procedures (SOPs) that will contribute towards the smooth functioning of a business. There must be a clear SOP for inventory management, ordering, delivery methods, employee training, vendors and suppliers, etc.

Mention all the technologies you will use at a dispensary. For instance, a seed-to-sale compliant POS system.

Detail all the security measures for a dispensary. Clarify how you will store cash and what tools you will have to combat situations like robbery, emergency, etc.

All in all, think of every small detail and lay down a clear guideline for different business activities.

10. Prepare a financial plan

This section of a cannabis dispensary business plan offers a brief financial summary of your business. Prepare this part with utmost scrutiny, especially if the purpose of a business plan is to acquire funds.

Let’s have a glance at everything your financial plan should include.

Estimate the cost of starting a cannabis business . Account for every expense starting with lease rental to licensing fees, inventory, payroll, development costs, technology setup, etc.
Identify your funding requirements and sources. Government banks and financial institutions are averse to high-risk industries like cannabis. So, it is better to plan your funding sources well in advance.
Prepare financial projections for operating costs, sales forecast, and pricing using your study on market analysis. Create monthly, quarterly, and yearly projections taking into consideration price hikes and seasonal fluctuations.
Generate the key financial reports like income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and break-even analyses using the financial projections made earlier.
Test and validate the assumptions.
Present the information strategically through charts, graphs, and diagrams by highlighting key data points.

Now, it gets relatively difficult to create a robust financial plan from scratch without any aid. Upmetrics financial forecasting tool comes to your rescue by helping you generate accurate estimates and reports in minutes. Simply add your assumptions to the tab and it shall do the rest.

That’s pretty much everything a cannabis business plan must have.

Cannabis Industry Highlights 2023

Let’s have a look at the latest market trends and statistics ruling the cannabis industry in 2023:

Market Value : The US cannabis market was valued at $13.2 billion dollars in 2022. North America is the largest market for legal cannabis in the world and all the sales are generated from here.
Cannabis users : More than 55 million American adults have consumed cannabis products at least once in their lives.
Legalization in states: According to NCSL , 23 states have legalized the use of recreational cannabis by 2023. Apart from that, districts in Columbia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands have also legalized cannabis.
Expected spending : The global spending on Cannabis products is expected to cross $57 billion by 2027.
Contribution to the US economy : The cannabis market is expected to contribute $130 billion to the US economy by 2024.
Highest market share : The share of the single largest marijuana market in the world is held by California. Colorado, Michigan, Florida, and Washington follow this.
CBD Oils : According to Grand View Research , the CBD oil market is expected to generate a revenue of $1 billion by the end of 2022.

Impressive, right? Now consider these stats while forming your market research.

Download a sample cannabis business plan

Need help writing the content for your cannabis business plan? Look no further. We have a perfect resource for you.

Our cannabis business plan sample pdf offers step-by-step instructions with relevant examples and tutorials. It’s an intuitive template with perfect reference points and is available for free download.

Resources related to cannabis businesses

How to Start a Cannabis Business
Cannabis Marketing Plan
Cannabis Industry Statistics
Cannabis cultivation plan
Dispensary business plan

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

Write your business plan with Upmetrics

Let’s optimize your business planning with Upmetrics. With an extensive collection of 400+ sample templates, Upmetrics offers AI assistance and a step-by-step guide to help you write a well-structured business plan.

Upmetrics resources are perfect whether you are expanding your current cannabis business or setting up a new dispensary.

So what are you waiting for? Turn your cannabis business idea into a reality now.

Small Farming Business Plan

Organic Farm Business Plan

400+ Sample Business Plan Example

Business Plan Writing Process Guide

Frequently asked questions, what is the best state to start a cannabis business.

The best state to start your cannabis business is Oregon. The legal environment in this state is relaxed and the competition is less intense. The cost of licensing is negligent and the guidelines surrounding cannabis businesses are less severe. Overall, you can start a dispensary at low costs in Oregon.

What Are the Key Components of a Cannabis Business Plan?

A cannabis business plan must include a proper plan for marketing, operations, sales, and organizational structure. Apart from that, a financial plan is of utmost importance when you start a cannabis business. Include, an executive summary and company analysis to make your business plan a concrete one.

Should I include testimonials or case studies in my Cannabis business plan?

Yes, adding testimonials can help establish credibility and trust for your business. The case studies will demonstrate your success in the market and win the trust of potential investors. Gather effective testimonials and case studies from your business history if possible.

What are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Cannabis Business Plan?

Here are a few mistakes to avoid when writing your cannabis business plan:

Underestimating and overestimating the costs.
Not accounting for licensing fees.
Not accounting for casualties and emergencies.
Inadequate and low-quality research.
Inconsistent formatting and presentation.

How Often Should I Update My Cannabis Business Plan?

A marijuana business plan should be updated every year accounting for the changes in business environment and projections. Also, make changes to your plan as and when new policies roll out in your concerned states.

About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

Plan your business in the shortest time possible

No Risk – Cancel at Any Time – 15 Day Money Back Guarantee

Popular Templates

Create a great Business Plan with great price.

400+ Business plan templates & examples
AI Assistance & step by step guidance
4.8 Star rating on Trustpilot

Streamline your business planning process with Upmetrics .

Download How to Write a Cannabis Business Plan + Free Template

Full Guide: How to Write a Great Cannabis Business Plan

An entrepreneur should write a business plan when they are starting a new business or seeking funding for an existing business. Writing a great business plan for a cannabis company is not only an important milestone for outside interest, but they are also a great exercise for business owners to take a detailed look at their business model.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of business plan templates available online. In fact, since legalization, there are even a large number of cannabis business plan templates.

Executive Summary

A great executive summary is a concise, compelling overview of your business plan that captures the reader's attention and provides an overview of your business. Here are some key elements that may be included in a really good executive summary:

Introduction: Begin with a clear and concise statement of your business, including its name and a brief description of what it does.
Market Opportunity: Describe the market opportunity for your business, including the size of the market, growth potential, and key trends that make it an attractive opportunity.
Product or Service Offering: Summarize your product or service offering, including any unique features or benefits that differentiate your offering from competitors.
Competitive Landscape: Describe your competition, including their strengths and weaknesses, and explain how your business will differentiate itself in the market.
Management Team: Provide an overview of the management team, including their experience and qualifications, and explain how their expertise will contribute to the success of the business.
Financial Projections: Provide a high-level overview of your financial projections, including revenue, expenses, and profitability.
Funding Requirements: Summarize the funding requirements for your business, including how much funding you need, how the funds will be used, and how investors can benefit from investing in your business.
Conclusion: Sum up your executive summary by highlighting the key points that make your business unique, compelling, and attractive to investors.

Remember, the executive summary is the first thing that many investors or lenders will read, so it's important to make a strong impression and clearly communicate the key points of your business plan. Keep it brief, clear, and focused, and avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to your audience.

Company Description

This section should describe the history, structure, and mission of your cannabis cultivation company. The company description section of a business plan provides an overview of the business and its mission. Here are some key elements that should be included in a company description:

Business Name: Begin with the name of your business, which should be clear, memorable, and easy to pronounce.
Legal Structure: Describe the legal structure of your business, such as whether it is a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation.
Mission Statement: Provide a brief statement of your business's mission, which should describe the purpose and values of the company.
History: Summarize the history of the business, including when it was founded, who the founders were, and how the business has evolved over time.
Industry and Market: Describe the industry and market in which your business operates, including its size, growth potential, and key trends.
Products and Services: Provide a brief overview of the products or services that your business offers, including any unique features or benefits.
Customers: Describe your target customer, including their demographics, needs, and buying habits.
Location: Describe the location of your business, including any advantages or disadvantages of the location.
Culture and Values: Describe the culture and values of your business, including any unique qualities that differentiate your business from competitors.

Remember to keep the company description concise and focused on the key elements that are most relevant to your business. Use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, make sure the description reflects the unique qualities and strengths of your business.

Market Analysis

Conduct a thorough analysis of the cannabis market, including its size, growth potential, competition, and consumer trends. The market research section of a business plan is an important part that helps to determine the viability of a business idea by assessing the market opportunity and demand for the product or service. Here are some key elements that should be included in a market analysis section:

Industry Overview: Provide a broad overview of the industry your business operates in, including its size, growth potential, and key trends.
Market Segmentation: Describe the specific market segment that your business targets, including demographics, geographic location, and psychographic characteristics.
Target Market Size: Estimate the size of your target market and the potential demand for your product or service.
Competition: Identify and describe the major competitors in your market, including their strengths and weaknesses.
Market Share: Estimate the market share that your business can realistically capture, based on the size of the market and the competitive landscape.
Pricing Strategy: Explain your pricing strategy, including how you plan to price your product or service relative to competitors and how you will maintain profitability.
Sales and Distribution: Describe how you plan to sell and distribute your product or service, including your sales channels and distribution strategy.
Regulations and Legal Environment: Identify any regulatory or legal issues that may impact your business, including any licenses or permits required to operate.
Risks and Challenges: Identify potential risks and challenges your business may face in the market, such as economic downturns, changing consumer preferences, or unexpected competition.

Remember to back up your market analysis with research and data, and be realistic in your projections. Use clear, concise language and avoid using technical jargon that may be unfamiliar to your audience. Finally, focus on the key factors that will be most important in determining the success of your business.

Products and Services

Describe your products and services, including strains, cultivation methods, and packaging. The products and services section is an important part that describes the strains, products, and cultivation methods that the business offers. Here are some key elements that should be included in the products and services section:

Product Offering: Provide an overview of the products and strains that your business offers, including their unique features, benefits, and any special characteristics.
Cultivation Method: Describe your cultivation method, including the type of equipment and supplies you use, as well as any special processes or techniques that you employ.
Processing and Packaging: Explain how you process and package your products, including any unique features that differentiate your products from competitors.
Quality Control: Describe your quality control process, including any third-party testing or certification that you use to ensure the quality and purity of your products.
Product Pipeline: Describe any future products or strains that your business plans to offer in the future, including the timeline and development process.
Inventory Management: Describe how you manage your inventory, including how you plan to balance supply and demand, and how you will maintain adequate stock levels.
Compliance and Regulations: Explain how you plan to comply with all relevant regulations and laws, including any licensing or permitting requirements.
Research and Development: Describe any ongoing research and development efforts that your business is engaged in, including any partnerships or collaborations with other companies or institutions.

Remember to use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, focus on the unique qualities and strengths of your product offering, and explain how they will differentiate your business from competitors.

Marketing and Sales

Explain how you plan to market and sell your products, including your target audience, pricing strategy, and distribution channels. The Marketing and Sales section is an important part that describes the target audience, sales strategy, and distribution channels. Here are some key elements that should be included in the Marketing and Sales section:

Target Audience: Describe your target audience, including their demographics, psychographics, and buying habits.
Sales Strategy: Explain your sales strategy, including how you plan to sell your products and services, and how you will maintain profitability.
Pricing Strategy: Describe your pricing strategy, including how you plan to price your products and services relative to competitors, and how you will maintain profitability.
Distribution Channels: Explain your distribution channels, including how you plan to get your products and services into the hands of customers, and how you will maintain control over the quality and purity of your products.
Promotion Strategy: Describe your promotion strategy, including how you plan to promote your products and services to your target audience, and what channels you will use to reach them.
Branding and Positioning: Explain your branding and positioning strategy, including how you plan to differentiate your products and services from competitors, and what unique value propositions you offer to your target audience.
Marketing Budget: Describe your marketing budget, including how much you plan to spend on marketing and sales activities, and how you will allocate those funds to various channels and activities.
Sales Projections: Provide sales projections for your business, including revenue, expenses, and profitability.
Customer Service: Explain how you plan to provide excellent customer service, including what measures you will take to ensure that customers are satisfied with your products and services.

Remember to use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, focus on the unique qualities and strengths of your products and services, and explain how they will differentiate your business from competitors.

Management and Organization

Provide information about the management structure of your company, including key personnel and their roles. The Management and Organization section is an important part that describes the leadership team, organizational structure, and personnel plan. Here are some key elements that should be included in the Management and Organization section:

Leadership Team: Provide an overview of the leadership team, including their qualifications, experience, and roles within the organization.
Organizational Structure: Describe the organizational structure of your company, including the hierarchy of roles, departments, and reporting lines.
Ownership Structure: Explain the ownership structure of your company, including the percentage ownership of each partner or investor.
Board of Directors: If you have a board of directors, describe their roles and responsibilities within the organization.
Personnel Plan: Describe your personnel plan, including the number of employees you plan to hire, their roles and responsibilities, and their compensation and benefits.
Recruitment Strategy: Explain how you plan to recruit and hire top talent, including the channels and methods you will use to attract candidates.
Training and Development: Describe how you plan to train and develop your employees, including any ongoing training programs or professional development opportunities.
Management Philosophy: Explain your management philosophy, including how you plan to lead and motivate your team to achieve the company's goals and objectives.
Advisory Board: If you have an advisory board, describe their roles and responsibilities within the organization, and the value they provide to the business.

Remember to use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, focus on the unique qualities and strengths of your leadership team and organizational structure, and explain how they will contribute to the success of your business.

Financial Projections

Provide financial projections for your business, including revenue, expenses, and profitability. This should include start-up costs, operating costs, and sales projections. The Financial Projections section is an important part that provides an overview of the expected financial performance of the business. Here are some key elements that should be included in the Financial Projections section:

Startup Costs: Provide an estimate of the total startup costs for the business, including the costs of real estate, equipment, licenses and permits, and other expenses.
Revenue Projections: Estimate the revenue that your business is expected to generate over a specific period of time, such as the first year or first five years.
Expense Projections: Estimate the expenses that your business is expected to incur over a specific period of time, including operating expenses such as rent, utilities, marketing, and employee salaries.
Gross Margin: Calculate the gross margin for your business, which is the difference between your revenue and your cost of goods sold.
Net Income: Estimate the net income that your business is expected to generate, which is calculated by subtracting your expenses from your revenue.
Cash Flow: Provide a cash flow statement that shows the expected inflows and outflows of cash for your business over a specific period of time.
Break-Even Analysis: Perform a break-even analysis to determine the point at which your business will begin to generate a profit.
Financial Assumptions: Explain the assumptions that you have made in your financial projections, such as the growth rate of the cannabis market, the price of cannabis products, and the cost of supplies and equipment.
Funding Requirements: Provide an estimate of the funding that your business will require to start up and operate over a specific period of time.

Remember to use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, focus on the unique qualities and strengths of your financial projections, and explain how they will contribute to the success of your business.

Funding Requirements

Explain how much funding you need, how the funds will be used, and how investors can benefit from investing in your business. The Funding Requirements section is an important part that provides an overview of the funding that your business requires to start up and operate. Here are some key elements that should be included in the Funding Requirements section:

Total Funding Required: Estimate the total funding that your business requires to start up and operate, including the costs of real estate, equipment, licenses and permits, and other expenses.
Use of Funds: Describe how the funds will be used, including a detailed breakdown of the expenses that the funds will cover, such as startup costs, operating expenses, and marketing expenses.
Funding Sources: Describe the sources of funding that your business plans to use, such as angel investors, venture capitalists, or loans from financial institutions.
Investor Return: Explain how investors can expect to benefit from investing in your business, such as through equity or profit sharing.
Funding Timeline: Provide a timeline for the funding, including when you will start seeking funding and when you expect to receive it.
Legal and Regulatory Considerations: Explain any legal or regulatory considerations that may affect your ability to secure funding, such as licensing or permitting requirements.

Remember to use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, focus on the unique qualities and strengths of your funding requirements, and explain how they will contribute to the success of your business.

Risks and Challenges

Identify potential risks and challenges your business may face, such as regulatory issues, supply chain disruptions, or competition. Challenges section is an important part that describes the potential risks and challenges that your business may face. Here are some key elements that should be included in the Risks and Challenges section:

Regulatory Environment: Explain the regulatory environment for the cannabis industry in your area, including any legal restrictions or limitations that may affect your business.
Market Competition: Identify and describe the major competitors in your market, including their strengths and weaknesses, and explain how your business will differentiate itself from competitors.
Market Demand: Assess the demand for cannabis products in your market, including the size of the market and growth potential, and explain how your business will capture market share.
Supply Chain: Identify potential supply chain issues that may affect your business, such as the availability of supplies or equipment, and explain how you will manage these issues.
Financial Risks: Describe potential financial risks that your business may face, such as unexpected expenses or fluctuations in revenue, and explain how you plan to mitigate these risks.
Reputation Risks: Identify potential reputation risks that your business may face, such as negative publicity or legal issues, and explain how you plan to manage these risks.
Personnel Risks: Describe potential personnel risks that your business may face, such as turnover or employee retention issues, and explain how you plan to manage these risks.

Remember to use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, provide a plan for mitigating these risks and challenges, and explain how your business will adapt to changing circumstances to ensure long-term success.

Sum up your business plan and emphasize why your cannabis cultivation company is unique, competitive, and profitable. When writing a business plan for a cannabis company, the Conclusion section is an important part that provides a summary of the key points in the plan and emphasizes the potential for success. Here are some key elements that should be included in the Conclusion section:

Summary of the Business Plan: Provide a brief summary of the key points in the business plan, including the product or service offering, the target market, and the marketing and sales strategy.
Potential for Success: Emphasize the potential for success of your business, including the market opportunity, competitive advantage, and management team.
Call to Action: Encourage potential investors or partners to take action, such as contacting you for more information or investing in your business.
Next Steps: Provide a plan for next steps, including a timeline for implementing the business plan and achieving the goals and objectives outlined in the plan.
Thank You: Express your appreciation for the reader's time and consideration, and thank them for their interest in your business.

Remember to use clear, direct language that is easy for readers to understand, and avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords. Finally, make sure the Conclusion section reflects the unique qualities and strengths of your business and leaves a positive impression on the reader.

It's important to note that the legal landscape surrounding cannabis can be complex and varies by location. Make sure to thoroughly research and understand the legal and regulatory requirements in your area, and consult with legal and financial professionals as needed.

Check Out Our Recent Blog Posts

Join Canix at MJ Unpacked in Atlantic City

Streamlining Compliance: A Look into Canix’s Remediation Feature

Leveraging Software to Address Employee Turnover and Training

Customer Referrals
Help Center
Seed to Sale
Business Intelligence
Integrations
Cultivation
Task Management
Product Planning
Manufacturing
Distribution

(415) 894-9884 [email protected]

The future of cannabis technology

Where are You Located?

Do you have over 15 employees?

Are you operating in multiple states.

Cannabis POS
Inventory Management
Reporting & Analytics
U.S. Pricing
Canadian Pricing
Cannabis Retail Blog
Guides & Best Practices
Case Studies
Book a Consultation
Customer Support
General Inquiry
Request Demo

How to Write a Cannabis Business Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide

Cannabis Entrepreneurs , Cannabis Industry , Cannabis Retail

Legal cannabis business sales reached $33 billion at the end of 2022. These outstanding statistics are drawing more individuals into the cannabis industry to start their very own dispensaries as more states in the US legalize recreational marijuana.

However, getting a foothold in this industry is not as easy as it may sound, especially with stringent compliance regulations. If you're considering opening a dispensary and getting involved in this line of work, you must know what you're doing. That's why you need a solid cannabis business plan, just not to obtain a legal dispensary license but also to ensure that you always remain compliant with all cannabis laws and regulations .

A business plan helps you organize your goals and objectives, next steps, financial situation, and any other information you need before opening a cannabis dispensary. But keep in mind that your business plan should be flexible as it’ll need updates according to the constantly evolving regulations and trends in the cannabis market.

Writing a Cannabis Dispensary Business Plan

A business plan for a dispensary lays out your purpose for opening one, along with the strategies that can help you reach that purpose. You may need to conduct market research and measure relevant metrics to write a data-driven cannabis dispensary business plan.

You may think that writing a business plan is a drag, but it's worth your time. Take the time to write the perfect business plan, and save a lot of time and energy in the future.

We prepared this step-by-step guide to help you quickly get through this stage.

1. Executive Summary

The first section of your cannabis dispensary business plan outlines an executive summary of the whole plan. This section is very important because if you want to sign a contract with an investor, they will first look at this part of your plan.

Surely you don't expect an investor to work with a cannabis company that doesn't have a business plan?

Here is all the information you need to include in your summary.

Your business information: In this section, you need to provide information about who you are, if you're a start-up or a well-developed company, your location, and all your contact information. You can also prepare a description of the cannabis business for those who don't know it.
Your products and services: Write down all the products and services you will offer.
Your target market: Who could be your ideal customer? What are their age bracket, habits, income, and job? Create a buyer persona with all this information so you can target the right audience - those who are interested in your products and with a high chance of purchasing them.
Your competitors: Who are your competitors that offer the same products? Keep them under close watch. Analyze them fully- understand what strategies they're implementing, who their customers are, what their pricing is, etc.
Your team members: Determine what roles your company needs and who will be positioned in those roles.
Financial summary: Your financial summary should contain the profitability of your business, your operating costs, revenue, debts, and anticipation of future growth.
Problem and solution: Think about your value proposition carefully. What is it that your company offers that your competitors don't? Why would they need to choose you over the others? What problems can your products solve? In what way?

2. Company Analysis

In this section, you must explain what kind of cannabis business you're running. We prepared some examples of cannabis businesses here below.

Cannabis producers or cultivators: They grow and harvest cannabis on farms or greenhouses or run any growing operation, such as a hydroponic farm.
Cannabis product manufacturers: They are the ones who take the cannabis from farmers and make products out of them, such as oils, drinks, textures, vapes, etc.
Cannabis dispensary: They provide cannabis-related products for adults, medical, and recreational use.
Cannabis retailers: They sell cannabis products to customers, such as the dispensaries we mentioned above.
Vertically integrated operation: They grow cannabis, make products with them, and retail themselves.

Other types of cannabis businesses include:

Delivery services
Laboratories for testing and researching
Places for social cannabis consumption

Aside from the type of business, there are other pieces of information you need to include in your company analysis:

The time and the reason you started the business.
The milestones you achieved, such as the number of products you created, etc.
The retail structure of your business ; Are you an S-Corp, sole proprietorship, or maybe an LLC?

3. Industry Analysis

Another important part of the cannabis dispensary business plan is industry analysis.

Industry analysis is an overview of the cannabis industry. You need to conduct an industry analysis for several reasons:

Educating yourself about the cannabis market you're working in
Identifying market trends and improving your marketing strategies
Proving your professionalism and expertise to your readers

You should also include the following information in your industry analysis section:

Cannabis industry's worth in dollars
If the market is growing or decreasing
Your key competitors
Your key suppliers
The trends affecting the industry
The industry's growth forecast over the next 5-10 years
The relevant market size to understand your chance for growth

4. Customer Analysis

You should think about your customers carefully so you can include the right type of audience in your cannabis business plan. Customers are the core of any business, so if you target customer segments who are not your ideal ones, it may result in losing precious time, money, effort, and resources.

There are several things you need to pay attention to while looking for your target audience:

Segmented Available Market, or SAM
Total Available Market, or TAM
Share of the Market, or SOM

Based on the total available market, your customers are the ones who are over the age of 21. The segmented available market shows the groups of people who are willing to pay for your products. The market share is the number of customers you can reach in a few years.

You should know that legality will impact your total available markets, so not everyone can be your ideal customer. But keep in mind that you can have a bigger TAM for products known to be widely legal, such as CBD oils and hemp.

Also, cannabis businesses react differently to marketing methods. For example, a strategy that works for cannabis dispensaries will not work for manufacturers.

To conduct customer analysis, you can also consider their demographics and psychographics aside from SAM, TAM, and SOM. Customer demographics are about your ideal customer's age, income, gender, location, education, etc.

Psychographics is about customers' values, wants, needs, and expectations. The more you get to know them, the better you understand what will attract and repel them.

5. Competitive Analysis

A competitive analysis analyzes your direct and indirect competitors in terms of products, services, prices, etc.

As a cannabis dispensary, your direct customers are other dispensaries that work in the same location as you, and your indirect customers would be the producers. Here is the information you need to provide in this section of your cannabis dispensary business plan:

An overview of their businesses
Their strengths and weaknesses
The product types they offer
Their distribution to a particular dispensary type, such as medical or retail
Their pricing

Also, mention the following information regarding these matters:

If you can provide a wider range of products or services
If you provide a better customer service
If you offer cost-effective pricing.

Write down all the ways you can win the competition and why consumers need to choose you above the others.

6. Cannabis Marketing and Sales Plan

Without marketing, you won't be able to find new customers and increase revenue. A solid marketing plan is important for a cannabis business plan. A marketing plan includes your marketing options in terms of all the factors mentioned below.

Product: Again, mention the type of your cannabis business. Then write down your products but add more details.
Price: Include the prices for each product and how your pricing differs from your competitors.
Place: Place refers to how customers are going to access your products. Do you have a physical store? Document the location and also include how it can benefit you. Do you own an eCommerce website? Document the site address.
Promotion: Here, you need to mention how you will advertise your business and products to attract more customers. These methods would include:
Online: Such as social media marketing
Print: Such as advertising in magazines
Networking: Such as using independent representatives

7. Operations and Security Plan

Your operations plan is about how you will meet your business goals. Your operations plan should include two sections:

Short-term process: Include all the tasks you and your team will do to run the business in this section. It might include:
Security of Products and Facility
If you grow or manufacture cannabis
Packaging products
Dispensary SOPs
Long-term goals: Your operations plan should contain the milestones you wish to achieve in a specific period.

Dispensary-Operations-and-Security-Plan-Guide

8. Your Financial Plan

Here is what you need to include in your financial plan:

Balance sheets: This includes the amount of money you have in the bank, the amount your clients owe you, and the amount you owe your vendors. Your balance sheet illustrates how your business is doing at any particular time.
Cash flow statement: This shows the amount of cash the business received, spent, and has after the financial year.
Total net profit or less: This outlines how your company generated a profit or suffered a loss over a specific period (usually three months), outlining all revenues and outlays before calculating the overall net profit or loss.
Sales forecast: You have to forecast how much product you will sell in the future. The time frame is usually 1-3 years.

9. The Technology You Need to Use

As a cannabis business owner, you will need to use software, for instance, to sell products and manage transactions. You should know that having a website is essential for cannabis-related businesses so that consumers can browse through different categories and products.

A dispensary POS system allows you to take your business to the next level and enter the world of online transactions instead of being solely cash-based. COVA helps you to manage inventory and streamline sales. Also, we tweak our software as per the cannabis laws in each region so that your business always stays compliant.

Our cannabis POS verifies the customers' age and prevents underage people from purchasing. On top of that, it calculates the amount of THC in cannabis products and stops sales that exceed legal limitations. This means that you don't have to worry about breaking the law accidentally and can focus on finding better marketing strategies and providing superior customer experiences. Book a demo with us to learn more about the tools you need.

10. Appendix

The appendix should contain any remaining financial projections along with charts, graphs, and images that make the document easy to read.

Any business needs proper preparation before launching to determine what it will achieve. Dispensaries are not exempted. They need even more planning due to the nature of the cannabis business. One mistake in planning and everything can go downwards. Read and revise your plan multiple times before launching your dispensary.

Aside from the things mentioned to include in the business plan for your dispensary, you can also write down each team member's role, especially from your management team. Writing down your product distribution plan has its benefits as well.

Now that you have an idea about how to write a cannabis business plan, you should also consider reading this guide for more information: 5 Key Elements of a Successful Cannabis Retail Business Plan, or check out our cannabis guides and resources page to learn more about how you can succeed as a cannabis retailer. Contact Cova to see how we can help you succeed.

Written by Faai Steuer Faai Steuer is VP of marketing at Cova Software, the fastest growing cannabis retail POS in North America. An entrepreneur at heart, she has a passion for growing startups and building brands. With 20 years of marketing experience in CPG and retail tech, she lends her knowledge and best practices to help cannabis entrepreneurs in the US and Canada open their first store and grow their business through vital thought leader content. Faai oversees the strategies and executions of Cova public relations, content marketing, social media, events, and campaigns.

Subscribe for the Latest:

A guide for next steps for maryland dispensary license winners.

Maryland recently held a lottery for social equity applicants to receive one of 179 cannabis dispensary licenses. […]

Cannabis Industry

Cannabis Retail Analytics and Insights as a Roadmap to Higher Profits

Over the years, politicians, health officials, and enthusiasts have long debated the legalization and […]

Cannabis Retail

How to Transition from CBD Store to Recreational Cannabis Dispensary

In the ever-evolving world of cannabis retail, transitions and expansions are common as regulations change and […]

Retail Solutions

Payments Canada
Payments USA
Customer Stories
Customer Referral Program
Best Practices & Guides
Cannabis Laws
Cannabis Social Equity Guide
How to Open a Dispensary Guide
Cannabis Payment Guide
Cannabis Ecommerce Guide

Partners and Integrations

Top Ecommerce Platforms
Markets we Serve
Our Customers
In The News
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy

The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Cannabis Business Plan

According to Cowen Research, cannabis sales are projected to reach almost $100 billion by 2030 in the US alone. As compared to other industries, cannabis is currently the fastest moving market with a great potential for growth and running profitable businesses.

But starting a cannabis retail dispensary is easier said than done. With several moving parts like cultivation, processing, distribution and keeping up with various state laws and regulations, you need a well defined cannabis business plan for your dispensary before you step in and make an investment.

In this guide, we’re going to walk you through what a business plan is, why it is important and a step-by-step on how you can write one.

What is a cannabis business plan?

A business plan is like a snapshot of how your cannabis dispensary will be set up and the path it will follow to grow its reach in the market for a defined period of time. It details your business goals and objectives, and lays down the strategy for reaching them, including market research on consumer demands and products. A cannabis business plan is like a living document that gets updated annually as your company grows and changes to meet consumer demands and industry trends, while ensuring complete alignment with the business goal set up.

Why do you need a cannabis business plan?

Just like any other industry, having a business plan is like structuring your thought process and market research to create a detailed strategy to grow your dispensary. Here are some of the key reasons why we recommend building a business plan before starting a cannabis dispensary:

To establish business milestones - A cannabis business plan will nudge you to clearly lay out your long-term milestones that are crucial for success. This includes setting up some key metrics like the amount of sales and revenue you make in pre-defined periods of time.
To better understand your competition - Since a business plan requires you to add more depth to your market research, it encourages you to analyze competitors too. This helps you identify the USP of your cannabis dispensary or what you may have to work towards to get a competitive edge in the market.
To better understand your customer - Once you know your competition, the business plan gives you more in-depth knowledge of who your customers will be, why do they make purchases, what do they need the most, what are their purchase motivations and so on.
To assess the feasibility of running the business - Being able to see the current competition, market demand and the offer you’d have to take to market, also helps you validate the feasibility of your business idea. For instance, if you thought of opening dispensaries in multiple locations, the business plan may highlight how starting with one is a better idea to test waters.
To document revenue model - The cannabis business plan you create also requires you to state how you intend to make money. This includes detailing out your revenue model, your assumptions and the challenges you may face, and how you intend to deal with them. For example, the need to open consultations with doctors before a customer makes a purchase can be your first-touch revenue model.
To determine your financial requirements - From working with growers, processors, distributors or even medical professionals, getting licenses, renting a physical space or setting up an online store, there are a number of areas where an upfront investment is required. A business plan will nudge you to think about the smallest of expenses and evaluate if the business needs to raise capital or start small as compared to the initial aspirations.
To attract investors - Whether you decide to raise capital right at the start or seek investors after growing to a certain level, a cannabis dispensary plan helps you position your venture with the right vision and mission to attract the right financing proposals. For this, your business plan needs to include financial projections, exit strategy and how the investors stand to benefit from you.
To reduce risks - As we said, business plans nudge you to validate ideas. As you start to detail it out, the business plan helps you assess the current opportunity with other opportunities that you may want to pursue, or avenues to optimize your costs.
To attract the right talent - A business plan will also help you identify the type of skills you need on the team. At the same time, it also helps you think about what you can do to attract and retain top talent to work towards the business goals you set up. The business plan can also serve as a forecast to your staffing needs as your cannabis dispensary grows.
To attract partners - As you start to grow your cannabis dispensary business, you may have to partner with cultivators in different locations, delivery companies or legal entities to help you cover all grounds. Establishing these partnerships require time and capital, and having a business plan is like a sales pitch that can entice the right partners.
To position your brand - Creating a business plan helps you define where and how your company gets positioned in the market. For example, does it become a dispensary known for discounted products or a dispensary known to offer discounted medical guidance to help consumers make informed purchases. This has a big influence on your marketing and sales strategies.
To align your marketing plan - With the on-ground market reality and projections in front of you, a cannabis business plan also helps you identify the best suited marketing strategy to reach your audience. From the channels you will make use of, to the messaging, value proposition, offers and so on, the business plan defines it all (but of course, it can change iteratively as you start to gather marketing performance data).
To ensure compliances - A cannabis business plan is not just about how you set up and grow the business. It also includes details on the rules, regulations and compliance requirements you will need to ensure as per the location of your dispensary. This then further defines the tools and cannabis technologies you will need to maintain records.

How to write a cannabis business plan?

Now that you know the importance of having a cannabis business plan and how it aids your venture’s growth, let’s walk you through step-by-step on creating one.

PS. It is also important to note the state regulation requirements when creating a business plan as it impacts your cannabis license application approval.

1. Understand the different business models

Opening a dispensary is not the only way to enter the cannabis market. Before you begin writing a business plan, research and identify the business model or the type of cannabis business you want to establish. Here are some examples:

Cannabis producers or cultivators - Companies that grow and harvest cannabis
Cannabis product manufacturers - Companies that take cannabis from cultivators and make products like oils, drinks, etc from them
Cannabis dispensary - Companies that sell the products from the manufacturers for medical and recreational use
Cannabis retailers - Companies that sell cannabis products from manufacturers to consumers via online and offline channels
Vertically integrated - Companies that grow cannabis, manufacture products, have their own dispensaries and retail outlets
Cannabis delivery - Companies that are responsible for delivery cannabis products ordered from dispensaries or retail outlets
Cannabis laboratories - Companies that are set up for testing and researching

2. Define your geographic market

Before working on the other details of your cannabis business plan, we recommend researching and shortlisting the location in which you want to open a dispensary. This is not just important from a retail perspective, but also has an impact on the rules, regulations and laws you will need to comply with, development costs and community attitudes, which in turn may have an influence on how you set up and grow your dispensary business.

3. Create an executive summary

Once you have the location finalized, the next step is to create an executive summary for your cannabis business. This is a one-page document that lists out all the important information about your dispensary, and is often used for license applications and for audits by local regulators.

Business information - Who you are, your location, your contact information
Products and services - List of all the products and services you offer (or intend to)
Target market - Summary of who your target audience is
Competitors - Summary of the type of businesses that you will be competing with
Team members - Defining the roles your company needs and who will be fulfilling them
Financial summary - Current investment (even if bootstrapped), profitability, operational costs, revenue, debt and projections
Problem and solution - Your value proposition

4. Write down a market overview

This part of the cannabis business plan describes the demand for these products in the market, and how your dispensary aims to meet those needs. While you can start with broad-level figures, we recommend gradually narrowing your focus (remember, the business plan is a living document that needs to be updated regularly).

Consumer insights - Who is your target audience? What is your ideal customer persona? What is their purchase power? What are their purchase motivations? What influences their purchases?
Consumer demand - What is your audience looking for? What is your ideal customer persona purchasing? How regularly are they making the purchases? How have their needs and preferences evolved?
Competitive insights - Who are your direct and indirect competitors? What are they offering to the consumers? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What is their average pricing? Who have they partnered with? How are you different? What are the advantages you can offer to consumers?
Market trends - Is there a trending product? When do consumer needs typically change? Are there any patterns that you will need to adapt product offers to?

5. Detail out your cannabis marketing and sales plan

This is the section of the cannabis business plan that structures all the analysis and research above and turns it into a plan of action to reach your target market. No matter what type of cannabis business you start or where you’re located, marketing it well will ensure you get noticed by the right audience for the right reasons.

Products and services - Now create a detailed version of the products or services you want to sell, each with its independent description of what, why, benefits and other information that can help consumers make an informed decision.
Pricing and offers - Next, work on defining the pricing of each product and service you offer. Also include notes on how your pricing is better or different from your competitors.
Channels and platforms - Based on what you sell, the pricing and offers and who you want to sell to, define the platforms you will be using to promote your cannabis business. This can include social media channels, online marketplaces, print advertising in magazines, on-ground sales, events, networking and other tactics.
Purchase path - This is where you describe how a consumer targeted by your marketing takes the next step towards purchasing the product or service you offer. Do you have an eCommerce website they can buy from? Will they need to send you a text to place an order from the dispensary? Do they need to walk into the dispensary to place an order? This can also impact the marketing message you use across campaigns.

6. Operational plan

The operational plan essentially lays down the backend of the work required to meet your business goals and fulfill orders as you start to receive them. This typically includes the following:

SOPs - These are detailed standard operating procedures that you, your team and partners will follow to ensure smooth operations and compliances.
Partners - Detailing out who will be supplying the products to you and your agreements with them, who will be handling order delivery and other types of partners based on your business model.
Product packaging - Depending on what you sell, you will need to identify the type of packaging the products will require, whether you will be doing it in-house or partnering with a vendor for the same.
Cannabis dispensary POS - Defining the point of sale, the information you will need to record for every purchase made, the payment methods you will accept from customers, receipt generation and reporting.
Seed to sale compliance - The process you have in place to label, package and track cannabis products sold, and how you report them to the state regulators. A good cannabis POS system will ease the process of reporting by integrating with seed to sale tracking systems like Metrc and BioTrack to automate the process.
Security - Describe how you intend to keep your dispensary or facility secure from break ins to prevent products from reaching illicit markets or falling into the wrong hands. This should include the smallest of details like managing your cash drawer as well or how you intend to focus on cashless payments to make the dispensary less attractive to thefts.

7. Organizational structure

This section in your cannabis business plan describes how the dispensary will operate and the individuals that are responsible for the operations at different levels. The organizational chart also helps in assigning roles and responsibilities to keep functions streamlined and working in tandem.

Key stakeholders - People are responsible for taking managerial decisions for your cannabis business, who they are, their background and the skills they bring to the table.
Inventory specialists - People who are responsible for ensuring you have the right inventory in place and are also key to predicting consumer demand.
Budtenders - People who will be responsible for educating consumers or clients about your products and services at the point of sale.
Marketers - People who will be taking charge of running your marketing, advertising and other promotional activities.
Accountants - People who will be responsible for maintaining all business accounts - sales, revenue, spend, employee salaries, partner commissions, contracts and so on.
Investors - If applicable, these are the people who have invested money in your cannabis business. This should also include the agreement you have with them on the amount of investment received.

Note: Your organizational flow chart does not have to include all the job roles right from the beginning. Depending on the business model you set up and how fast you grow, the jobs you hire for may vary.

8. Financial projections

Managing your finances will be key to keeping your cannabis business afloat in a competitive market. It will also ensure you always have the required funds to keep operations running even when the market dips or industry trends change. But projections should go beyond just the sales and revenue you make, and look into your expenses as well.

Licensing fees - States and provinces have different licensing costs that can be anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 depending on the type of cannabis business you set up. It’s also a good idea to account for application and renewal fees for the cannabis license you take.
Rent and development costs - If applicable to your business type, it is important to account for at least six to twelve months of rent for your cannabis facility. If the facility requires development to meet business objectives, ensure you account for those expenses alongside their maintenance costs.
Inventory costs - If your cannabis business will require holding inventory of products to sell or run the services, you need to account for their management and storage costs. For example, cannabis dispensaries typically stock their shelves with fast-selling products in advance to build in buffer time to sell products and pay the supplier.
Equipment costs - Irrespective of the cannabis business type, there will be a set of equipment you need for day-to-day functions. This includes furniture, office supplies, lighting and other aspects that impact the look and feel of the facility for the team and eventually the consumers.
Cannabis technology - From a cannabis POS, HR tool, payroll management, compliance and retail management, CRM and other solutions, your business will need to invest in technology that enables your operations across departments. Take into account their costs as well as renewals.
Product packaging - Whether you choose to package products in-house or through a vendor, take into account the cost of label printing and other supplies you have to invest in to sell products in a state-compliant manner.
Security expenses - Be it video surveillance systems, automated cash drawers, advanced locking systems for the dispensary or other security measures, include them in your financial records.
Salaries - Even if it is just you running the cannabis business initially, we recommend defining the salary you take. As you grow, include the salaries you give to your employees, as this helps calculate the runway more accurately.

Once you have all the spends well accounted for, the next step is to include the following details:

Monthly operating expenses
Monthly number of orders/ sales
Monthly revenue from sales
Average order value
Projected sales over the next 3-6 months

9. Appendix

This part of your cannabis business plan is a record of your monthly income, including your revenue statements. It is important to append these statements to your business plan to help regulators with business audits.

Appendices also come in handy when you start seeking investors for your cannabis business. This helps them understand your projections and calculate the profit and loss more accurately.

In conclusion

Having a cannabis business plan is a must-have.

The evolving document can help you structure your business for success and ensure that you meet all compliance requirements as you grow without the risk of being flagged, blocked, restricted or banned forever.

Need help structuring your cannabis business plan or not sure where to begin?

Subscribe to the Treez blog for more such detailed guides or reach out to our experts for a consultation .

The Complete Marijuana Dispensary Business Plan Guide – with Templates!

There's so much to keep in mind when starting your own marijuana dispensary business. It's not just about what strains and products you're going to sell. Many, many things are critical to a great plan. If this all sounds overwhelming, don't worry! We've compiled everything you should know, even what most plans out there don't cover. Keep reading for Happy Cabbage's guide for making your next business plan.

The Purpose of Your Marijuana Business Plan

How do I write the purpose of my cannabis dispensary in a business plan? What should it say? First, you should outline what you're going to do, how you're going to do it, and why. You will want a section in your business plan on mission and values. These are critical before articulating other pieces of your company, such as a product or marketing strategy. Let's take a look at some consumer-facing examples of mission statements and values that reflect the internal business plans developed by store owners. San Francisco retailer Sava takes a community and equity angle, stating that they aim to offer suitable products for all consumers. They also strive to sell products that customers would recommend to their friends. ‍

‍ Basa , also in SF, focused more on aligning its values with a medicinal perspective on cannabis. ‍

‍ Oregon and Massachusetts retailer Diem emphasizes the importance of their in-house brand instead of the retail angle other dispensaries may traditionally take. ‍

‍ These are a few ideas to spark your creativity. Of course, you'll probably format these into sections with a bit less prose, but don't be fooled. These principles exist in front of consumers as they do behind the scenes in your dispensary business plan. Your mission and values should align with your target audience, local laws, and whom you want to reach, all of which we'll discuss further in this article.

Determining Your Target Market in The Industry

Figuring out your target cannabis market is one of the most decisive and challenging parts of your marijuana business. It helps you figure out what services and products to offer and what marketing to do. You can start this portion of your business plan by getting as much information on the area you're choosing to open your storefront.

Forget The General "Stoner" Audience

A critical piece to finding your target market is that you shouldn't define it as generally anyone that smokes weed. After all, there are so many different types of cannabis customers. You'll have to find a target that fits your business plan well. According to a recent survey , there are likely more than 40 million cannabis consumers or roughly 12% of the entire population in the United States. ‍

‍ That means everyone, from Gen-Z to millennials to baby boomers and beyond, across all socioeconomic groups and cultures that are currently cannabis consumers today. You'll have to start narrowing down your scope for whom you intend to reach. Begin your search for your target market with local research. Who is in your immediate vicinity? Perhaps you’re planning to launch in an inner-city New York neighborhood. Maybe your consumers are parents in the suburbs, which could potentially change the way you choose to market in your business plan. Maybe you’re the first cannabis business to open in a small Midwest town, which could come with its own set of challenges regarding education and outreach. For example, suppose legal marijuana dispensaries are already flourishing in your city or state. In that case, it's unlikely that your potential local clients have never used marijuana products before. That means that they shouldn't need much education to make them customers at your business. On the other hand, if you're the first retailer to open up shop in your area, it may be a different story. You'll have to spend more time convincing locals to come into your storefront.

It Comes Down to Demographics & Size

As you can see above, creating your target audience is all about understanding key demographics. These distinctions will likely influence the way you tailor your business to consumers. A few demographics to pay attention are the following:

Job and income
Family status
Preferred social media sites ‍

Another important factor is size. You want to go after the most populous demographic in your region, creating many opportunities for new and long-term customers. Although size is not always the most definitive factor, it certainly comes into play when considering what kind of business you’ll want to start.

Kicking Off Your Strategy: Opportunities & Risks

It’s always good idea to identify critical opportunities and risks before launching your business. Imagine investing in property, technology, and employees without a clear direction. You’d essentially leave your success (and investment) up to chance without the foresight into potential challenges that you could’ve uncovered during strategic development. So let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture with the help of these two tools.

SWOT Analysis

A Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Analysis is a strategic formulation tool for either formal or informal use.

It’s a commonly used analysis by entrepreneurs across every industry, so it will surely help with your business plan.

‍ Consider the Strengths and Weaknesses as internal factors such as the organization's assets, processes, or personnel. On the other hand, Opportunities and Threats concern external factors, such as market, state law, and economic conditions.

The Eliminate-Raise-Reduce-Create Grid is another analysis for identifying opportunities and potential routes for scaling a business model. While the SWOT focuses more on internal and external market conditions that your business plan should acknowledge, the ERRC Grid outlines how your business plan model will respond to those factors.

‍ Completing this grid will help you create a unique position in the legal market that's informed by how your business plan engages with cannabis retail industry standards. It's an excellent exercise for establishing differentiators, unique selling propositions, and guiding a plan to scale in the future.

Organizational Plan: Your Team & Their Duties

Who will be the key players in your organization? It’s an important question to consider as it can vary depending on the type of business plan you’re developing. Your business plan should have a traditional chart and team background information, such as qualifications of lead personnel in marketing, finance, legal, operations, management, and other divisions. ‍

‍ Do you want to elaborate more? Also list other relevant skills needed to launch and operate the company successfully. Defining these will inform your hiring and employee evaluation, saving time and money throughout the process.

Choosing Products for Your Dispensary Business Plan

At this stage in your business plan, picking the best products will depend primarily on how well you know your target audience and market. The goal here is to create a menu based on preferences you’ve identified while researching your target audience. For example, you might learn that a cohort within your target audience prefers flower but will typically choose hash if the brand they want is not in store. Alternatively, suppose you're opening up your cannabis dispensary in a neighborhood with predominantly millennial consumers. In that case, you might want to consider offering other product types or how past news cycles— such as the coverage on vapes— might impact purchase decisions. It undoubtedly becomes more granular once you start planning what brands will line your shelves.

What About Brands?

Cannabis brands have target audiences just like your business, investing in marketing communications designed to reach that specific communities. Like what we mentioned above, you’ll want to pick brands with an affinity or marketing for your target audience. That way, when a potential customer enters your store, they’ll likely recognize and purchase a product they’ve seen or tried before. Brands might focus on marketing their products towards women and people of color. Others may take a more generalist approach or focus on the medicinal perspective of cannabis than being lifestyle-oriented. You can see how choosing certain cannabis brands, and products can influence what a customer recognizes and decides to buy when coming into your establishment.

Developing Your Marketing Strategy

How will you choose to market your business plan? The answers could vary a ton based on whom you talk to. Here are some key tips for writing the marketing strategy in your business plan.

Allocating Your Budget

Clearly define your budget and the investments you choose to make. The more granular to get with deciding what marketing to do, the better prepared you will be to ensure tracking of return on investment.

Selecting Your Channels

Conduct diligent research into what channels you’re planning to activate. Start with questions like what social media platforms does your target audience use? Where can you deploy cannabis advertising? Many platforms restrict cannabis businesses from marketing; so, make sure you know how you plan to use them before going live.

Get into Local SEO

Google My Business and Maps are two services many consumers rely on for choosing where to shop in their area. You’re going to want to have a plan for how your store will use this platform in its first year.

Consider Dispensary Text Marketing

How will you communicate with your customers once they have purchased from you? Software like a dispensary text marketing platform can help retailers send targeted communications to proportions of their customer base, resulting in higher open, click, and conversion rates.

Track, Track, & Track!

As it does for all dispensaries, your return on investment from marketing will matter to the success of your business plan. You're going to want to include how you intend on tracking each channel, your key performance indicators, and how you will attribute marketing-assisted sales.

Funding Strategy: How You'll Find The Money

When planning how you'll raise funds, ask yourself the following questions: ‍

What are we going for?
Why are we doing it?
Who will do it?
Where will we do it?
How will we do it?
When will we start? ‍

These are the six most essential questions for business funding because they cover the scope of your fundraising plan, the need in the market, key players, and a path to action. There are also two acronyms relevant to most fundraising strategies: BITS and SMART. BITS (Business-Individuals-Trusts-Statutory) will help you outline who will provide funds to your cannabis business. SMART (Specific-Measurable-Agreed-Realistic-Timetabled) helps set objectives for raising capital in a way attainable by your organization.

Outlining Your Exit Strategy

Exit strategies are plans for when investors want to get out of the company. Starting dispensaries can be quite costly and potentially rely on long-term financial commitments some investors can't make. These plans account for how venture capitalists can liquidate their investment based on specific criteria. The options can range from demonstrating a proven need in the market to selling off the company to another investor or enterprise. It is essential to have this in place so that every investor knows what they're signing up for before putting capital into your storefront.

Timeline & Milestones: What All Business Plans Need

Last but not least, no plan is complete without setting a timeline for operations and the milestones you wish to achieve. Here is a list of a few to consider: ‍

Gaining the amount of capital required to operate.
Acquiring property for operations.
Licensing and permits.
Purchasing all required software and equipment.
Hiring employees.
When marketing communications will start.
When you expect your first customer. ‍

Setting these goals in advance will align your organization around clear business objectives relevant to your success. It will also make it easier for investors to visualize the trajectory of your business plans before they go underway.

Here's A List of Every Cannabis Business Plan Template for Dispensaries

We know you love templates. So, we made a list of every dispensary business plan pdf we could find on the Internet. Happy planning! UpMetrics CannabisBusinessPlans.com OGS Capital GrowThink LegallyRooted Wave Cannabis Pharm House & Sugarleaf Adilas420 DispensaryTemplates.com Beachside Health & Wellness Chandelier Template.net Northreadingma.gov The Healing Center Are your plans ready? Let us help you execute them! Happy Cabbage makes technology for cannabis dispensaries. Schedule a demo to see our tools Happy Marketers and Happy Operatorsand how they can help you run a better dispensary operation.

Ready to grow?

Learn how Happy Cabbage can help you make more money in the most effective way possible.

Need insights? ‍ Join our newsletter.

Credit cards
View all credit cards
Banking guide
Loans guide
Insurance guide
Personal finance
View all personal finance
Small business
Small business guide
View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

How to Start a Marijuana Business: The Ultimate Guide

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Before you start any business, you should have some idea of what the industry landscape is like: What are the earning potentials? What are the risks? Who is your competition?

Given the marijuana industry’s short history, no one can be fully confident in how the cannabis industry will unravel — and how marijuana businesses will fare. A huge thing to consider is the demand in your area where you're planning to start your marijuana business and how you can set yourself apart from others offering the same service. After all, you won't be the only one wondering how to start a marijuana business.

As more and more states legalize the drug, marijuana businesses are presented with more profit-earning potential. Since legalization in 2014, Colorado’s regulated cannabis industry sales have topped $6 billion. And sales are projected to reach $50 billion by 2026 — further proving the potential of a lucrative industry.

Here’s what you need to know before starting a marijuana business and the steps to take if you decide to enter the cannabis industry.

How to start a marijuana business in 6 steps

There's no denying that the cannabis industry can be a lucrative career choice. But starting a business — any business — requires a decent amount of work, both to prepare and legally create and operate it.

1. Decide what kind of marijuana business to start

Normally, the first step for starting a business would be coming up with a business idea, but if you're ready to start a marijuana business, you already have that step completed. What you do need to decide is what part of the marijuana business you want to be in. Do you want to open a dispensary, grow marijuana or deliver it? Maybe you want to do it all. The steps to starting a marijuana business can't progress until you've decided on this aspect.

Many of the other steps for starting a business will be fairly basic, but remember that with marijuana businesses the laws from state to state can change drastically and you need to be very sure of them before taking action. You'll want to spend a lot of time doing your research so you completely understand the rules around where and how you can sell marijuana. Talking to people who've started cannabis businesses of their own is also a good place to start.

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

2. Write your business plan

When starting a marijuana business, your business plan will need to be a bit more detailed than it would be if you were opening a less strictly regulated business like a restaurant or jewelry business.

First of all, make sure you're following every law in your state. From where you want to open your marijuana business to who your suppliers will be, make sure everything is in line with the law.

"The most surprising thing about having a cannabis business is the amount of regulation that is involved and how it's constantly changing," says Dr. Jared Helfant, president of Sparx Cannabis.

Helfant's business is based in California, the first state to legalize and where marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational use today.

Your business plan will likely continue to change as the laws do, but it's key to have it in place when you're first starting a cannabis business. When you create your first business plan make sure it includes:

Business costs and when you plan to turn a profit.

How you plan to attract customers.

What will set your business apart from others like it, and who your competitors are.

Where you'll run your business from.

Who your suppliers will be.

Whether you have legal counsel to help you keep everything in order.

3. Register your business name and entity

Since marijuana isn’t legalized on the federal level, and national prohibitions prevent the interstate sale of cannabis, big businesses have generally stayed away from the cannabis industry thus far — making it a prime industry for local businesses to enter.

Your marijuana business will likely be local and on a smaller scale, but you still need to choose a business entity that's right for you. The business entity you choose will affect the taxes you pay and the level of risk you're exposed to. You might be leaning toward opening your business as a limited liability company, also called an LLC, or maybe a corporation. Both entities can shield owners from personal liability but there are some key differences when it comes to an LLC vs. corporation.

You also will need to choose a name for your marijuana business. The process for choosing a business name will be specific to your state, but generally, you'll need to conduct a search to ensure the name you want is available, and then there will be a small fee associated with reserving your name for a set amount of time. Nail down both of these things before you try and register your marijuana business, as you'll need this information to do so.

4. Register your marijuana business and obtain licenses or permits

Every state has different laws around starting a cannabis business, and therefore, different types of business licenses, permits and registration practices will be required depending on where you want to open your business. You'll need to do your homework and ideally contact a legal professional in your state that can help you sort through everything to register your marijuana business and get the proper permits.

Before starting a marijuana business, know exactly what documentation, licensing and regulatory bodies you need to comply with to start and operate your business. FindLaw has a good resource on what specific permits and licenses marijuana businesses need in each state.

Some states, like California , have portals designed specifically for the licensing of marijuana businesses, and entire websites designed for business owners looking to start a marijuana business. Keep in mind that simply being a marijuana retailer or dispensary owner also comes with different rules and regulations than a business that grows or delivers marijuana.

All of these cannabis-specific permits, licenses and registrations come in addition to registering your business in the state, simply to be cleared to do business there. Don't forget that while you'll be saddled with more marijuana-specific tasks, you also have to do all of the other work when it comes to taxes and registration that a regular business would have to.

5. Register to pay taxes

Taxes will also depend on the state in which you're starting your marijuana business. However, no matter where you're starting your cannabis business, you should apply for an employer identification number, which is also called a business tax ID number.

You can apply for an EIN online directly from the IRS and get approved almost immediately. You'll need it when tax season rolls around and you're paying payroll and income taxes for your business. Your EIN will also be necessary if you decide to open a business bank account or credit card, or if you apply for funding.

6. Get funding

Every new entrepreneur has to face the reality of business startup costs. Those starting a marijuana business, though, might have more expenses than a typical business. And if you find that you can't cover all these initial expenses yourself, you may look for funding to start your marijuana business. This is another reason why you want to create a thorough business plan; any investor or lender you go to looking for money will want to see it to know whether your business is well thought out and that you have a plan to turn a profit. And when you do start thinking about funding, "Whatever you think you will need, add another 40%," says Helfant.

As a dispensary, you’ll need to have licenses to sell medical marijuana. In states where medical marijuana is legal, marijuana businesses typically need to pay around a $5,000 non-refundable application fee for starting the business. (In Louisiana it’s only $150 to apply, but in New Jersey, it’s $20,000.) Most applicants for certificates fail to meet the startup capital requirements needed to ensure smooth operations from the get-go.

"It was way harder to have a successful cannabis business than expected. The number of costs including, high rents, taxes, lack of write-offs, licensing costs, etc.," says Helfant. He's no stranger to the costs that come with a regulated business either, before getting into the marijuana business, he was in dentistry.

The applications and licensing fees, paired with any regular equipment, marketing and startup costs you might face, make starting a marijuana business an expensive endeavor.

And once you’re in business, taxes are steep .

Due to the 280E clause (applying to law-abiding illegal drug traffickers paying taxes) marijuana businesses fork over a lot in federal taxes — more than the average small business.

Whereas federally legal businesses can deduct a variety of different business expenses, which help those businesses stay afloat, marijuana businesses can’t qualify for the many different tax credits and deductions for operational expenses.

One marijuana business in Washington state, Cannabis City, breaks down how taxes and costs add up :

There’s a 25% tax on what the grower ships to the processor, and another 25% tax on the processor to the retailer. After that, the retailer faces another 25% tax when the product goes into the consumer’s hands. For Washington, there’s a regular 10% sales tax, city tax and another 25% federal tax. According to the owners of Cannabis City, about 60% of the value of the product goes to taxes, 30% to the costs of goods sold and about 1% to 5% left for actually running the business.

Financing options for marijuana businesses are limited

Marijuana businesses might also have a harder time finding small-business loans to keep their businesses operating smoothly.

The lack of small-business financing for marijuana businesses stems first from the fact that they’re federally illegal businesses.

Many of the best banks for small-business loans operate on the federal scale and are subject to federal banking laws that make lending to a marijuana business nearly impossible. Big, federal banks aren’t willing to take the risk of being seen as aiding activities that are considered illegal under federal law.

So for the most part, big banks won’t lend money to a marijuana business. However, alternative lenders have filled in some of the gaps in lending to owners of marijuana businesses. However, before you dive deep into starting a cannabis business, be aware that your financing and funding options will be limited compared to what a more traditional small business could secure.

Start Your Dream Business

The bottom line

"The best advice is to pre-plan everything well and be well-funded," says Helfant.

Considering the many complications and intricacies of the marijuana industry, wannabe cannabis entrepreneurs should think a little bit longer and harder about whether starting a marijuana business is the right move for them.

The excitement of the profit-earning potential in a relatively new and rapidly growing industry needs to be weighed against the downsides — namely, the costs, financing struggles and regulatory burden. If you decide to go ahead with your marijuana business, additional steps include obtaining business insurance, finding a retail space and hiring employees. But for now, these steps will help you get your marijuana business up and running.

On a similar note...

One blue credit card on a flat surface with coins on both sides.

Business Plan for Investors
Bank/SBA Business Plan
Operational/Strategic Planning Services
L1 Visa Business Plan
E1 Treaty Trader Visa Business Plan
E2 Treaty Investor Visa Business Plan
EB-1 Business Plan
EB-2 NIW Business Plan
EB-5 Business Plan
Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan
Start-Up Visa Business Plan
Expansion Worker Visa Business Plan
Manitoba MPNP Visa Business Plan
Nova Scotia NSNP Visa Business Plan
British Columbia BC PNP Visa Business Plan
Self-Employed Visa Business Plan
OINP Entrepreneur Stream Business Plan
LMIA Owner Operator Business Plan
ICT Work Permit Business Plan
LMIA Mobility Program – C11 Entrepreneur Business Plan
USMCA (ex-NAFTA) Business Plan
Franchise Business Plan
Landlord business plan
Nonprofit Start-Up Business Plan
USDA Business Plan
Cannabis business plan
Ecommerce business plan
Online boutique business plan
Mobile application business plan
Daycare business plan
Restaurant business plan
Food delivery business plan
Real estate business plan
Business Continuity Plan
Pitch Deck Consulting Services
Financial Due Diligence Services
ICO whitepaper
ICO consulting services
Confidential Information Memorandum
Private Placement Memorandum
Feasibility study
Fractional CFO
How it works
Business Plan Examples

Industrial Hemp Business Plan

MAR.29, 2019

1. Cannabis Manufacturing Business Plan For Starting Your Own Extraction Lab

This cannabis manufacturing business plan will help entrepreneurs to start their own extraction lab and create innovative products from cannabis. Our business plan outlines the steps and processes that will be needed to set up the lab and ensure safe and efficient operation. We provide a comprehensive overview of the required equipment, the necessary licenses and permits, marketing strategies, and financial projections.

By utilizing our cannabis lab business plan application, entrepreneurs can create a thriving cannabis extraction lab that will help to generate revenue and create job opportunities for their local community. Furthermore, our plan will help to promote the responsible use of cannabis by providing customers with high-quality, safe products.

2. Executive Summary

The business.

HempTown will be an industrial hemp business focused on producing and selling hemp-based products. The company will be based in the United States, primarily focusing on the Midwest region.

HempTown will source its hemp material from local farms and use it to create various all-natural and environmentally friendly products. In the business plan for the CBD extract business, the products will include hemp-infused beverages, food, apparel, and CBD oil. HempTown will also offer educational materials and seminars to help educate the public about the benefits of hemp and its many uses.

Business Target

HempTown’s target market consists of health-conscious consumers looking for natural, environmentally friendly products. The company will also target individuals interested in learning more about the benefits of hemp and its many uses.

HempTown will focus its marketing efforts on the Midwest and reach out to consumers in other parts of the country. The company will use digital marketing strategies, such as social media and email campaigns, to spread awareness of its products and services.

Industrial Hemp Business Plan - Business Target

3. Company Summary

Company owner.

The owner of this cannabis producer business is a California-based entrepreneur with a long-standing passion for the cannabis industry. As a cannabis industry veteran in various capacities, he knew how to start a cannabis business and deeply understands the opportunities and risks associated with the industry, and is well-positioned to capitalize on the market’s current and future potential.

Why The Cannabis Producer Business Is Being Started

The Los Angeles cannabis lab business plan is being started to capitalize on the lucrative opportunities that the legal cannabis industry has to offer. With the legalization of marijuana in California, the business plan for cannabis dispensary business will provide cannabis extraction services to licensed cultivators, processors, and retailers. Additionally, the business will focus on developing unique and quality cannabis products to meet the demands of the industry.

How The Cannabis Producer Business Will Be Started

The California cannabis extraction business plan will be started by obtaining the necessary permits and licenses required by the state of California. Additionally, in the E-labs cannabis lab business plan application, the business will need to work with a local laboratory to develop and test new products and technologies.

Furthermore, the cannabis manufacturer business plan will need to invest in equipment, materials, and personnel to operate the business. Finally, the business must develop a comprehensive business plan and marketing strategy to remain competitive in the industry.

Experts estimate the industrial hemp business plan’s costs, assets, and investments.

Industrial Hemp Business Plan - Startup Cost

In order to start a cannabis manufacturer business plan, the following requirements must be met: total startup expenses, total assets, total startup funding, total funding required, total assets, total liabilities, total planned investments, total capital, total liabilities, and total funding.

4. Products

At our industrial hemp business, we provide a wide range of services to our customers, from consulting and product development to manufacturing and distribution. We specialize in helping our customers develop a successful hemp business from start to finish. Our team of experienced professionals can help you create a business plan, obtain financing, source hemp materials, develop products, create marketing plans, and more. We also offer assistance with distribution, packaging, and sales. Our products include

Hemp Extracts: In the CBD extraction business plan, our hemp extracts are made from premium organic hemp grown in the USA. Our hemp extracts are rich in cannabinoids, terpenes, and other beneficial compounds that may help support overall wellness. In our Cannabis cultivation business plan , we offer a variety of hemp extracts, including full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolates.
Hemp Oils: Our hemp oils are crafted with a combination of premium hemp extract and organic MCT oil, providing an easy-to-use and convenient way to get your daily dose of hemp extract. Our hemp oils come in various flavors, including natural, mint, and citrus.
Hemp Topicals: Our hemp topicals are designed to provide targeted relief to the skin and can be used for various skin conditions. We offer a range of hemp topicals, including lotions, balms, and salves.
Hemp Edibles: Our hemp edibles are an easy and delicious way to get your daily dose of hemp extract. We offer a variety of hemp edibles, including gummies, capsules, and energy bars.
Hemp Accessories: We offer a variety of hemp accessories, including clothing, hats, and other items made with hemp fibers.

excellent work

excellent work, competent advice. Alex is very friendly, great communication. 100% I recommend CGS capital. Thank you so much for your hard work!

5. Marketing Analysis

In the business plan for a manufacturing company cannabis, the industrial hemp market is an emerging market with growth potential. The current market consists of a wide range of applications, including food and beverages, health and wellness products, building materials, and more. There is a growing demand for hemp-based products due to their health benefits and environmental benefits. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.6% from 2020 to 2025.

Market Trends

The industrial hemp market is driven by the increasing demand for hemp-based products due to their health benefits and environmental benefits. Additionally, in the cannabis manufacturing business plan template, the legalization of cannabis in many countries is boosting the market’s growth. The increasing awareness about the health benefits and environmental benefits of hemp-based products also drives the market. Furthermore, the increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products is driving the market’s growth.

Marketing Segmentation

The industrial hemp market can be segmented based on product type, application, and geography. By product type, the market is divided into hemp seed oil, hemp fiber, hemp seed cake, hemp powder, and other products. In the business plan for a cannabis extraction lab, the market is segmented by application into food and beverages, health and wellness products, building materials, etc. Geographically, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

The industrial hemp market is a growing market with growth potential. The target market for this business includes health-conscious consumers, manufacturers of health and wellness products, and manufacturers of building materials. Furthermore, the target market includes retailers and wholesalers selling hemp-based products.

Product Pricing:

The pricing of hemp-based products depends on the type of product and quality. Generally, the pricing of hemp-based products is higher than other products due to the higher cost of production. Additionally, the pricing of hemp-based products also depends on the demand and supply of the product.

6. Marketing Strategy

In the business plan for a cannabis lab, Industrial hemp is a valuable agricultural crop that can be used in various industries such as food, textiles, packaging, and construction. Industrial hemp is a fast-growing crop that can be grown in various climates and can be a viable source of income for farmers. Our marketing strategy will focus on increasing awareness of the benefits of industrial hemp and its many uses for both consumers and businesses.

Competitive Analysis

The industrial hemp industry is a largely untapped market with many potential entrants. Our competitive analysis will focus on identifying our competitors and their strengths and weaknesses. We will also identify potential new entrants and how we can differentiate ourselves from them.

Sales Strategy

We will focus on selling industrial hemp to farmers, businesses, and consumers. We will use a combination of direct sales, online sales, and retail sales to maximize our reach. We will also focus on marketing our product to businesses and consumers to increase sales.

Sales Monthly

In the business plan for cannabis trimming, our sales goals for each month of the year will depend on the size and scope of our operations. We will set monthly sales goals based on our capacity to produce and deliver high-quality products to our customers in a timely manner.

Sales Yearly

Our sales goals for the year will be determined based on our capacity and our ability to meet customer demand. We will also track our progress against our sales goals and adjust our strategy as needed.

Sales Forecast

We will forecast an annual increase of 10% in sales over the next five years in the industrial hemp business plan template. We will use a combination of direct sales, online sales, and retail sales to reach this target. We will also focus on marketing our product to businesses and consumers to further increase our sales.

7. Personnel Plan

Company staff.

The personnel plan for an industrial hemp business plan template will be based on the size and scope of the company and its operations. The following roles should be considered when creating a personnel plan for a hemp business:

CEO and Founder
Chief Financial Officer
Plant Manager
Hemp Processing Manager
Sales and Marketing Manager
Regulatory Compliance Manager
Administrative Assistant
Human Resources Manager

Average Salary of Employees

The average salary of employees in a marijuana extraction business plan will vary depending on the size and scope of the company, as well as the specific roles and responsibilities of each position. Generally, salaries for hemp business employees will range from $30,000 to $100,000 per year.

8. Financial Plan

Industrial hemp business plan should include a financial plan that outlines the startup and operational costs, expected revenues and profits, and other financial matters such as funding sources and loan repayment strategies.

Important Assumptions

Industrial hemp business plan’s financial assumptions:

Regulatory or industry changes, however, can have an impact on financial strategies.

Brake-even Analysis

The following table shows that the break-even analysis provides an estimate of the number of units that must be sold to cover the fixed and variable costs associated with the industrial hemp business.

Monthly break-even analysis

Projected Profit and Loss

In the CBD lab business plan, the projected profit and loss statement include details about expected revenues, costs, and profits over a specified period of time as shown in the table below.

Profit Monthly

Profit Yearly

Gross Margin Monthly

Gross Margin Yearly

Projected Cash Flow

The following column diagram shows the projected cash flow statement and provides an estimate of the cash flows associated with the industrial hemp business, including the sources and uses of cash.

Projected Balance Sheet

For an industrial hemp business, the projected balance sheet provides an estimate of the assets, liabilities, and equity of the industrial hemp business at a particular point in time.

Business Ratios

The business ratios provide an estimate of the financial performance of the industrial hemp business, including measures of profitability, liquidity, and efficiency are shown in this table.

What is the most profitable product from hemp? The most profitable product from hemp is CBD oil. CBD oil has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its potential health benefits, such as reducing anxiety and pain relief. CBD oil is derived from hemp plants and can be extracted from both the stalks and seeds of the plant. CBD oil can be used in a variety of products, from tinctures and topicals to edibles and beverages.
Is the cannabis industry a good career? Yes, the cannabis industry can be a good career choice for many people. The industry offers a variety of different job opportunities, from cultivation and manufacturing to retail and laboratory testing. With the increasing legalization of cannabis in many countries, the industry is expected to continue to grow and provide more job opportunities for those interested in entering the field.
Can a cannabis business open a bank account? In most cases, no. Most banks will not accept deposits from cannabis businesses due to the uncertain legal status of cannabis under federal law. However, some banks are beginning to offer financial services to cannabis-related businesses in states where cannabis is legal.

Download Industrial Hemp Business Plan Sample in pdf

OGSCapital’s team has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs with top-rate business plan development, consultancy and analysis. They’ve helped thousands of SME owners secure more than $1.5 billion in funding, and they can do the same for you.

Add comment

E-mail is already registered on the site. Please use the Login form or enter another .

You entered an incorrect username or password

Comments (2)

I conceive you have observed some very interesting points, appreciate it for the post.

Thank you for your comment. If you need assistance in writing your business plan please contact us by email: [email protected] or call us at USA +1-619-727-5304, UK +44-203-318-1069, Canada +1-613-699-7822, Australia +61-385-956-735.

mentioned in the press:

Search the site:

OGScapital website is not supported for your current browser. Please use:

How to Open a Marijuana Dispensary

Emma Castleberry

16 min. read

Updated November 13, 2023

Free Download: Sample Cannabis Dispendary Business Plan Template

Pot is a hot topic, even for those who don’t smoke it.

The recent legalization of marijuana in several states has been an unprecedented process. By legalizing both recreational and medical marijuana, states have opened up a new industry—one that people are clamoring to take advantage of.

We talked with two dispensary owners from pioneering states: Mitch Woolhiser, owner of Northern Lights Cannabis Company in Denver, Colorado, and Lincoln Fish, CEO of OutCo Labs, which manages the dispensary Outliers Collective in San Diego, California. While the details of their experiences are very different, their general attitude was similar: Opening a dispensary is not for the faint of heart. It is a business that takes a lot of hard work and time before it becomes profitable.

“It’s one of the hardest things you could possibly do,” says Mitch Woolhiser. “It can’t just be this fun thing. It has to be taken seriously.” In addition to requiring a lot of effort, opening a dispensary requires careful compliance with laws and regulations, as well as a large amount of starter capital. “You’re not going to make money if you aren’t following these rules,” Lincoln Fish says. “It’s an expensive business to run.”

But if hard work, up front cash, and bureaucratic red tape don’t deter you, opening a dispensary is an opportunity for you to be a pioneer in what is soon to be a massive, national industry. Marijuana Business Daily projects revenue generated by dispensaries and retail stores to reach between $6.5 and $8 billion by 2019.

“It’s still at the ground floor of the whole thing, considering the federal illegality of it,” says Mitch. “It’s still a good time to get in.”

Read on to find out how you can open a dispensary.

1. Assess your commitment and eligibility

Lincoln Fish moved into the medical marijuana industry to challenge hypocrisy.

“I was with most people. I thought, ‘These are drugs, this is bad,’” Lincoln says. “Then you start to learn how much hypocrisy surrounds marijuana. Alcohol and tobacco are far more damaging, far more addictive. Schedule 1 Narcotics by legal definition are highly addictive, shown to have no medicinal benefits and can be harmful to the point of lethality. Alcohol and tobacco meet all three of those requirements and marijuana meets none.”

Mitch Woolhiser saw a magnificent and unusual business opportunity in the budding marijuana industry in 2010. “This is something that, as a business person, you can do that’s almost revolutionary,” he says. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. What product suddenly becomes legal that hasn’t been for a long time? Not since alcohol prohibition has something like this happened and it probably won’t again in my lifetime.”

But Mitch and Lincoln both warn against opening a dispensary solely for financial gain. “If the only reason you’re getting into this is money, you’re not going to have a good time,” says Mitch. “It’s not a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. It’s a long game. You have to have something more to motivate you.”

It’s also important to recognize that background checks are often required, not only for the owner of a dispensary, but also the investors and employees. If you have a criminal background, you may not be eligible to open a dispensary.

Furthermore, if medical marijuana is not legalized in your state, any dispensary is liable to be shut down by the federal government. If there are no existing laws or regulations in your area, opening a dispensary probably isn’t a good idea. “If the city or county hasn’t passed anything, then the default position of the state is that there is nothing legal there,” Lincoln says. “You have to be very careful. That could be a problem. You could get shut down.”

Considering the money you will spend opening a dispensary, trying to operate one illegally is not worth the risk.

Brought to you by

Create a professional business plan

Using ai and step-by-step instructions.

Secure funding

Validate ideas

Build a strategy

2. Do your research

The dispensary business is rife with legislation and regulation. For example, even determining how you’ll accept payments as a cannabis business is a complicated topic, and something you’ll want to give plenty of thought.

To be successful as a dispensary owner, you must understand not only the existing laws around marijuana cultivation and sales, but also the proposed laws and changes that will go into effect in coming years.

Lincoln Fish recommends reading the Cole Memorandum, which gives guidance to U.S. state attorneys on how to prioritize the enforcement of marijuana laws. If you’re in California, he also recommends reading Proposition 215 and Proposition 420.

“In most cities and counties, it’s very easy to study and see what the legislation is,” says Lincoln. “Either it’s banned altogether, [or] if it’s not, they’ve already put out ordinances and guidance.”

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, has a database of detailed marijuana laws and penalties for every state in the U.S. These tables from the National Conference of State Legislatures are also useful.

“There are a lot of rules to follow and I would strongly advise that people get help right from the get-go: a lawyer and a CPA,” says Lincoln. This will help you stay in compliance with the law and access permits and licenses. NORML has a database of lawyers from all over the U.S. who specialize in the marijuana industry.

Both Mitch and Lincoln recommend a hard study of U.S. Code 280E, a tricky tax code that can slip up dispensary owners, particularly in budgeting.

“If you are dealing with a Schedule I narcotic, which marijuana is, you can only deduct the cost of goods sold from your revenue before you do your taxes,” Lincoln explains. “Say you buy the product for $500, put it on the shelf, sell it for $1000. You would have to pay taxes on $500 profit before you can take out your rent, employees, so forth. What is happening to a lot of dispensaries is they’re getting zinged with enormous tax bills. This is another reason that opening a dispensary isn’t necessarily as lucrative as people think.”

3. Find a rental property

“The key is really just to find a compliant property,” says Lincoln. In San Diego, a compliant property has a lot of requirements: “To be a compliant property, it has to be more than 1000 feet from a church, 1000 feet from a school, 1000 feet from a residential zone, and 1000 feet from another compliant property,” says Lincoln. “There is a map online that shows all the San Diego county compliant properties.”

It’s important to remember that, because of the ever-changing environment of the marijuana industry, a property that is compliant now might not be in two years. “Make sure that when you do access a property that it will be consistent with new laws that take effect in 2017, 2018,” Lincoln says. “Make sure you don’t open one and get shut down because it runs afoul of the new laws.”

A compliant property means different things in different places, and even if you find a compliant property, you have to be honest with the landlord about your plans to open a dispensary there, and they might not be supportive. Mitch Woolhiser dealt with this while searching for space for his dispensary back in 2010. “Some landlords just didn’t want to deal with it and still won’t,” Mitch says. “Some of that is because of the federal illegality and the liability they might have.”

Landlords are sometimes under pressure from law enforcement. Mother Earth Collective, which used to operate in the space that is now Outliers Collective in San Diego, was indirectly forced out by the DEA. “The DEA sent out letters to landlords all over country and said, ‘Hey, if we decide to come down on these guys, you can be liable if you’re renting to them.’ The landlord kicked them out and the collective closed,” Lincoln explains.

When searching for a place to open your dispensary, also consider if it is convenient for potential customers. “For planning purposes, location is the most important thing for the retail side,” says Mitch. “People are coming to you because you’re a destination or because you’re convenient.” Identifying a target market can help you choose a good location for your store.

It’s also important that most, if not all members of your community (even the non-users who won’t be your customers) are comfortable with a dispensary in their area. If your county or city has had ballot proposals on marijuana laws, Mitch recommends accessing ballot results for any area where you are considering a property.

“In Colorado, we had a vote in 2012 on Amendment 64, which is the recreational law,” he says. “I accessed the Secretary of State’s website and got the election results for Edgewater [where Northern Lights Cannabis Company is located]. In Edgewater, it passed for 70 percent. Another community, you can find out that information. You can find out the results of those ballot questions and decide, based on that information, whether the community is going to be welcoming or not.”

420 Property is also an excellent resource if you are looking to purchase marijuana-friendly property.

4. Write a business plan

When an industry is saturated in the way the medical marijuana industry is, it’s all the more important that you appear professional and prepared with a solid business plan.

Mitch, who used Bplans to write his dispensary business plan in 2010, says a business plan separates you from the crowd. “Write a business plan,” he says. “There are a lot of people who get involved in this business and aren’t very serious. Understand what you’re getting into and don’t just listen to somebody who’s all high in the sky.”

Access capital

Any good business plan will start with how to access capital, which is one of the most challenging parts of the marijuana industry because you need a lot of it.

“The barriers to getting in are still pretty high,” says Mitch. “It’s going to take a lot more money than it used to. We got into it with about fifty thousand dollars and some credit cards. Now, you wouldn’t be able to break into it without at least a half a million because of the regulations. Also, because there is so much competition.”

Because of the federal illegality of marijuana, you can’t get a bank loan for a dispensary. Lincoln recommends sticking to personal funds for your starter capital. “You’re better off right now really focusing on the angel investors, friends and family to get yourself to the point where you can acquire a property,” Lincoln says. “A lot of investors aren’t going to talk to you until you have a lot of the pieces under your belt. If you have a compliant property, it becomes easier.”

Determine your budget

Another consideration in your business plan is a clear, concise budget.

“You have to build a budget and take 280E into account,” says Lincoln. “You will not be able to do it on a shoestring. You have to be prepared for it to grow slowly.”

Consult wholesalers in your area to find out the cost of products. “For the business plan itself, you need to know your costs as far as what it will cost to get the product,” Mitch says.

Besides your product costs, there are other considerations for your budget:

Cost of license
Licensing application fee
Employee salary
Transportation and storage of product

Research the competition

In addition to knowing about the licensed competition in your area, opening a dispensary requires you to think of another demographic of competition that presents more challenge: unlicensed operators.

“Understand the unlicensed competition landscape in that area,” says Lincoln. “What is law enforcement doing about it or planning to do about? The truth is, the unlicensed ones are being allowed to run rampant. Law enforcement works on shutting them down but it’s not a high priority because they can’t get any convictions.”

Look in local publications for dispensary advertisements, both brick-and-mortar, and delivery. This will give you an idea of the unlicensed operators in your area. Additionally, research crime busts on unlicensed operations in your area. Are the unlicensed dispensaries being allowed to function freely, or is law enforcement working to get rid of them? This will be good information to inform your business plan.

“It’s very difficult to build up a patient base when you have people next door who are open 24/7, which you won’t be able to do, who are not paying taxes or social security for their employees, who are not paying federal taxes,” Lincoln says. “That will kill you. You have to play by the rules and they don’t.”

Conduct market research

Your business plan presents an important opportunity for you to identify your customers. This will help inform the marketing and pricing strategy for your dispensary. “Know your market,” says Lincoln. “Know your demographic and psychographic. Is there consumer demand? Where is it? This will also dictate some of your pricing as well.”

5. Get licensed

Getting licensed to open a medical marijuana dispensary is usually difficult and expensive. “I have known people who have spent upwards of three to four thousand dollars in legal expenses to get their license,” says Lincoln. For instance, in Colorado, the application fee for a medical marijuana dispensary can cost as much as $15,000.

“Be prepared to spend a lot of time on compliance and have a lot of resources ready for that,” says Mitch. “A lot of consolidation has been going on here because a lot of smaller operations can’t keep up with the compliance. It’s a full-time job.”

Take a look at Colorado’s Retail and Medical Marijuana License Application Process for some idea of what your application process might look like.

6. Get product

Obtaining a good product for your marijuana dispensary, and ensuring you do it legally, will be a central part of opening a successful dispensary. Many dispensaries grow their own marijuana, and in some states this is mandatory. Mitch Woolhiser has his own cultivation facility for Northern Lights Cannabis Company and says that should be on the horizon for any dispensary owner.

“Open a retail facility first and then put an eye toward having your own cultivation facility,” he says. “Get the retail off the ground with wholesale products. I would recommend that.”

Opening a dispensary doesn’t mean you have to sell marijuana in its typical form. Many patients prefer edibles, oils, dabs, and concentrates. Mitch says sellers of these forms of marijuana are easy to find and do business with. “When it comes to edibles and concentrates, those companies have sales forces,” he says. “Just reach out to them and establish contact.”

See the resources section at the end of this article for a selection of wholesale medical marijuana providers.

7. Market your dispensary

Decide what makes your dispensary competitive, and sell it.

“You can compete on price or other things, and I chose other things,” says Mitch. “We try to be more boutique. For us, you ask all the questions, you get to smell and look at each type before you decide which to buy. It creates more of a unique buying experience.”

Outliers Collective also gears their advertising toward a more mature audience. “We’re looking for longer-term customers that come to us because they want the service, quality, and consistency,” Lincoln says. “We want to get the word out to a different kind of patient, people who care about all the things that a licensed place represents.”

Your target market will inform some of your marketing choices, but Lincoln says there are some must-haves for marketing your new dispensary. “You have to be on Weed Maps and Leafly, ” he says. Weed Maps and Leafly are applications that allow patients to search for dispensaries in their area. Lincoln also uses some magazine advertisements and has a billboard on California State Route 67.

Mitch recommends marketing through social media accounts like Instagram, encouraging customers to give Google reviews, and keeping your website updated with proper SEO strategies.

It’s also important to check into the regulations around marketing your dispensary. There are many methods Mitch can’t use in Colorado: “You can’t advertise on the radio, TV, billboard,” he says. “There are a lot of restrictions. You can’t market toward out of state people. You can’t do pop up ads.”

Mitch and Lincoln both use loyalty programs which help market their dispensaries by word of mouth; a program that gives customers store credit when they refer a new customer will expand your customer base.

Stay informed

With this information, you have a good chance of opening a successful, lucrative dispensary.

Lincoln Fish encourages those with the right motivations to join the relatively new industry of medical marijuana: “I would love to see more responsible, credible people get into our space and open up dispensaries and do a good job with it,” he says. “The more we do to show the general public just how important this is and how responsible we can be and how well it can be done, the more we’ll get the public opinion on our side.”

With marijuana legislation changing often, it is important to stay abreast of new information even after you’ve opened your dispensary, to ensure you are operating in a safe and legal manner. Refer to the resources below for more information.

NORML: A one-stop resource for all information about the fight to legalize marijuana nationwide.

Cannabis Business Times: A resource recommended by Mitch Woolhiser.

420 Intel: A blog recommended by Lincoln Fish.

MJ Business Daily: Recommended by Lincoln Fish, this resource provides consistent research, statistics, and coverage of the legalized marijuana business. They also provide an annual fact book, ebooks, and an industry directory.

The Green Solution: Wholesale medical marijuana supplier.

Clarify your ideas and understand how to start your business with LivePlan

Emma is a freelance writer and media specialist with a passion for crafting in-depth, human interest articles. She likes spending all of her money on travel, eating cheeseburgers and ice cream, and dancing with abandon.

Table of Contents

26 Min. Read

How to Start a Brewery: Growing Your Own Craft Beer Business

4 Min. Read

Are You Cut Out to Run a Kennel or Pet Boarding Business?

8 Min. Read

Choosing Essential Equipment for Your Small Farm Business

10 Min. Read

How to Start a Gym or Fitness Center

The Bplans Newsletter

The Bplans Weekly

Subscribe now for weekly advice and free downloadable resources to help start and grow your business.

We care about your privacy. See our privacy policy .

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know

Translations |
Service Centers |
Pandemic Assistance

Farmers.gov is not optimized for this browser. Please use the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, or Safari for the best experience. Dismiss

Find your state/county's agriculture data and USDA resources on your farmers.gov Local Dashboard !

How to Start a Farm: Plan Your Operation

Think about your operation from the ground up and start planning for your business. A good farm business plan is your roadmap to start-up, profitability, and growth, and provides the foundation for your conversation with USDA about how our programs can complement your operation.

Keep reading about planning your business below, get an overview of the beginning farmer's journey , or jump to a different section of the farmer's journey.

Will help you get organized . It will help you to remember all of the details and make sure you are taking all of the necessary steps.
Will act as your guide . It will help you to think carefully about why you want to farm or ranch and what you want to achieve in the future. Over time, you can look back at your business plan and determine whether you are achieving your goals.
Is required to get a loan . In order to get an FSA loan, a guarantee on a loan made by a commercial lender, or a land contract, you need to create a detailed business plan . Lenders look closely at business plans to determine if you can afford to repay the loan.

How USDA Can Help

Whether you need a good get-started guide, have a plan that you would like to verify, or have a plan you’re looking to update for your next growth phase, USDA can help connect you to resources to help your decisions.

Your state's beginning farmer and rancher coordinator can connect you to local resources in your community to help you establish a successful business plan. Reach out to your state's coordinator for one-on-one technical assistance and guidance. They can also connect you with organizations that specifically serve beginning farmers and ranchers.

It is important to know that no single solution fits everyone, and you should research, seek guidance, and make the best decision for your operation according to your own individual priorities.

Build a Farm Business Plan

There are many different styles of business plans. Some are written documents; others may be a set of worksheets that you complete. No matter what format you choose, several key aspects of your operation are important to consider.

Use the guidelines below to draft your business plan. Answering these kinds of questions in detail will help you create and develop your final business plan. Once you have a business plan for your operation, prepare for your visit to a USDA service center. During your visit, we can help you with the necessary steps to register your business and get access to key USDA programs.

Business History

Are you starting a new farm or ranch, or are you already in business? If you are already in business:

What products do you produce?
What is the size of your operation?
What agricultural production and financial management training or experience do you, your family members, or your business partners have?
How long have you been in business?

Mission, Vision, and Goals

This is your business. Defining your mission, vision and goals is crucial to the success of your business. These questions will help provide a basis for developing other aspects of your business plan.

What values are important to you and the operation as a whole?
What short- and long-term goals do you have for your operation?
How do you plan to start, expand, or change your operation?
What plans do you have to make your operation efficient or more profitable ?
What type of farm or ranch model (conventional, sustainable, organic, or alternative agricultural practices) do you plan to use?

Organization and Management

Starting your own business is no small feat. You will need to determine how your business will be structured and organized, and who will manage (or help manage) your business. You will need to be able to convey this to others who are involved as well.

What is the legal structure of your business? Will it be a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, trust, limited liability company, or other type of entity?
What help will you need in operating and managing your farm or ranch?
What other resources, such as a mentor or community-based organization , do you plan to use?

Marketing is a valuable tool for businesses. It can help your businesses increase brand awareness, engagement and sales. It is important to narrow down your target audience and think about what you are providing that others cannot.

What are you going to produce ?
Who is your target consumer ?
Is there demand for what you are planning to produce?
What is the cost of production?
How much will you sell it for and when do you expect to see profit ?
How will you get your product to consumers ? What are the transportation costs and requirements?
How will you market your products?
Do you know the relevant federal, state, and local food safety regulations? What licensing do you need for your operation?

Today there are many types of land, tools, and resources to choose from. You will need to think about what you currently have and what you will need to obtain to achieve your goals.

What resources do you have or will you need for your business?
Do you already have access to farmland ? If not, do you plan to lease, rent, or purchase land?
What equipment do you need?
Is the equipment and real estate that you own or rent adequate to conduct your operation? If not, how do you plan to address those needs?
Will you be implementing any conservation practices to sustain your operation?
What types of workers will you need to operate the farm?
What additional resources do you need?

Now that you have an idea of what you are going to provide and what you will need to run your operation you will need to consider the finances of your operation.

How will you finance the business?
What are your current assets (property or investments you own) and liabilities (debts, loans, or payments you owe)?
Will the income you generate be sufficient to pay your operating expenses, living expenses, and loan payments?
What other sources of income are available to supplement your business income?
What business expenses will you incur?
What family living expenses do you pay?
What are some potential risks or challenges you foresee for your operation? How will you manage those risks?
How will you measure the success of your business?

Farm Business Plan Worksheets

The Farm Business Plan Balance Sheet can help gather information for the financial and operational aspects of your plan.

Form FSA-2037 is a template that gathers information on your assets and liabilities like farm equipment, vehicles and existing loans.

FSA-2037 - Farm Business Plan - Balance Sheet
FSA-2037 Instructions

Planning for Conservation and Risk Management

Another key tool is a conservation plan, which determines how you want to improve the health of your land. A conservation plan can help you lay out your plan to address resource needs, costs and schedules.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff are available at your local USDA Service Center to help you develop a conservation plan for your land based on your goals. NRCS staff can also help you explore conservation programs and initiatives, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) .

Conservation in Agriculture

Crop insurance, whole farm revenue protection and other resources can help you prepare for unforeseen challenges like natural disasters.

Disaster Recovery

Special Considerations

Special considerations for businesses.

There are different types of farm businesses each with their own unique considerations. Determine what applies to your operation.

Organic Farming has unique considerations. Learn about organic agriculture , organic certification , and the Organic Certification Cost Share Program to see if an organic business is an option for you. NRCS also has resources for organic producers and offers assistance to develop a conservation plan.
Urban Farming has special opportunities and restrictions. Learn how USDA can help farmers in urban spaces .
Value-Added Products . The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) is a national virtual resource center for value-added agricultural groups.
Cooperative. If you are interested in starting a cooperative, USDA’s Rural Development Agency (RD) has helpful resources to help you begin . State-based Cooperative Development Centers , partially funded by RD, provide technical assistance and education on starting a cooperative.

Special Considerations for Individuals

Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers: We offer help for the unique concerns of producers who meet the USDA definition of "historically underserved," which includes farmers who are:

socially disadvantaged
limited resource
military veterans

Women: Learn about specific incentives, priorities, and set asides for women in agriculture within USDA programs.

Heirs' Property Landowners: If you inherited land without a clear title or documented legal ownership, learn how USDA can help Heirs’ Property Landowners gain access to a variety of programs and services

Business Planning

Creating a good business plan takes time and effort. The following are some key resources for planning your business.

Farm Answers from the University of Minnesota features a library of how-to resources and guidance, a directory of beginning farmer training programs, and other sources of information in agriculture. The library includes business planning guides such as a Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses and an Example Business Plan .
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers information about starting, managing, and transitioning a business.

SCORE is a nonprofit organization with a network of volunteers who have experience in running and managing businesses. The Score Mentorship Program partners with USDA to provide:

Free, local support and resources, including business planning help, financial guidance, growth strategies.
Mentorship through one-on-one business coaching -- in-person, online, and by phone.
Training from subject matter experts with agribusiness experience.
Online resources and step-by-step outlines for business strategies.
Learn more about the program through the Score FAQ .

Training Opportunities

Attend field days, workshops, courses, or formal education programs to build necessary skills to ensure you can successfully produce your selected farm products and/or services. Many local and regional agricultural organizations, including USDA and Cooperative Extension, offer training to beginning farmers.

Cooperative Extension offices address common issues faced by agricultural producers, and conduct workshops and educational events for the agricultural community.
extension.org is an online community for the Cooperative Extension program where you can find publications and ask experts for advice.

Now that you have a basic plan for your farm operation, prepare for your visit to a USDA service center.

2. Visit Your USDA Service Center

How to Start a Farm with USDA

Get an overview of the beginning farmer's journey or jump to a specific page below.

Find Your Local Service Center

USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to ﬁnd your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.

Learn more about our Urban Service Centers . Visit the Risk Management Agency website to ﬁnd a regional or compliance office or to ﬁnd an insurance agent near you.

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

Starting a Farm

Thank you for your submission!

Starting a Farm: Is Farming Right for You?

JumpStart Grant for New and Beginning Farmers

New Extension Educator: Cathryn Pugh

Stay connected with the new and beginning farmer team.

Sign-up to receive news and upcoming event opportunities to enhance your skills and grow your knowledge.

New and Beginning Farming has the latest news and information on home food preservation classes, workshops, publications, videos, and online and in-person events. This quarterly newsletter covers topics like land acquisition, raising livestock and poultry, production strategies, farm equipment and safety, and more.

By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension. View our privacy policy .

2024 Disease Update: Apple Scab and Brown Rot Blossom Blight Conditions Predicted for March 30 – April 3

USDA NRCS Seeking Partnerships to Expand Grazing Land Conservation

Educator Guidebook: Carbon Incentives for Forest Owners

Water Features in My Garden

Recovering a Lost Bird: Bobwhite in Pennsylvania

Pitfalls to Avoid When Growing Your Dairy Foods Business

Cool-season vs. Warm-season Vegetables

Weed problems in an apple orchard. Long He, Penn State

An Overview of Advanced Weed Management Technologies for Orchards

Boosting Financial Wellness: Money and Relationships

Women Rooted in Agriculture: Central Wedge Cheese Shop

Good Gardening Saturday: A Homeowner's Guide to Mosquito Control

Mental Health First Aid (Private to Emergency Management Services)

Pasture Walks with Extension

Pollinator Container Garden Kits to Go

Wine Quality Improvement: Understanding Wine Flaws, Causes, and Recognition

Box Tree Moth: Management Guide

Rain Barrel Workshop: Build Your Own

Good Gardening: Vegetable Plant Partnering Based on Science

Frozen berries and vegetables Credit: Yastremska / bigstockphoto.com

The Garden in Your Freezer

Stream Crossings

Category title, your challenges, our expertise.

Connect with us for the latest research-based knowledge and hands-on know-how. Find experts who will work with you in person or online to answer questions, solve problems, and seize opportunities.

If you haven’t got the capital to start your farm, you may be eligible to apply for a grant or loan . Here are a few examples:

The Small Business Innovation Research grants
The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
USDA Value-Added Producer Grants

You will need to research whether your planned operation is acceptable with your local ordinances. Ideally, your property and land have to be zoned for agriculture . In Pennsylvania, the Municipalities Planning Code of 1968 controls zoning.

Machinery and equipment play a key role in agricultural enterprises. Good machinery management is required if you want to provide a reliable service for your agricultural enterprise at the lowest cost.

Farm Management Basics

Farm management is a collective term for various management strategies and methods you’ll need to keep your farm productive and profitable. You can use the methods regardless of the size of the farm you're starting .

Diversification is a way for you to increase your income or extend your farming season. Understanding how to set your prices is a crucial skill to learn.

Before you start your food for-profit business , you need a clear business plan . The business plan helps you define your reasons for entering the food business, the type of enterprise you want to run, and the goals you want to achieve. A business plan is fundamental for effective business management .

Penn State Extension has published a Farm Management Handbook to help you learn how to manage your farm successfully. You can use Quickbooks to help you manage your farm business.

You will have to purchase crop insurance to protect against the loss of your crops due to natural disasters or revenue loss due to declines in agricultural commodities’ prices. In the US, the federal government subsidizes premiums.

Access to reliable legal advice is helpful when making major business decisions, such as buying or transferring land. Free legal services for farmers are available through Penn State Law.

Raising Livestock and Growing Crops

Agriculture is the art and science of cultivating the soil, growing crops, and raising livestock . You can choose to specialize in agronomy , horticulture , livestock, or a combination of all three. There’s a lot involved whichever branch of agriculture you choose. But don’t worry because plenty of information is available, such as the Penn State Extension beginning farmer project .

If you want to raise beef cattle , you need to understand nutrition, health, breeds, and marketing. Proper nutrition and herd management are essential for generating income on a dairy farm . To be a successful sheep or goat farmer , you also have to manage various resources, including land, labor, capital, feed, and management.

If you want to raise hogs , your farm will require a good infrastructure, constant water and feed, and good fencing. Small poultry flocks , on the other hand, require a sound knowledge of the costs and potential income. This information is valuable when you make future decisions.

For those looking at crop production, soil management is critical. Once the soil’s quality is optimized, you can look at how best to grow your seeds and seedlings . A vital step in producing a successful crop of vegetables is stand establishment . This means your crop gets off to a quick, healthy, and unform start in the field.

If you want your fruit growing to be more than a hobby, creating a marketing plan for fruit crops is essential. Site planning and preparation are also necessary for the success of a tree fruit farm. You can expect a commercial apple orchard to be productive for at least 20 years, so long-term plans are crucial. Investment in a peach orchard may also be spread over a long period.

Exploring Farming 48
Starting a Business 85
Introduction to Agronomy 5
Introduction to Horticulture 95
Introduction to Livestock 38
See All Starting a Farm 269
Conferences
Online Courses
Guides and Publications
Tools and Apps
Penn State on Facebook
Penn State on Twitter

You May Also Be Interested In...

Writing a Manure Management Plan for Pennsylvania Farmers and Property Owners

fresh + local Moscow, ID

Find the farm stand at the very end of Henley Street in Moscow, ID

2023 Update : Farm Stand will be open for the season by March 18th, updates to follow! We will open for a few weekend before that so keep an eye out on Instagram and Facebook for those dates. You can visit our Moscow farm stand 7 days a week at 225 E Henley St . Open 9am-dusk each of those days. Fresh from the farm veggies, Brush Creek Creamery cheese, Love’s Kombucha in a can, and free-range chicken eegs. The farm stand is self-serve and payment is on the honor system. Venmo (@DeepRootsFarm make certain it’s paid to Greg Freistadt), cash and check are accepted. We are very excited to offer this to our community, please help us by not touching what you don’t need and paying for items you take. Thanks!

You might also find us at the Moscow Farmers Market in May and early June for plant starts and veggies. After plant start season you will find all of your fresh, locally grown and Certified Naturally Grown vegetables at our farm stand.

Deep Roots Farm in Moscow, ID grows vegetables and small fruits using techniques that promote biodiversity on their farm. We practice an intensive planting rotation to create diversity for plant health while increasing production on a small land base. We provide open and untouched space for beneficial insects and wild animals. We grow a wide variety of crops that are well suited to the climate utilizing locally grown and saved seeds when possible. Deep Roots Farm sells directly to their loyal customers at local farmers markets , and at their farmstand. We also love working with local chefs. You can find Deep Roots Farm produce at Maialina , FoodOlogy and Nectar for much of the year. We use only natural methods and do not use any synthetic chemicals for raising healthy food in small spaces all in Moscow city limits. As perennial students of nature and design combined with knowledge and experience of others, we continue to change and adapt the farm and its systems for environmental, human and economic sustainability.

LEARN how to farm on a small scale while making a profit by bringing one of the farmers to speak to your group. Find more information here .

Lots of tomatoes, strawberries and sunflowers at the farmstand this weekend! Come brighten up your table and your plate with good flavors and colors!

Greg Freistadt

Growing up in Montana Greg always had an appreciation for the natural world. Although focused on outdoor recreation, he developed a green thumb by helping his parents garden and landscape. Greg's love for travel has taken him around the world where in Southeast Asia he gained an appreciation for fresh, local foods and small farming. While pursuing a BS in natural resources from the University of Idaho ('10), he developed a passion for sustainable agriculture. As an intern at the WSU Organic Farm and working at a few other local farms he gained the knowledge to start his own farm and consulting business.

Please understand that during our busy season we may not respond to your emails or phone calls right away.

Here’s what’s open (and closed) on Good Friday 2024

Good Friday is a conundrum for many people. Easter is such a major holiday in the Christian faith that it seems like it would also be a government holiday. It’s not, though. But that doesn’t mean everything will be open.

Markets, governments and businesses usually agree on days off, but they have differing policies when it comes to Good Friday. Confused? Don’t worry. Here’s what you can expect.

Are banks open on Good Friday?

Yes—and no. Good Friday is not a federal holiday, so banks in most states will be open. Twelve states, however, recognize Good Friday as a state holiday, so branches in Connecticut, Texas, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and North Dakota could be closed.

Will there be any mail delivery on Good Friday?

Yes. Since this isn’t a federal holiday, the U.S. Postal Service will operate as it does on any other day. UPS and FedEx will conduct business as usual, also—and their drop off locations will have normal hours.

Is the stock market open on Good Friday?

Here’s where things get a little confusing. The stock market observes Good Friday as a holiday, so the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will both be closed.

Are government offices open on Good Friday?

As with banks, it really comes down to where you live. Since 12 states recognize the day as an official holiday, you won’t be able to access DMV offices, courts or city halls in Connecticut, Texas, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and North Dakota.

Which retail and grocery stores are closed on Good Friday?

Almost none. No major retailer shuts down for Good Friday—and several hold Easter or Spring sales hoping to lure in last-minute shoppers who are assisting the Easter Bunny this Sunday.

Latest in Lifestyle

0 minutes ago

Hyundai's Global Chief Operating Officer Jose Munoz at the company headquarters in Fountain Valley, CA in 2021.

Gen Z’s favorite car to steal is World Car of the Year winner—with over 700,000 in American sales

Gavin Newsom smilies with a piece of paper behind a podium. He is surrounded by celebrating workers and supporters.

Over 500,000 fast-food workers in California just got a huge raise thanks to a new law—but not everyone is celebrating

Women’s March Madness ad revenue doubled this year, Disney VP says

The Messi effect is supercharging MLS’ business impact: ‘I’ve been here quite a while, but I’ve never seen this’

The American sports tycoon who wants to build Yankee Stadium in Milan may have found his nemesis: Italian bureaucracy

Pets won’t count as a carry on for American Airlines flyers traveling with furry friends

Don’t brush right after you eat. Dentists say there’s one thing you should do after every meal that’s better for oral—and overall—health

America will be left with ‘severe, irreversible scars’ if national debt goes unchecked. Now, a blockbuster report warns the bill is higher than believed, hitting $141tn by 2054

Ford is slashing two-thirds of employees at its F-150 Lightning plant as its ambitious electric-car plans sputter

Older office buildings ‘will be stranded,’ says Morgan Stanley: ‘They simply don’t have long-term cash flow growth potential’

Economists say you’re wrong for wanting prices to start falling—and they point to the Great Depression of the 1930s

Does Medicare pay for wheelchairs and scooters? That depends on whether you meet all of its requirements

The pot farm massacre

When weed came sweeping down the plains, Oklahoma became an unregulated gold rush for cannabis entrepreneurs. Then came the mass murder.

F ourteen months after the murders, the garage of the abandoned marijuana farm on prairie tableland northwest of Oklahoma City sits frozen and dark.

Clothes hangers meant for drying weed dangle from metal poles stretched across the ceiling. Electric fans and plastic footstools are toppled over. The remnants of face-high marijuana plants lie flat on the unswept concrete.

Electrical outlets and two air-conditioning units are crudely cut into white plaster walls. Under one of those outlets is a sign of the horror that happened here: blood splatter dried to a reddish brown.

Situated in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, the farm sits on a dirt path about two miles from the nearest paved road, surrounded by flatland. The closest town is Ames, Oklahoma, population 193, about 13 miles to the northwest.

On November 20, 2022, a man with a handgun executed four people on this farm, inside this garage.

On the night of the murders, responding officers found a whimpering dog standing beside one of the bodies.

Today, paw prints are still visible in the dust.

This inconspicuous rural farm may have seemed like an ideal place for its owners to go unnoticed.

And if a mass murder hadn't happened here, it may have worked.

On June 26, 2018, Oklahoma voters approved , by about a 57 percent margin, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, becoming the 30th state in the country with legal cannabis in one form or another. But rules around how the state regulated it were remarkably spare, making it one of the most lenient states for growing and selling marijuana.

In Oklahoma, the application fee to start growing or selling medical pot is $2,500, and there is no statewide limit on the number of growers that can be licensed to sell to dispensaries. Compare that to Pennsylvania, where there's a cap of 25 marijuana growers or processors for the whole state, a nonrefundable $10,000 fee just to apply to grow marijuana, and a requirement that each licensed grow operation have access to $2 million in capital, including at least $500,000 in the bank . California has dozens of different designations for types of marijuana-growing licenses, which can cost as much as $77,905 a year. Arkansas, next door to Oklahoma, has a strict license cap and restrictions on residential cultivation, and requires license holders to prove they have $500,000 in liquid assets.

Pretty much every state has designed its own complicated set of barriers to start growing or selling marijuana, except Oklahoma. When Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana, the only real requirement was that Oklahoma residents had to be involved in marijuana growing and selling. Oklahoma, a boom-and-bust state since oil was first discovered there in 1859, exploded with marijuana operations. By October 2021, Oklahoma had more licensed cannabis farms than California, with a 10th of California's population. And marijuana proved a windfall for the state. According to data from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority — known as OMMA, the agency set up to write and regulate marijuana policy in Oklahoma — the state pulled in over $100 million in tax revenue from marijuana sales in 2020 alone.

But lax oversight of Oklahoma's legal marijuana market invited corruption and violence. Thousands flocked to the state seeking quick profits in cannabis, only to find fierce competition and rampant fraud. As criminal enterprises exploited the system's openness, law enforcement responded with heavy-handed crackdowns, gutting legitimate businesses as well.

While Oklahoma voters had welcomed in the marijuana industry, its law-enforcement community — and some of the state's law-and-order voters — saw red. And not just because of the threat of violence. Folks paying attention to property records started to see lots of business names connected to investors from around the world, particularly Chinese investors. The panic went national.

In July 2022, Oklahoma's Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, went on Sean Hannity's Fox News show to warn that Oklahoma was the state with the "No. 1 land purchases by the communists or foreign nationals" in 2020, which he described as "a red flag for anybody."

A month later, Dan Newhouse, a Republican Washington state representative, wrote an op-ed for Fox News warning of "Chinese nationals buying Oklahoma farmland at exorbitant prices, growing thousands of pounds of marijuana, and distributing it on the U.S. black market. Perhaps China considers this a bonus."

Then the quadruple murders happened. The name on the growing license for that farm in Kingfisher County was Liu and Chen Inc., and the property was owned by Yi Fei Lin, a Chinese national.

Afterward, people wondered why no one in law enforcement stopped a Chinese marijuana-growing operation where armed guards were known to hang out nearby before it turned into the site of a mass murder. Legalization was supposed to reduce the incentives for powerful cartels to sell marijuana on the black market . Instead, Oklahoma turned into a playground for marijuana growers — both criminal and not.

Many grow operations are connected to Chinese organized crime , said Mark Woodward, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, or OBN, the law-enforcement entity that polices the state's marijuana industry. "These farms are ultimately run by people who are tied to violent crime, human trafficking, labor trafficking, sex trafficking, homicides, extortion, money laundering — there's so many other criminal activities."

At its peak in 2021, OBN received applications for more than 9,400 growing operations. In 2022, the Oklahoma legislature set a moratorium on new licenses.

Adria Berry, the executive director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, is tempted to say, "I told you so."

"I'm personally not against the use of cannabis," she said. But the lack of any regulatory framework meant only one thing.

"It was obviously going to explode."

In 2020, Barb Miuccio, a 52-year-old entrepreneur then based in the northern suburbs of Dallas, was looking for business opportunities during the pandemic. She wanted a new business — one she could potentially pass on to her kids.

She partnered with Jeremy Grable, an experienced marijuana grower looking to capitalize on Oklahoma's lax laws. Originally from Dallas, Jeremy honed his marijuana-growing skills out West before returning home. Considering Oklahoma's approach to legal weed, Barb and Jeremy saw an opportunity.

But Barb soon discovered the dark side of the unchecked green rush: minimal oversight, shady players, and criminal practices. After years of thwarted harvests, broken partnerships, and the very real threat of prison time, she said she's burned through a substantial amount of her savings.

Barb, who is admittedly "not a weed person," saw in Jeremy someone with a green thumb who could handle the plants while she handled the business.

That meant taking the lead on licensing. But Oklahoma required 75% of any marijuana business to be owned by an Oklahoma resident. A quick Google search gave her options for plenty of lawyers offering to help would-be weed entrepreneurs.

She found Matt Stacy, an Oklahoma City-based lawyer, whose background seemed perfect for helping outsiders navigate his home state. A chummy 44-year-old white guy born and raised in Oklahoma, Stacy served for over 20 years in Oklahoma's Army National Guard, where he's a lieutenant colonel and decorated war hero after serving multiple tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Ukraine. He's a member of numerous legal associations and politically connected: Stitt appointed Stacy to lead the state's COVID-19 response team despite Stacy having no evident experience in health or science prior to the pandemic.

Barb said Stacy assured them he'd take care of the details, including finding an Oklahoma resident to claim a 75% stake in the business, and guaranteed Barb and Jeremy they'd get licensed.

Matt Stacy declined to be interviewed for this story.

By August 2020, Barb and Jeremy had Stacy on retainer and rented a beige, no-frills industrial building in Moore, about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City. Stacy told them that he'd filed their paperwork, and in September, inspectors from OMMA dropped by to evaluate their location.

"This all happened pretty quickly," Barb said.

Barb and Jeremy decided on a name — Emerald Treez — and OMMA issued them a license.

That's when things started to get strange.

In November 2020, according to Jeremy and Barb, Stacy called them out of the blue and said he was going to send over one of his other clients to buy marijuana plants.

That their politically connected, Republican war-hero lawyer was, as Barb and Jeremy tell it, acting as a middleman didn't initially strike them as odd. "We're like, 'Hey, this guy's got a network,'" Barb said.

Barb said Stacy seemed to have a lot of clients who had migrated from China to take advantage of Oklahoma's growing laws. Jeremy and Barb didn't care where they came from. "Money's money," Jeremy said.

Then, Barbara and Jeremy said, Stacy hooked them up with a "marijuana-friendly" local bank — a necessity since federally backed banks won't accept deposits for marijuana businesses.

But some of Stacy's advice about banking seemed off, like telling them not to open an account in their names or under the name Emerald Treez. "He told us, 'Go open your bank account in this name. Don't tell 'em it's marijuana,'" Barb said. When she questioned this, she said Stacy responded: "Oh, don't worry. I walk in there with gym bags full of half a million dollars and it's all good."

Despite the banking irregularities, they continued working with Stacy — he had, after all, fulfilled his promise to set up their license, and he continued to send them clients who wanted to buy plants. They assumed his connections in the state would protect them.

In December 2020, one of Stacy's clients visited Emerald Treez to buy plants but asked to see their OBN license first.

Barb said it was the first time she'd heard of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Marijuana licensing in Oklahoma was lax but it did require registering with OBN as well as OMMA, which neither Barb nor Jeremy knew about because, they said, Stacy hadn't told them.

Stacy blamed the mix-up on OBN, Barb said. He texted Barb a screenshot of what was supposedly Emerald Treez's OBN license number. The potential buyer wouldn't accept it because it wasn't an OBN application number — not even close.

Barb and Jeremy pushed ahead, not knowing the worst was still to come.

One day in May 2021, Jeremy and Barb left the grow facility to get supplies. According to Barb, the owner of a neighboring building called Jeremy and said, "OBN is at your building. Doors open on squad cars, guns drawn." Their neighbor, Barb said, walked over and the agents told him to mind his business. Barb and Jeremy decided to stay away.

Ultimately, OBN didn't raid Barb and Jeremy's business then, but they called Matt Stacy and said Stacy marked it up to confusion — OBN probably had the wrong place.

They assumed their lawyer was right and went back to work.

On June 30, 2021 — nearly a year after they started the process to grow in Oklahoma — Barb and Jeremy received an email from Stacy.

"It's like, 'Your grow is not gonna get approved for a license, and if you have any product in your building, I suggest you get rid of it now,'" Barb said.

They tried to call Stacy but he didn't pick up. They got in the car and drove to Stacy's office, but it was locked up tight with no one inside; it looked to be closed.

Barb and Jeremy were dumbfounded.

"We were losing it," Barb said.

The same chaotic, unregulated gold rush that sucked in Barb and Jeremy left four dead in Kingfisher County.

The garage where three men and one woman — all of them Chinese nationals — were killed in November 2022 was unlocked on the January morning when Business Insider visited this year. The saltbox-roofed building was a refuge from zero-degree temperatures and cutting wind.

A heavy, gray metal fence slid open on creaking casters. A dirt path led to the building where the killings occurred — the garage with the hangers and the blood splatter.

A large mobile-home trailer sat just behind the garage. Inside the trailer, a sign on the door was written in Chinese: "Please shut the door behind you." Clothes were strewn everywhere. In the main room, two refrigerators sat empty, save for some decaying condiment bottles. Dry weed shake lay intermingled with dust on the floor. A hallway adjacent to the main room led to at least six bedrooms with mattresses and Chinese soda and beer cans and cigarette butts on the floor and more shoes and clothing tossed everywhere. In another section of the mobile home, the kitchen was a dusty jumble of pots and pans toppled over in haphazard piles to the floor.

Jonathan Riedlinger, one of the Kingfisher County sheriff's deputies who arrived at the scene after the murders, said the farm itself was mostly empty.

"Everything was overgrown," Riedlinger said. "There wasn't a whole lot there. There was one barn that had two rooms that had an active marijuana grow."

Around dusk on November 20, 2022, Riedlinger's office received an emergency call from Yi Fei Lin, according to charging documents filed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Despite a language barrier, Lin attempted to describe a hostage situation at 2372 N. 2760 Road, in Hennessey, Oklahoma.

Sheriff's deputies arrived and found Lin in a black Ford F-150. He had been shot multiple times and was severely wounded. Deputies cautiously approached the two-car garage, where they found three men and a woman — later identified as Qirong Lin, Hechun Chen, He Qiang Chen, and Fang Lee — dead on the garage floor.

Deputies found two other people alive on the farm. One survivor, Wenbo Lin, told investigators through a translator that he had been working on the farm for 10 days. On the night of the murders, Wenbo Lin told investigators that he was working in the garage when a man named Wu Chen — whom Wenbo Lin didn't know, but another witness told investigators Chen had worked on the farm a year earlier — arrived unannounced. Witnesses told investigators that once inside the garage, Chen shot one man, identified as "The Boss," in the leg and then shot a dog. Chen then held the four others at gunpoint.

Chen demanded $300,000, according to the charging documents, and he threatened to kill everyone in the room if he didn't get it. Over the next half hour, workers at the farm made phone calls, desperately trying to pull together the money. While they waited, two of the men in the garage attempted to rush Chen. Chen shot and killed one of the men, and then shot Yi Fei Lin as he attempted to flee the garage. Lin was able to hide and told investigators that he heard multiple shots from inside the garage.

In the aftermath, the shot dog whimpered beside its dead owner. "She wasn't aggressive," Riedlinger said of the dog. "I mean, she was pretty docile for being shot. You would've thought that she'd be a little more mad." A vet came and checked the dog out, but Reidlinger didn't know what happened to the dog after that.

The Kingfisher murders were a turning point in Oklahoma's marijuana crackdown. "It woke the public up, it scared the public because they're all over Oklahoma — these farms are," Mark Woodward, from the OBN, said. "I think people started saying, 'That could happen across the road from me and my family.'"

Jed Green, a pro-marijuana activist in Oklahoma, said the murders "reinforced the narrative that the majority — or at least a lot — of the grow operations here are or have been operated by cartels."

"It's one thing to bust some folks and say, 'Hey, this was a cartel deal,'" Green said. "But when you have a quadruple homicide, it really drives home the narrative point of the shady criminal side of a number of these past operations."

On October 17, 2022, Oklahoma prosecutors filed 34 felony charges against Matthew Alan Stacy, including five counts of illegally manufacturing thousands of pounds of marijuana — charges that, if he were convicted, could put Stacy in prison for the rest of his life and then some. Barb and Jeremy are listed as witnesses in the charging documents. Stacy pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The state of Oklahoma isn't claiming that Stacy grew pot illegally in some back room of his law office. It alleges that he led at least six aspiring growers — including Jeremy and Barb — to believe that they had submitted all the necessary paperwork to be licensed to grow pot under Oklahoma's new rules when, in fact, they hadn't. Prosecutors say that since Stacy led the growers to believe they could legally manufacture a controlled substance — literally thousands of pounds of marijuana — he's ultimately responsible for it.

Stacy also set up a network of "straw owners," prosecutors say, helping out-of-state growers skirt the requirement that 75% of a cannabis business be owned by Oklahoma residents. He was listed as the registered agent for at least 214 different LLCs licensed to grow or sell marijuana through OMMA. He'd put his own name on these license applications, prosecutors say, and then used names of other Oklahoma residents to ensure that each application technically met threshold requirements.

Straw owners would claim to own 75% of a business while knowing almost nothing about it. "These people said, 'All I know about the business is that I go to the mailbox once a month, and I get a check to say that I'm the owner,'" Woodward said. "They committed fraud."

During Stacy's preliminary hearing in May 2023, a woman named Helen Carillo, the Oklahoma resident listed on Barb and Jeremey's application, testified that Stacy had paid her $5,000 apiece to be a silent owner for three marijuana licenses — and then placed her name on dozens of others without informing her. Her objection was not that Stacy placed her name on dozens of licenses but that she didn't get paid for all of them.

Barb and Jeremy are also suing Stacy in civil court. The case is pending, and Stacy has filed a motion to dismiss the allegations.

"He's personally responsible for ruining our business," Jeremy said.

None of the state charges against Stacy indicate a connection to violent crimes.

The abandoned marijuana farm in Kingfisher County was also licensed with a straw owner. The person who arranged that license — Kevin Pham, the founder and CEO of CSI Accounting Services in Oklahoma City — is charged with many of the same crimes Stacy faces, including defrauding the state by providing false information to obtain marijuana licenses. (Pham also faces methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges.)

Pham has pleaded not guilty in the ongoing case. He declined to speak to Business Insider for this story.

Oklahoma's primary illegal-drug law-enforcement entity has shut down thousands of marijuana-growing operations, arrested more than 250 people connected with those grows, and confiscated nearly 1 million pounds of illegally grown marijuana, according to internal OBN data.

"These are grows that are tied to homicide, that are tied to sex trafficking and labor trafficking and environmental messes, gambling operations," Woodward said. "You're talking about nearly 11,000 businesses that were operating in Oklahoma." OBN's job, he said, is to figure out who was doing it legally versus illegally.

A 2022 report from Whitney Economics, a group that studies the cannabis industry, found that as much as 75 percent of marijuana production in the US is done for unlawful sales. An investigation by ProPublica and The Frontier uncovered evidence of Chinese organized crime groups engaging in human trafficking to support illicit marijuana operations. NBC spoke to Chinese workers at illegal grows in California who said they were recruited for their jobs through Mandarin-language websites, and a Searchlight New Mexico investigation found that Mandarin-language ads run on the social-media app WeChat offered to bring Chinese nationals Stateside to work on illegal farms.

Woodward said Oklahoma is ground zero for these workers and illegal marijuana production generally. Court filings in Oklahoma seem to back up that belief.

In February 2023, local law enforcement arrested a Chinese national and accused him of transporting more than 2,700 pounds of marijuana in a fake Amazon delivery truck to an Oklahoma City grow operation for illegal distribution. Another raid led to charges against owners of a Chinese restaurant, who prosecutors say concocted a scheme to launder $25 million in illegal marijuana proceeds. In January, local police raided an Airbnb in Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City, and arrested nine Chinese nationals , who are facing charges related to distributing marijuana out of state. And human trafficking is a constant concern: In October, investigators arrested a suspect on human-trafficking charges, alleging he was involved in an Oklahoma City brothel where many clients appeared to be managers and administrators of Chinese-owned marijuana grows.

Woodward said one of OBN's goals is to help legitimate growers: "The industry just has not had a chance to even really get off the ground because the criminals immediately came in and undercut prices and workers and labor costs and everything."

But Oklahoma's marijuana crackdown has sparked accusations — perhaps not surprisingly, given the xenophobic overtones — of overreach.

A Vietnamese Hmong grower near Tulsa told Business Insider that he and other Hmong growers are targeted by OBN and local law enforcement as though they're on orders from China to grow marijuana and ship it illegally to other states. They "see all Asians as Chinese," he said. The grower, a former schoolteacher, declined to be identified, fearing recriminations for speaking out.

OBN denied it targeted Asian growers. "OBN has identified and shut down illegal grows, as well as made arrests on illegal farms tied to organized crime from China, Mexico, Russia, Bulgaria, Armenia, and the Italian mob over the last three years, as well as numerous American-owned and operated operations," said Woodward.

Green, the legal-weed advocate who heads up Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action, described the rocky start in Oklahoma's legalization efforts as growing pains. He talked about the historical booms and busts of Oklahoma industries like oil, shale gas, and wheat, which contributed to one of the most significant environmental disasters — the Dust Bowl — in American history. Oklahoma's aggressive law-enforcement efforts to eliminate marijuana grows are typical for the state. "You get a rush of enthusiasm, then a clampdown," Green said.

Green sees Oklahoma's marijuana troubles as a hiccup in the gradual movement toward federal legalization. "That's our goal," he said.

Indeed, it's difficult to imagine Oklahoma's half-decade weed rollout being as chaotic as it has been if Congress passed federal legislation making marijuana legal and regulating it like alcohol — with federal rules around production but allowing each state to make its own rules around sale and consumption.

Barb and Jeremy have an interest in seeing marijuana legalized at the federal level, too.

It's been a rough few years for them. They were forced to destroy a crop because of OBN licensing issues, and then their grow operation caught fire, apparently because of faulty electrical work, killing a harvest. They tried to open a dispensary to sell their product, but the deal they were working on went sour. They hope to sell through other dispensaries when their current harvest is ready for sale, but so far Emerald Treez is deep in the red. Barb's hope is that if marijuana does become legal on a federal level, they can expand their business out of Oklahoma.

Until then, they're stuck here.

After a steak dinner at Cattlemen's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City in February, Barb considered whether she would have done things differently.

"Yeah, I'll tell you what I wish I did differently," she said, taking a drag off a Virginia Slim. "I wish I'd never fucking stepped foot in Oklahoma."

After the murders, Wu Chen fled the scene, but he dropped his phone. Investigators were able to analyze it and determined he was headed to Florida. Police in Miami Beach found him two days later, on November 22, 2022, and arrested him without incident.

Ken Thompson, a Kingfisher County Sheriff's Office lieutenant deputy, traveled to Miami with another deputy to drive Chen back. Thompson said Chen didn't speak a word of English. "It's not like he could tell me anything about his concerns," Thompson said. "But I gathered he feared for his life."

Investigators said Chen told them through translators that he'd invested $300,000 in the farm and came to get it back. The farm's owner was unable to come up with the money to pay Chen. At some point, he opened fire.

There are rumors around the Kingfisher County courthouse that the killings may have been in retaliation for another shooting. Court records showed Yi Fei Lin and one of the murder victims, He Qiang Chen, were awaiting trial on charges related to a shooting in 2020, in uptown Oklahoma City, after a dispute over money. Lin and the now-deceased He Qiang Chen pleaded not guilty to those charges.

A preliminary hearing for Wu Chen had been scheduled for early February, and Yi Fei Lin and others were set to testify about what happened. But prosecutors offered Chen a deal: life in prison with no death penalty. He took it, ending the case. He'll spend the rest of his life in an Oklahoma prison.

In addition to the uptown Oklahoma City shooting, prosecutors have charged Yi Fei Lin with manufacturing at least 1,000 pounds of marijuana illegally — a charge that could land him in prison for more than 20 years. He's also accused of having used a straw owner to set up the business and has been charged with conspiracy against the state of Oklahoma. Lin has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Murders like the ones in Kingfisher happen "more frequently than people realize," said Woodward. "Rule No. 1 is you don't leave a witness. He left a witness." If there are no witnesses, said Woodward, "you bury the bodies in the tree line, you bring another working crew in, and you pick up where they left off — and with a group that will bring you the money that they're supposed to be bringing in. These people are expendable and undocumented — nobody's missing these workers."

A half-mile south of the farm, next to a corrugated-steel building on land unaffiliated with Liu and Chen Inc., a man with an electrician's truck was pulling a big wire spool out of the enclosed bed of his pickup. He said the owner was inside the building.

A man with long brown hair, who declined to identify himself to Business Insider, emerged from the building. He had a dog with him — a black-and-gray pit bull he called Kiki.

He said that after the murders happened, the pit bull showed up and he took her in.

"I don't care if she's Chinese or not," the man said, as the dog sniffed a reporter's boots. "This is the best dog I've ever had."

Hamas Took Her, and Still Has Her Husband

The story of one family at the center of the war in gaza..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

I can’t remember the word, but do you know the kind of fungi connection between trees in the forest? How do you call it?

Mycelium. We are just — I just somehow feel that we are connected by this kind of infinite web of mycelium. We are so bound together. And I don’t think we really realized that until all this happened.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It’s quite hard to explain, to me in a sense, because some people would say, oh, I’m so hoping your father will come, and then everything will be OK. And it’s very hard to explain that really this group of people decided to bring us up together, shared all their resources over 75 years, grow into each other, fight endlessly with each other, love and hate each other but somehow stay together. And their children will then meet and marry and make grandchildren.

And there’s so many levels of connection. And I’m sitting here in the room, and I see their faces, some of them. And we are incredibly — it’s hard to explain how much these people are missing from our kind of forest ground. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise, and this is “The Daily.”

It’s been nearly six months since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and took more than 200 people into Gaza. One of the hardest hit places was a village called Nir Oz, near the border with Gaza. One quarter of its residents were either killed or taken hostage.

Yocheved Lifshitz was one of those hostages and so was her husband, Oded Lifshitz. Yocheved was eventually released. Oded was not.

Today, the story of one family at the center of the war.

It’s Friday, March 29.

OK, here we go. OK.

Good morning, Yocheved. Good morning, Sharone.

Good morning.

Yocheved, could you identify yourself for me, please? Tell me your name, your age and where you’re from.

[SPEAKING HEBREW]

OK, I’ll translate. My name is Yocheved Lifshitz. I’m 85 years old. I was born in 1938. When I was 18, I arrived at kibbutz Nir Oz. I came alone with a group of people who decided to come and form and build a community on a very sandy territory, which was close to the Gaza Strip.

And my name is Sharone Lifschitz. I am 52 years old. I was raised in kibbutz Nir Oz by my mom and dad. So I lived there until I was 20. And I live for the last 30-something years in London.

And, Sharone, what do you have next to you?

Next to me I have a poster of my dad in both English and Hebrew. And it says, “Oded Lifshitz, 83.” And below that it says, “Bring him home now.” And it’s a photo where I always feel the love because he is looking at me. And there’s a lot of love in it in his eyes.

And why did you want to bring him here today, Sharone?

Because he should be talking himself. He should be here and able to tell his story. And instead, I’m doing it on his behalf. It should have been a story of my mom and dad sitting here and telling their story.

The story of Oded and Yocheved began before they ever met in Poland in the 1930s. Anti-Semitism was surging in Europe, and their families decided to flee to Palestine — Yocheved’s in 1933, the year Hitler came to power, and Oded’s a year later. Yocheved remembers a time near the end of the war, when her father received news from back home in Poland. He was deeply religious, a cantor in a synagogue. And he gathered his family around him to share what he’d learned.

And he said, we don’t have a family anymore. They’ve all been murdered. And he explained to us why there is no God. If there was a God, he would have protected my family. And this means that there is no God.

And suddenly, we stopped going to synagogue. We used to go every Saturday.

So it was a deep crisis for him. The shock and the trauma were very deep.

Abstention.

Abstention. Soviet Union? Yes. Yes. The United Kingdom? Abstained.

Yocheved’s father lived long enough to see a state establish for his children. The UN resolution of 1947 paved the way for a new country for Jews. And the next spring, Israel declared its independence. Yocheved remembers listening to the news on the radio with her parents.

The General Assembly of the United Nations has made its decision on Palestine.

We had a country. So now we’ll have somebody who’s protecting us. It’s a country for the people, to rebuild the people. This was the feeling we had.

In other words, if God could not protect you, this nation maybe could?

Yes. But the next day, it was already sad.

Israel was immediately forced to defend itself when its Arab neighbors attacked. Israel won that war. But its victory came at a great cost to the Palestinian Arabs living there. More than 700,000 either fled or were expelled from their homes. Many became refugees in Gaza in the south.

Suddenly, Yocheved and Oded saw themselves differently from their parents, not as minorities in someone else’s country, but as pioneers in a country of their own, ready to build it and defend it. They moved to the south, near the border line with Gaza. It was there, in a kibbutz, where they met for the first time.

The first time I met him, he was 16, and I was 17. And we didn’t really have this connection happening. But when we arrived at Nir Oz, that’s where some sort of a connection started to happen. And he was younger than I am by a year and a half. So at first I thought, he’s a kid. But for some reason, he insisted. Oded really insisted. And later, turned out he was right.

What was it about him that made you fall in love with him?

He was cute.

He was a cute kid. He was a cute boy.

What’s so funny?

He was a philosopher. He wrote a lot. He worked in agriculture. He was this cute boy. He was only 20, think about it.

And then I married him. And he brought two things with him. He brought a dog and he brought a cactus. And since then we’ve been growing a huge field of cacti for over 64 years.

What did it feel like to be starting a new life together in this new country? What was the feeling of that?

We were euphoric.

And what did you think you were building together?

We thought we were building a kibbutz. We were building a family. We were having babies. That was the vision. And we were thinking that we were building a socialist state, an equal state. And at first, it was a very isolated place. There were only two houses and shacks and a lot of sand. And little by little, we turned that place into a heaven.

Building the new state meant cultivating the land. Oded plowed the fields, planting potatoes and carrots, wheat and cotton. Yocheved was in charge of the turkeys and worked in the kitchen cooking meals for the kibbutz. They believed that the best way to live was communally. So they shared everything — money, food, even child-rearing.

After long days in the fields, Oded would venture outside the kibbutz to the boundary line with Gaza and drink beer with Brazilian peacekeepers from the UN and talk with Palestinians from the villages nearby. They talked about politics and life in Arabic, a language Oded spoke fluently. These were not just idle conversations. Oded knew that for Israel to succeed, it would have to figure out how to live side by side with its Arab neighbors.

He really did not believe in black and white, that somebody is the bad guy and somebody is the good guy, but there is a humanistic values that you can live in.

Sharone, what was your father like?

My father was a tall man and a skinny man. And he was —

he is — first of all, he is — he is a man who had very strong opinion and very well formed opinion. He read extensively. He thought deeply about matters. And he studied the piano. But as he said, was never that great or fast enough for classical. But he always played the piano.

[PIANO MUSIC]

He would play a lot of Israeli songs. He wound play Russian songs. He would play French chansons.

And he had this way of just moving from one song to the next, making it into a kind of pattern. And it was — it’s really the soundtrack of our life, my father playing the piano.

[PLAYING PIANO]:

[CONVERSATION IN HEBREW]:

[PLAYING PIANO]

So one side of him was the piano. Another side was he was a peace activist. He was not somebody who just had ideals about building bridges between nations. He was always on the left side of the political map, and he actioned it.

[NON-ENGLISH CHANTING]:

I remember growing up and going very regularly, almost weekly, to demonstrations. I will go regularly with my father on Saturday night to demonstrations in Tel Aviv. I will sit on his shoulders. He will be talking to all his activist friends. The smoke will rise from the cigarettes, and I will sit up there.

But somehow, we really grew up in that fight for peace.

Yocheved and Oded’s formal fight for peace began after the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. Israel had captured new territory, including the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Gaza Strip. That brought more than a million Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

Oded immediately began to speak against it. Israel already had its land inside borders that much of the world had agreed to. In his view, taking more was wrong. It was no longer about Jewish survival. So when Israeli authorities began quietly pushing Bedouin Arabs off their land in the Sinai Peninsula, Oded took up the cause.

He helped file a case in the Israeli courts to try to stop it. And he and Yocheved worked together to draw attention to what was going on. Yocheved was a photographer, so she took pictures showing destroyed buildings and bulldozed land. Oded then put her photographs on cardboard and drove around the country showing them to people everywhere.

They became part of a growing peace movement that was becoming a force helping shape Israeli politics. Israel eventually returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1982.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

Whenever there is a movement towards reconciliation with our neighbors, it’s almost like your ability to live here, your life force, gets stronger. And in a way, you can think of the art of their activism as being a response to that.

And why did he and your mother take up that fight, the cause of the land? Why do you think that was what he fought for?

My father, he had a very developed sense of justice. And he always felt that had we returned those lands at that point, we could have reached long-term agreement at that point. Then we would have been in a very different space now. I know that in 2019, for example, he wrote a column, where he said that when the Palestinians of Gaza have nothing to lose, we lose big time. He believed that the way of living in this part of the world is to share the place, to reach agreement, to work with the other side towards agreements.

He was not somebody who just had ideals about building bridges between nations. Two weeks before he was taken hostage, he still drove Palestinians that are ill to reach hospital in Israel and in East Jerusalem. That was something that meant a lot to him. I think he really believed in shared humanity and in doing what you can.

Do you remember the last conversation you had with your father?

I don’t have a clear memory which one it was. It’s funny. A lot of things I forgot since. A lot of things have gone so blurred.

We actually didn’t have a last conversation. The last thing he said was, Yoche, there is a war. And he was shot in the hand, and he was taken out. And I was taken out. I couldn’t say goodbye to him. And what was done to us was done.

We’ll be right back.

Yocheved, the last thing Oded said was there’s a war. Tell me about what happened that day from the beginning.

That morning, there was very heavy shelling on Nir Oz. We could hear gunfire. And we looked outside, and Oded told me, there are a lot of terrorists outside. We didn’t even have time to get dressed. I was still wearing my nightgown. He was wearing very few clothes. I remember him trying to close the door to the safe room, but it didn’t work. He wasn’t successful in closing it.

And then five terrorists walked in. They shot him through the safe room door. He was bleeding from his arm. He said to me, Yoche, I’m injured. And then he fainted. He was dragged out on the floor. And I didn’t know if he was alive. I thought he was dead. After that, I was taken in my nightgown. I was led outside. I was placed on a small moped, and I was taken to Gaza.

And we were driving over a bumpy terrain that had been plowed. And it didn’t break my ribs, but it was very painful.

And I could see that the gate that surrounds the Gaza Strip was broken, and we were driving right through it.

And as we were heading in, I could see so many people they were yelling, “Yitbach al Yahud,” kill the Jews, slaughter the Jews. And people were hitting me with sticks. And though the drivers on the moped tried to protect me, it didn’t help.

What were you thinking at the time? What was in your mind?

I was thinking, I’m being taken; I’m being kidnapped. I didn’t know where to, but this decision I had in my head was that I’m going to take photographs in my mind and capture everything I’m seeing so that when I — or if and when I am released, I’ll have what to tell.

And when I came to a stop, we were in a village that’s near Nir Oz. It’s called Khirbet Khuza. We came in on the moped, but I was transferred into a private car from there. And I was threatened that my hand would be cut off unless I hand over my watch and my ring. And I didn’t have a choice, so I took my watch off, and I took my ring off, and I handed it to them.

Was it your wedding ring?

Yes, it was my wedding ring.

After that, they led me to a big hangar where the entrance to the tunnel was, and I started walking. And the entrance was at ground level, but as you walk, you’re walking down a slope. And you’re walking and walking about 40 meters deep underground, and the walls are damp, and the soil is damp. And at first, I was alone. I didn’t know that other people had been taken too. But then more hostages came, and we were walking together through the tunnels.

Many of whom were from kibbutz Nir Oz. These were our people. They were abducted but still alive. And we spoke quietly, and we spoke very little. But as we were walking, everybody started telling a story of what had happened to him. And that created a very painful picture.

There were appalling stories about murder. People had left behind a partner.

A friend arrived, who, about an hour or two hours before, had her husband murdered and he died in her hands.

It was a collection of broken up people brought together.

So you were piecing together the story of your community and what had happened from these snapshots of tragedies that you were looking at all around you as you were walking. What’s the photograph you’ll remember most from that day?

It would be a girl, a four-year-old girl. People kept telling her — walk, walk, walk. And we tried to calm her down. And her mom tried to carry her on her arms. It was the most difficult sight to see a child inside those tunnels.

What were you feeling at that moment, Yocheved?

Very difficult.

Where did they lead you — you and your community — from Nir Oz.

They led us to this chamber, a room, that they had prepared in advance. There were mattresses there. And that’s where we were told to sit.

I saw people sitting on the mattresses, bent down, their heads down between their hands. They were broken. But we hardly spoke. Everybody was inside their own world with themselves, closed inside his own personal shock.

Yocheved was without her glasses, her hearing aids, or even her shoes. She said she spent most days lying down on one of the mattresses that had been put out for the hostages. Sometimes her captors would let her and others walk up and down the tunnels to stretch their legs.

She said she was given a cucumber, spreading cheese, and a piece of pita bread every day to eat. They had a little bit of coffee in the morning and water all day long.

One day, a Hamas leader came to the room where she and others were being held. She said she believes it was Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, who is believed to be the architect of the October 7 attack. Two other hostages who were held with Yocheved also identified the man as Sinwar, and an Israeli military spokesman said he found the accounts reliable.

He came accompanied with a group of other men. He just made rounds between the hostages, I suppose. And he spoke in Hebrew, and he told us not to worry, and soon there’s going to be a deal and we’ll be out. And others told me, don’t speak. And I said, what is there for me to be afraid of? The worst already happened. Worst thing, I’ll be killed.

I want to say something, and I spoke my mind. I told Sinwar, why have you done what you just did to all of the same people who have always helped you? He didn’t answer me. He just turned around and they walked off.

Were you afraid to ask him why Hamas did what it did, to challenge him?

I wasn’t afraid.

I was angry about the whole situation. It was against every thought and thinking we ever had. It was against our desire to reach peace, to be attentive and help our neighbors the way we always wanted to help our neighbors. I was very angry. But he ignored what I said, and he just turned his back and walked away.

In this entire time, you had no answers about Oded?

What was the hardest day for you, the hardest moment in captivity?

It’s when I got sick. I got sick with diarrhea and vomiting for about four days. And I had no idea how this will end. It was a few very rough days. And probably because of that, they decided to free me.

They didn’t tell me they were going to release me. They just told me and another girl, come follow us. They gave us galabiya gowns to wear and scarves to wear over our heads, so maybe they’ll think that we are Arab women. And only as we were walking, and we started going through corridors and ladders and climbing up we were told that we’re going home.

I was very happy to be going out. But my heart ached so hard for those who were staying behind. I was hoping that many others would follow me.

It’s OK. Let’s go. It’s OK. Let’s go.

You go with this one.

Shalom. Shalom.

There was a video that was made of the moment you left your captors. And it seemed to show that you were shaking a hand, saying shalom to them. Do you remember doing that?

I said goodbye to him. It was a friendly man. He was a medic. So when we said goodbye, I shook his hand for peace, shalom, to goodbye.

What did you mean when you said that?

I meant for peace.

Shalom in the sense of peace.

An extraordinary moment as a freed Israeli hostage shakes hands with a Hamas terrorist who held her captive.

I literally saw my mom on CNN on my phone on the way to the airport. And it was the day before I was talking to my aunt, and she said, I just want to go to Gaza and pull them out of the earth. I just want to pull them out of the earth and take them. And it really felt like that, that she came out of the earth. And when she shook the hand of the Hamas person, it just made me smile because it was so her to see the human in that person and to acknowledge him as a human being.

I arrived in the hospital at about 5:30 AM. My mom was asleep in the bed. And she was just — my mom sleeps really peacefully. She has a really quiet way of sleeping. And I just sat there, and it was just like a miracle to have her back with us. It was just incredible because not only was she back, but it was her.

I don’t know how to explain it. But while they were away, we knew so little. We were pretty sure she didn’t survive it. The whole house burned down totally. So other homes we could see if there was blood on the walls or blood on the floor. But in my parents’ home, everything was gone — everything. And we just didn’t know anything. And out of that nothingness, came my mom back.

It was only when she got to the hospital that Yocheved learned the full story of what happened on October 7. Nir Oz had been mostly destroyed. Many of her friends had been murdered. No one knew what had happened to Oded. Yocheved believed he was dead. But there wasn’t time to grieve.

The photograph she had taken in her mind needed to be shared. Yocheved knew who was still alive in the tunnels. So she and her son called as many families as they could — the family of the kibbutz’s history teacher, of one of its nurses, of the person who ran its art gallery — to tell them that they were still alive, captive in Gaza.

And then in November came a hostage release. More than 100 people came out. The family was certain that Oded was gone. But Sharone decided to make some calls anyway. She spoke to one former neighbor then another. And finally, almost by chance, she found someone who’d seen her father. They shared a room together in Gaza before he’d gotten ill and was taken away. Sharone and her brothers went to where Yocheved was staying to tell her the news.

She just couldn’t believe it, actually. It was as if, in this great telenovela of our life, at one season, he was left unconscious on the floor. And the second season open, and he is in a little room in Gaza with another woman that we know. She couldn’t believe it.

She was very, very, very excited, also really worried. My father was a very active and strong man. And if it happened 10 years ago, I would say of course he would survive it. He would talk to them in Arabic. He will manage the situation. He would have agency. But we know he was injured. And it makes us very, very worried about the condition in which he was — he’s surviving there. And I think that the fear of how much suffering the hostages are going through really makes you unable to function at moment.

Yocheved, the government has been doing a military operation since October in Gaza. You have been fighting very hard since October to free the hostages, including Oded. I wonder how you see the government’s military operation. Is it something that harms your cause or potentially helps it?

The only thing that will bring them back are agreements. And what is happening is that there are many soldiers who have been killed, and there is an ongoing war, and the hostages are still in captivity. So it’s only by reaching an agreement that all of the hostages will be released.

Do you believe that Israel is close to reaching an agreement?

I don’t know.

You told us that after the Holocaust, your father gathered your family together to tell you that God did not save you. It was a crisis for him. I’m wondering if this experience, October 7, your captivity, challenged your faith in a similar way.

No, I don’t think it changed me. I’m still the same person with the same beliefs and opinions. But how should I say it? What the Hamas did was to ruin a certain belief in human beings. I didn’t think that one could reach that level that isn’t that much higher than a beast. But my opinion and my view of there still being peace and reaching an arrangement stayed the same.

You still believe in peace?

Why do you believe that?

Because I’m hoping that a new generation of leaders will rise, people who act in transparency, who speak the truth, people who are honest, the way Israel used to be and that we’ll return to be like we once were.

I go to many rallies and demonstrations, and I meet many people in many places. And a large part of those people still believe in reaching an arrangement in peace and for there to be no war. And I still hope that this is what we’re going to be able to have here.

Bring them home now! Bring them home now! Bring them home now! Bring them home now! Bring them home! Now! Bring them home! Now! Bring them home! Now! Bring them home!

Yocheved is now living in a retirement home in the suburbs of Tel Aviv. Five other people around her age from Nir Oz live there too. One is also a released hostage. She hasn’t been able to bring herself to go back to the kibbutz. The life she built there with Oded is gone — her photographs, his records, the piano. And the kibbutz has become something else now, a symbol instead of a home. It is now buzzing with journalists and politicians. For now, Yocheved doesn’t know if she’ll ever go back. And when Sharone asked her, she said, let’s wait for Dad.

So I’m today sitting in this assisted living, surrounded by the same company, just expecting Oded, waiting for Oded to come back. And then each and every one of us will be rebuilding his own life together and renewing it.

What are you doing to make it a home for Oded?

We have a piano. We were given a piano, a very old one with a beautiful sound. And it’s good. Oded is very sensitive to the sound. He has absolute hearing. And I’m just hoping for him to come home and start playing the piano.

Do you believe that Oded will come home?

I’d like to believe. But there’s a difference between believing and wanting. I want to believe that he’ll be back and playing music. I don’t think his opinions are going to change. He’s going to be disappointed by what happened. But I hope he’s going to hold on to the same beliefs. His music is missing from our home.

[SPEAKING HEBEW]:

[SPEAKING HEBREW] [PLAYING PIANO]

I know that my father always felt that we haven’t given peace a chance. That was his opinion. And I think it’s very hard to speak for my father because maybe he has changed. Like my mom said, she said, I hope he hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed. But the truth is we don’t know. And we don’t the story. We don’t know how the story — my father is ending or just beginning.

But I think you have to hold on to humanistic values at this point. You have to know what you don’t want. I don’t want more of this. This is hell. This is hell for everybody. So this is no, you know? And then I believe that peace is also gray, and it’s not glorious, and it’s not simple. It’s kind of a lot of hard work. You have to reconcile and give up a lot. And it’s only worth doing that for peace.

[PIANO PLAYING CONTINUES]

After weeks of negotiations, talks over another hostage release and ceasefire have reached an impasse. The sticking points include the length of the ceasefire and the identity and number of Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged for the hostages.

[BACKGROUND CONVERSATION IN HEBREW]:

Here’s what else you should know today. Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday, capping an extraordinary saga that upended the multi-trillion-dollar crypto industry. Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, was convicted of wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering last November.

Prosecutors accused him of stealing more than $10 billion from customers to finance political contributions, venture capital investments, and other extravagant purchases. At the sentencing, the judge pointed to testimony from Bankman-Fried’s trial, saying that his appetite for extreme risk and failure to take responsibility for his crimes amount to a quote, “risk that this man will be in a position to do something very bad in the future.”

Today’s episode was produced by Lynsea Garrison and Mooj Zaidie with help from Rikki Novetsky and Shannon Lin. It was edited by Michael Benoist, fact checked by Susan Lee, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Dan Powell, Diane Wong, Elisheba Ittoop, and Oded Lifshitz. It was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. The translation was by Gabby Sobelman. Special thanks to Menachem Rosenberg, Gershom Gorenberg, Gabby Sobelman, Yotam Shabtie, and Patrick Kingsley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you on Monday.

April 1, 2024 • 36:14 Ronna McDaniel, TV News and the Trump Problem
March 29, 2024 • 48:42 Hamas Took Her, and Still Has Her Husband
March 28, 2024 • 33:40 The Newest Tech Start-Up Billionaire? Donald Trump.
March 27, 2024 • 28:06 Democrats’ Plan to Save the Republican House Speaker
March 26, 2024 • 29:13 The United States vs. the iPhone
March 25, 2024 • 25:59 A Terrorist Attack in Russia
March 24, 2024 • 21:39 The Sunday Read: ‘My Goldendoodle Spent a Week at Some Luxury Dog ‘Hotels.’ I Tagged Along.’
March 22, 2024 • 35:30 Chuck Schumer on His Campaign to Oust Israel’s Leader
March 21, 2024 • 27:18 The Caitlin Clark Phenomenon
March 20, 2024 • 25:58 The Bombshell Case That Will Transform the Housing Market
March 19, 2024 • 27:29 Trump’s Plan to Take Away Biden’s Biggest Advantage
March 18, 2024 • 23:18 Your Car May Be Spying on You

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Produced by Lynsea Garrison and Mooj Zadie

With Rikki Novetsky and Shannon Lin

Edited by Michael Benoist

Original music by Marion Lozano , Dan Powell , Diane Wong and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

It’s been nearly six months since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel, when militants took more than 200 hostages into Gaza.

In a village called Nir Oz, near the border, one quarter of residents were either killed or taken hostage. Yocheved Lifshitz and her husband, Oded Lifshitz, were among those taken.

Today, Yocheved and her daughter Sharone tell their story.

On today’s episode

Yocheved Lifshitz, a former hostage.

Sharone Lifschitz, daughter of Yocheved and Oded Lifshitz.

A group of people are holding up signs in Hebrew with photos of a man. In the front is a woman with short hair and glasses.

Background reading

Yocheved Lifshitz was beaten and held in tunnels built by Hamas for 17 days.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

Additional music by Oded Lifshitz.

Translations by Gabby Sobelman .

Special thanks to Menachem Rosenberg, Gershom Gorenberg , Gabby Sobelman , Yotam Shabtie, and Patrick Kingsley .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

Posted on April 14, 2018 July 26, 2018
by Kings of Russia
8 minute read

Moscow’s nightlife scene is thriving, and arguably one of the best the world has to offer – top-notch Russian women, coupled with a never-ending list of venues, Moscow has a little bit of something for everyone’s taste. Moscow nightlife is not for the faint of heart – and if you’re coming, you better be ready to go Friday and Saturday night into the early morning.

This comprehensive guide to Moscow nightlife will run you through the nuts and bolts of all you need to know about Moscow’s nightclubs and give you a solid blueprint to operate with during your time in Moscow.

What you need to know before hitting Moscow nightclubs

Prices in moscow nightlife.

Before you head out and start gaming all the sexy Moscow girls , we have to talk money first. Bring plenty because in Moscow you can never bring a big enough bankroll. Remember, you’re the man so making a fuzz of not paying a drink here or there will not go down well.

Luckily most Moscow clubs don’t do cover fees. Some electro clubs will charge 15-20$, depending on their lineup. There’s the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you’ll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus.

Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That’ll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys chipping in. Not to mention that it’s a massive status boost for getting girls, especially at high-end clubs.

Without bottle service, you should estimate a budget of 100-150$ per night. That is if you drink a lot and hit the top clubs with the hottest girls. Scale down for less alcohol and more basic places.

Dress code & Face control

Door policy in Moscow is called “face control” and it’s always the guy behind the two gorillas that gives the green light if you’re in or out.

In Moscow nightlife there’s only one rule when it comes to dress codes:

You can never be underdressed.

People dress A LOT sharper than, say, in the US and that goes for both sexes. For high-end clubs, you definitely want to roll with a sharp blazer and a pocket square, not to mention dress shoes in tip-top condition. Those are the minimum requirements to level the playing field vis a vis with other sharply dressed guys that have a lot more money than you do. Unless you plan to hit explicit electro or underground clubs, which have their own dress code, you are always on the money with that style.

Getting in a Moscow club isn’t as hard as it seems: dress sharp, speak English at the door and look like you’re in the mood to spend all that money that you supposedly have (even if you don’t). That will open almost any door in Moscow’s nightlife for you.

Types of Moscow Nightclubs

In Moscow there are four types of clubs with the accompanying female clientele:

High-end clubs:

These are often crossovers between restaurants and clubs with lots of tables and very little space to dance. Heavy accent on bottle service most of the time but you can work the room from the bar as well. The hottest and most expensive girls in Moscow go there. Bring deep pockets and lots of self-confidence and you have a shot at swooping them.

Regular Mid-level clubs:

They probably resemble more what you’re used to in a nightclub: big dancefloors, stages and more space to roam around. Bottle service will make you stand out more but you can also do well without. You can find all types of girls but most will be in the 6-8 range. Your targets should always be the girls drinking and ideally in pairs. It’s impossible not to swoop if your game is at least half-decent.

Basic clubs/dive bars:

Usually spots with very cheap booze and lax face control. If you’re dressed too sharp and speak no Russian, you might attract the wrong type of attention so be vigilant. If you know the local scene you can swoop 6s and 7s almost at will. Usually students and girls from the suburbs.

Electro/underground clubs:

Home of the hipsters and creatives. Parties there don’t mean meeting girls and getting drunk but doing pills and spacing out to the music. Lots of attractive hipster girls if that is your niche. That is its own scene with a different dress code as well.

What time to go out in Moscow

Moscow nightlife starts late. Don’t show up at bars and preparty spots before 11pm because you’ll feel fairly alone. Peak time is between 1am and 3am. That is also the time of Moscow nightlife’s biggest nuisance: concerts by artists you won’t know and who only distract your girls from drinking and being gamed. From 4am to 6am the regular clubs are emptying out but plenty of people, women included, still hit up one of the many afterparty clubs. Those last till well past 10am.

As far as days go: Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Thursday is an OK day, all other days are fairly weak and you have to know the right venues.

The Ultimate Moscow Nightclub List

Short disclaimer: I didn’t add basic and electro clubs since you’re coming for the girls, not for the music. This list will give you more options than you’ll be able to handle on a weekend.

Preparty – start here at 11PM

Classic restaurant club with lots of tables and a smallish bar and dancefloor. Come here between 11pm and 12am when the concert is over and they start with the actual party. Even early in the night tons of sexy women here, who lean slightly older (25 and up).

The second floor of the Ugolek restaurant is an extra bar with dim lights and house music tunes. Very small and cozy with a slight hipster vibe but generally draws plenty of attractive women too. A bit slower vibe than Valenok.

Very cool, spread-out venue that has a modern library theme. Not always full with people but when it is, it’s brimming with top-tier women. Slow vibe here and better for grabbing contacts and moving on.

High-end: err on the side of being too early rather than too late because of face control.

Secret Room

Probably the top venue at the moment in Moscow . Very small but wildly popular club, which is crammed with tables but always packed. They do parties on Thursdays and Sundays as well. This club has a hip-hop/high-end theme, meaning most girls are gold diggers, IG models, and tattooed hip hop chicks. Very unfavorable logistics because there is almost no room no move inside the club but the party vibe makes it worth it. Strict face control.

Close to Secret Room and with a much more favorable and spacious three-part layout. This place attracts very hot women but also lots of ball busters and fakes that will leave you blue-balled. Come early because after 4am it starts getting empty fast. Electronic music.

A slightly kitsch restaurant club that plays Russian pop and is full of gold diggers, semi-pros, and men from the Caucasus republics. Thursday is the strongest night but that dynamic might be changing since Secret Room opened its doors. You can swoop here but it will be a struggle.

Mid-level: your sweet spot in terms of ease and attractiveness of girls for an average budget.

Started going downwards in 2018 due to lax face control and this might get even worse with the World Cup. In terms of layout one of the best Moscow nightclubs because it’s very big and bottle service gives you a good edge here. Still attracts lots of cute girls with loose morals but plenty of provincial girls (and guys) as well. Swooping is fairly easy here.

I haven’t been at this place in over a year, ever since it started becoming ground zero for drunken teenagers. Similar clientele to Icon but less chic, younger and drunker. Decent mainstream music that attracts plenty of tourists. Girls are easy here as well.

Sort of a Coyote Ugly (the real one in Moscow sucks) with party music and lots of drunken people licking each others’ faces. Very entertaining with the right amount of alcohol and very easy to pull in there. Don’t think about staying sober in here, you’ll hate it.

Artel Bessonitsa/Shakti Terrace

Electronic music club that is sort of a high-end place with an underground clientele and located between the teenager clubs Icon and Gipsy. Very good music but a bit all over the place with their vibe and their branding. You can swoop almost any type of girl here from high-heeled beauty to coked-up hipsters, provided they’re not too sober.

Afterparty: if by 5AM you haven’t pulled, it’s time to move here.

Best afterparty spot in terms of trying to get girls. Pretty much no one is sober in there and savage gorilla game goes a long way. Lots of very hot and slutty-looking girls but it can be hard to tell apart who is looking for dick and who is just on drugs but not interested. If by 9-10am you haven’t pulled, it is probably better to surrender.

The hipster alternative for afterparties, where even more drugs are in play. Plenty of attractive girls there but you have to know how to work this type of club. A nicer atmosphere and better music but if you’re desperate to pull, you’ll probably go to Miks.

Weekday jokers: if you’re on the hunt for some sexy Russian girls during the week, here are two tips to make your life easier.

Chesterfield

Ladies night on Wednesdays means this place gets pretty packed with smashed teenagers and 6s and 7s. Don’t pull out the three-piece suit in here because it’s a “simpler” crowd. Definitely your best shot on Wednesdays.

If you haven’t pulled at Chesterfield, you can throw a Hail Mary and hit up Garage’s Black Music Wednesdays. Fills up really late but there are some cute Black Music groupies in here. Very small club. Thursday through Saturday they do afterparties and you have an excellent shot and swooping girls that are probably high.

Shishas Sferum

This is pretty much your only shot on Mondays and Tuesdays because they offer free or almost free drinks for women. A fairly low-class club where you should watch your drinks. As always the case in Moscow, there will be cute girls here on any day of the week but it’s nowhere near as good as on the weekend.

In a nutshell, that is all you need to know about where to meet Moscow girls in nightlife. There are tons of options, and it all depends on what best fits your style, based on the type of girls that you’re looking for.