Holden Leads Blog

Cannabis Industry Insights

Data, outreach strategies, and market intelligence for cannabis B2B professionals.

May 5, 2026

Schedule III Is Real: How the Most Consequential Week in Cannabis Business History Is Playing Out

For years, cannabis operators have been paying more in federal taxes than almost any other industry in America — not because they're unusually profitable, but because of a single line in the tax code that forbids businesses trafficking in Schedule I controlled substances from deducting normal operating expenses.

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April 29, 2026

The Post-4/20 Product Landscape Shows a Market Growing Up Fast

The data from this year's holiday week, combined with a handful of notable launches that landed just before or during it, paints a picture of an industry that is maturing in real time: less novelty, more intentionality, and a consumer base that increasingly knows exactly what it wants.

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April 19, 2026

Liquid Diamonds and Medicare Pilots: Cannabis Products Are Speaking to Two Very Different Consumers

Two product stories dominated the cannabis space this week, and they couldn't be more different. One involves a Canadian LP crafting ultra-premium, liquid diamond-infused flower for consumers who have, in the company's own framing, already exhausted everything else. The other involves a hemp-derived CBD company positioning its products for elderly Medicare beneficiaries managing chronic conditions. Taken separately, they're interesting brand launches. Taken together, they reveal something meanin

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April 15, 2026

The Largest Study on Cannabis and Mental Health Has a Clear Answer: It Mostly Doesn't Work

A landmark study published this week is now forcing a more honest conversation about what the science actually says.

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April 5, 2026

The Rescheduling Mirage

The reallity of rescheduling is not what it seems, and will not be as fast as it sounds.

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