The Cannabis Accounting Podcast

Hosted by DOPE CFO

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224

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Aug 2026

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The Cannabis Accounting Podcast discusses the ins and outs of cannabis/cbd/hemp accounting. Topics include 280E, chart of accounts, starting & growing your own firm, overcoming software challenges, and more! Looking to get into cannabis accounting? To learn more visit dopecfo.com.

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September 4, 2026Episode 22437 min

EP 24: How Cannabis Growers Are Testing Everything Before They Buy

In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, host Raymond Guns sits down with Nick Morin, CEO and Founder of Grow World Inc, to talk about connecting cannabis and hemp growers to a global supply chain, and why documenting the industry on camera has become one of its most valuable assets. Nick got his start in cannabis as a young cultivator before founding Growers Network in college, an online forum that grew to 25,000 members. That led to Canna Cribs, the YouTube series that took him across the country filming large-scale cannabis operators, before he launched Grow World in 2023 to help commercial growers source equipment and connect internationally. Nick breaks down: 🌍 Two paths for cannabis worldwide: Nick sees the global market splitting into low-cost commodity flower from countries like Colombia and boutique, terroir-driven regions comparable to tequila, whiskey, or wine country. 🛒 A marketplace built like Alibaba meets Costco: Grow World is drop-ship only, connecting manufacturers directly to growers so members can trial products like lighting or nutrients for free before buying at member wholesale pricing. 🌿 Where hemp reform stands heading into 2027: With federal hemp rules shifting and a possible extension into December, Nick shares how Grow World is helping cannabis and hemp growers export finished goods without being boxed in by state-by-state rules. 📊 1,000+ product trials and counting: Grow World has run trials with growers and manufacturers across dozens of countries, built entirely through content and word of mouth, without spending a dollar on paid advertising. 🎥 Why content outlives the moment it's filmed: Nick breaks down the math behind a decade of Canna Cribs and Grow World's stage content: 72 hours of filming can generate hundreds of years of cumulative watch time. 🚀 Growing Grow World into every legal market: Nick shares his goal of putting a manufacturer and a grower in every legal cannabis country in the world, from Australia to Germany. Nick's read on the industry is grounded in real numbers: over 1,000 trials, growers and vendors on every continent, and a business built on the promise that Grow World only makes money when its members save money. But he's just as candid about what hasn't gotten easier, banking and payment processing still take real work, even years into legalization. His closing message cuts through both: cannabis, hemp, tomatoes, whatever you grow, the industry moves a lot farther when everyone stops fighting and starts building together. Subscribe for deep dives on cannabis business, accounting, regs, and growth! 🔥 📧 Nick Morin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmorinaz/

August 17, 202634 min

EP 223: For Accountants: What Cannabis Owners Actually Pay Top Dollar For

👉 Finance professionals looking to get into cannabis accounting, get started here: https://go.dopecfo.com/get-started-6?... With cannabis newly rescheduled to Schedule III and tens of thousands of new operators about to need CFO-level guidance, the accountants who understand what owners actually pay for are the ones who will own this decade. Most accountants think clean books and monthly reports are the deliverable. Cannabis owners will tell you the exact opposite. They're not looking for reports. They're looking for a partner who helps them make decisions. In this episode, Andrew Hunzicker, CPA and founder of DOPE CFO shares insights from Joey Gindi, a 16-year cannabis retail operator with two dispensaries in Colorado. Joey walks a room full of accountants through exactly what the finance function looks like from the operator's chair, why he recently let go of a bookkeeper who was doing everything right on paper, and what he was really searching for instead. Joey and Andrew cover: Why Joey let go of his previous bookkeeper even though the books were clean and the reports were on time, and what he replaced him with A cannabis operator's decision filter framework: how every metric on a dashboard should tie directly to an operating decision, or it doesn't belong on the dashboard Why owners fall out of the habit of looking at reports when the reports don't lead to decisions, and what a good finance partner does differently This is what a real cannabis operator wants from their accountant. If you understand what Joey is describing, you can build a practice that owners fight to work with. 👉 Get started here: https://go.dopecfo.com/get-started-6?... Connect with Joey on LinkedIn: / joey-gindi-740a6256

August 11, 202648 min

EP 222: Why Small Cannabis Companies Are Beating the Big MSOs

In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, host Raymond Guns sits down with Mitch Osak, Founder and President of Quanta Consulting, to unpack why small cannabis operators are outperforming the giants, and what it actually takes to raise and deploy capital the right way in this industry.Mitch has been in cannabis since 2016, working with over 200 companies across the globe, from Canada's earliest licensed producers to today's US and European operators navigating exports, M&A, and Schedule III.Mitch breaks down:📈 Why small beats big in cannabis: Larger operators spread capital across cultivation, retail, and product lines and end up competing everywhere, winning nowhere. Smaller companies with less capital tend to post higher ROI and better cash flow because they're forced to focus.💰 The real lesson on raising capital: It was never about how much money you raise, it's about how you allocate it. Mitch breaks down how the "biggest greenhouse wins" mentality created oversupply and undifferentiated brands across Canada.🌍 What it actually takes to export: Before chasing EU or Australian markets, Mitch walks through the real timeline (2-4 years for EU GMP certification) and the capacity, brand, and compliance groundwork that has to come first.🎯 Why big alcohol and big pharma aren't rushing in: Despite the fear that big business will swallow cannabis once it's federally legal, Mitch explains why companies like Procter & Gamble are in no hurry, and what would actually change that.⚖️ What Schedule III really unlocks: Mitch walks through what changes for DEA export waivers and why pharma may be the sector most likely to move first.If you're running a $5-20 million cannabis company and wondering whether to chase growth or double down on what's working, Mitch makes the case that staying focused is the advantage, not the compromise. His read on where the next few years are headed is grounded in two hundred-plus client engagements, not speculation.Subscribe for deep dives on cannabis business, accounting, regs, and growth! 🔥👉 Mitch Osak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellosak/

August 3, 20268 min

EP 221: Rescheduling Is a Done Deal. Here's What Happens Next. | Cannabis Industry Updates

In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, Andrew Hunzicker, founder of DOPE CFO, recaps the biggest cannabis industry news from July 2026. Listen to learn about: ✅ Medical cannabis permanently moved to Schedule III by the DOJ and DEA in April — why Andrew calls it the biggest cannabis news of the century, and why most people missed what it actually means ✅ 280E no longer applies to medical cannabis operators — what a 25% improvement in cash flow and bottom line means for operators, investors, and lenders right now ✅ The ALJ hearing on full recreational rescheduling just wrapped — why the anti-cannabis groups' own witnesses admitted cannabis meets the Schedule III definition, and what to expect from closing arguments on August 17th ✅ Why two administrations, four federal agencies (HHS, FDA, DEA, DOJ), and 93% of 50,000 public comments make the anti-rescheduling lawsuits a losing battle ✅ The MORE Act back in Congress — what full descheduling looks like and why cannabis treated like alcohol is closer than most people think ✅ 85% of healthcare professionals already recommending cannabis, teen use down nearly 50% after legalization, and $28 billion in state tax revenue — why holdout states are running out of reasons Articles mentioned in this episode: https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/cannabis-rescheduling/news/15828911/dea-comes-out-swinging-in-cannabis-rescheduling-hearing https://www.marijuanamoment.net/inside-the-deas-marijuana-rescheduling-hearing-what-i-saw-who-was-missing-and-why-it-matters-op-ed https://norml.org/news/2026/07/02/report-adult-use-cannabis-markets-have-generated-over-28-billion-in-state-tax-revenue https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5954552-controlled-substances-act-marijuana https://themarijuanaherald.com/2026/07/the-history-of-cannabis-legalization-in-the-united-states https://ganjapreneur.com/85-of-u-s-healthcare-professionals-believe-cannabis-has-medical-utility https://ganjapreneur.com/kansas-governor-candidate-pushes-cannabis-legalization-platform https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oZL8VjdDkw https://themarijuanaherald.com/2026/07/dea-judge-sets-august-17-deadline-for-final-briefs-following-conclusion-of-federal-marijuana-rescheduling-hearing https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty-and-research/drug-enforcement-and-policy-center/research-and-grants/policy-and-data-analyses/federal-marijuana-rescheduling https://thepulse.hollandhart.com/post/102ncn4/schrodingers-schedule-how-the-feds-made-the-cannabis-plant-both-illegal-and-not https://ganjapreneur.com/teen-cannabis-use-dropped-by-more-than-60-in-minnesota-after-legalization https://themarijuanaherald.com/2026/07/glass-house-brands-hires-former-dea-official-to-advise-on-potential-interstate-marijuana-commerce-and-exports

July 20, 202635 min

EP 220: Why Cannabis Rescheduling Won't Fix Payment Processing

In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, host Raymond Guns sits down with Don Raleigh III, Revenue Operations Manager at Evolve Payment and award-winning payments and AR compliance leader, to pull back the curtain on what's actually happening with cannabis payment compliance right now — and why most operators are more exposed than they realize. Don talks about: 💳 Why credit card processing for cannabis is not compliant, no matter what any provider claims, and the exact question to ask any vendor pitching a "compliant" solution 🚫 The June 15th deactivation of 6,000 payment terminals nationwide, and why Visa and Mastercard's use of AI is accelerating these shutdowns 💰 The three payment methods that actually are compliant today, and how each one really works in practice 🏦 Why cannabis rescheduling doesn't unlock the card brands, and Don's 5 to 10 year timeline for when Visa and Mastercard will actually engage The operators who get their payment infrastructure right now — before the next shutdown wave hits — will be the ones still standing when the card networks eventually open the door. Subscribe for deep dives on cannabis business, accounting, regs, and growth! 🔥

July 16, 202611 min

EP219: Fewer Clients. Better Fees.

We'll walk you through the three pillars of a thriving specialized cannabis CFO practice, and show you exactly how DOPE CFO gets you serving cannabis operators at the highest level, faster. --- In this video, Andrew Hunzicker, CPA and founder of DOPE CFO, breaks down the strategic shift that separates a bookkeeper or generalist accountant from a specialized fractional CFO commanding premium retainers. You'll learn why bookkeeping, payroll, tax preparation, and audit are racing toward zero under AI, and how to reposition your accounting practice around forward-looking value work like tax planning, cash flow forecasting, strategic advisory, and CFO-level services. Andrew walks through the path from generalist bookkeeper to specialized cannabis CFO, the five-part playbook for building a six-figure advisory firm with three to five high-paying clients, and how the recent federal cannabis rescheduling to Schedule III opens the biggest window for accountants in decades. Andrew has trained thousands of accountants over the last eight years, both through DOPE CFO and at national firms. He helps plan and lead the AICPA Cannabis Conference every year and started his career at a Big Four firm. Andrew covers: - Why bookkeeping, tax prep, payroll, and audit are all racing to zero (PwC says end-to-end AI audit by the end of this year) - The exact split between cost work and value work, and why clients happily pay premium fees for the second - Why tax planning is easier than tax prep, and puts real money back in a client's pocket - The "number two to the CEO" positioning that AICPA finally co-opted, and how it changes what you charge - The 15th-to-18th monthly cadence Andrew runs for every client, and what fills the second half of the month - The five-part path from generalist to specialist, and why cannabis and hemp check every box right now This is what a real specialized CFO practice looks like when the pricing model actually reflects the value delivered.

July 8, 2026Episode 21834 min

EP218: Cannabis Legitimacy Starts With Your CPA (Here's Why That Matters)

In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, host Raymond Guns sits down with Mark Waller, Director of Client Accounting Services at SAX and former owner of Moore & Waller CPAs. Mark has one simple belief: if you don't fix cash flow first, nothing else matters. Not 280E. Not tax strategy. Not compliance. Cash flow kills more cannabis businesses than any of those combined. Mark spent 20 years in traditional accounting before launching his own cannabis CPA firm during COVID. He merged into SAX in January 2026 and now runs their cannabis practice. He has watched operators obsess over tax optimization while their bank accounts drain to zero. And he keeps seeing the same mistake destroy businesses over and over again. He talks about: 💸 Why 99 out of 100 failed cannabis businesses ran out of cash, not tax problems. The businesses that close their doors do it because they have no cash left. Everything else is secondary. 📊 The CAS-first approach that keeps clients in business. Bookkeeping drives weekly reports. Weekly reports drive monthly financials. Monthly financials drive tax prep. You cannot skip steps. ⏳ Minnesota's slow adult-use rollout and what every new market gets wrong. Minnesota legalized in August 2023. Stores are just now opening in April 2026. Every state takes longer than expected. Lawsuits and refunding delays are guaranteed. 📞 Why calling clients beats AI tools and email marketing. Everyone is chasing automation. Mark is doing the opposite. SAX is picking up the phone. Live conversations solve problems 10x faster than spreadsheets and emails. 🏛️ How CPAs legitimize cannabis and reduce stigma in real time. When CPAs work in cannabis, it signals to banks, investors, and lenders that this is a real industry with real businesses. Mark's mother-in-law went from skeptical to asking for cannabis beverages in his fridge. Hit subscribe for more deep dives on cannabis business, finance, and strategy. 🌱

July 6, 202633 min

EP217: Big Alcohol vs. Big Pharma: The Fight for THC

In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, host Raymond Guns sits down with Art Massolo, founder of Big Hug Strategies and former President of the US Hemp Roundtable, to break down the battle for THC playing out between big alcohol, big pharma, and the cannabis industry itself. Art spent 30 years scaling wine brands globally before pivoting into cannabis. As head of business development at Cycling Frog, he helped scale a nationally distributed Delta-9 THC beverage brand through traditional alcohol distribution channels. As former President of the US Hemp Roundtable, he has advocated on the Hill and advised operators through every regulatory turn. Few people have his view of both sides of this battle. Art breaks down: 🍷 Alcohol's last window to own THC: Art is publicly begging his own industry to move now. If spirits, beer, and wine brands stay on the sidelines, pharma synthesizes THC and takes the category. 💊 The pharma play nobody's watching: Why pharma has both the capital and the momentum to synthesize THC and take the category out from under the current cannabis industry. 🤝 The call to arms: Why Trulieve, Curaleaf, GTI, and the hemp beverage brands should stop fighting each other and unite before pharma writes the rules for all of them. 🧠 Why consumer behavior already moved: 30-second attention spans, less drinking, more supplements, everything online, and mental health as the new north star. The audience is ready. The supply chains aren't. 🌾 The case for industrial hemp: Carbon capture without water. Biofuels, plastics, paper, and clothing, all from one plant. Art on why it should be planted in every state and why it isn't. Art's analysis is clear: we're still in the first inning. Alcohol still has time to pivot, cannabis and hemp still have time to unite, and pharma is closing fast. The operators who move now will be the ones writing the next chapter. Subscribe for deep dives on cannabis business, accounting, regs, and growth! 🔥

July 2, 2026Episode 21615 min

EP216: Summer 2026 Will Define Cannabis For a Decade | Cannabis Industry Updates

In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, Andrew Hunzicker, founder of DOPE CFO, recaps the biggest cannabis industry news from June 2026. Listen to learn about: ✅ Trulieve becoming the first cannabis company to uplist onto the New York Stock Exchange, with Curaleaf right behind them ✅ Why Q1 2026 capital raises are already up almost 10X year-over-year, with the biggest months still ahead ✅ The June 29 DEA hearing on recreational rescheduling, and why 93% of the original public comments were in favor ✅ The FDA's breakthrough therapy designation for a cannabis-derived drug for chronic back pain ✅ SAFER Banking back on the table, plus merchant services and Visa entering the space ✅ State-level momentum from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the tribes leading on adult-use compacts Articles mentioned in this episode: https://norml.org/news/2026/05/28/federal-judge-rejects-lawsuit-from-prohibitionist-groups-seeking-to-halt-dispensing-of-hemp-derived-products-to-medicare-beneficiaries/ https://ganjapreneur.com/minnesota-gov-signs-law-streamlining-medical-and-adult-use-cannabis-supply-chains/ https://ganjapreneur.com/republican-attorneys-general-sue-to-block-trumps-cannabis-rescheduling-order/ https://themarijuanaherald.com/2026/06/oregon-marijuana-2026/ https://themarijuanaherald.com/2026/06/one-third-of-adults-say-marijuana-improves-their-sleep-finds-american-academy-of-sleep-medicine-survey/ https://www.marijuanamoment.net/hemp-companies-sue-dea-challenging-agencys-claim-that-synthetic-cannabis-compound-hhc-is-federally-banned/ https://www.marijuanamoment.net/legalizing-marijuana-in-pennsylvania-will-be-a-lot-easier-now-that-trump-federally-rescheduled-it-senator-says/ https://themarijuanaherald.com/2026/06/idaho-legislative-council-approves-ballot-language-for-amendment-giving-legislature-sole-power-to-legalize-marijuana/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2026/06/05/trulieve-makes-history-with-first-nyse-cannabis-listing/ https://jessicam420.substack.com/p/federal-cannabis-policy-convergence https://www.marijuanamoment.net/gop-lawmakers-file-amendments-to-prevent-federal-recriminalization-of-hemp-thc-products-this-year/ https://www.marijuanamoment.net/virginia-governor-touts-productive-negotiations-on-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-this-month/ https://ganjapreneur.com/fda-grants-breakthrough-therapy-designation-to-cannabis-derived-drug-for-chronic-back-pain/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ryan-handelman-85bb00187_raising-capital-in-the-lmm-post-1-your-share-7469731763548737536--bl3/ https://www.marijuanamoment.net/virginia-lawmakers-and-governor-have-a-deal-on-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-this-month/ https://www.marijuanamoment.net/dea-begins-on-site-inspections-at-marijuana-businesses-that-applied-for-federal-protections-under-trumps-rescheduling-move/ https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-drugs-marijuana-texas-a60ce6df9e735c6bc7def285ca396784? https://www.dea.gov/marijuana-rescheduling-regulatory-actions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=matFWe-Uzu0 https://ganjapreneur.com/connecticut-enters-adult-use-cannabis-compact-with-mashantucket-pequot-tribe/? https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bipartisan-senators-file-marijuana-banking-bill-as-trumps-rescheduling-move-advances/? https://mjbizdaily.com/news/germany-could-be-auroras-backdoor-into-us-cannabis-market/616603/?

June 18, 202612 min

EP 215: How To AI-Proof Your Accounting Career: 3 Keys To Thrive

So you've seen the headlines: AI is coming for bookkeeping, tax prep, and data entry. The accountants who thrive won't be the ones doing that work faster. They'll be the ones doing work AI can't touch. With cannabis newly rescheduled to Schedule III and tens of thousands of new companies coming over the next 12–18 months, there's never been a better window to build an AI-proof CFO practice. In this video, Andrew Hunzicker, CPA and founder of DOPE CFO, covers: - Why PwC, Intuit, and Goldman Sachs are racing to automate audit, bookkeeping, and tax... and what that means for your income - The one type of industry that's genuinely AI-proof, plus the simple test to spot it - The higher-level services clients gladly pay $10–20K/month for (it's not bookkeeping or tax) - The "number two" positioning that makes you indispensable to any CEO The accountants who move first on this will own the next decade. Ready to build an AI-proof CFO practice? 👉https://go.dopecfo.com/get-started-6?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=specialized-cfo&utm_term=ai+proof+your+accounting+career+3+keys&utm_content=ai+proof+your+accounting+career