Chris Furnari is an award-winning business writer covering complex and highly-regulated industries. He joined THCnet as editor-in-chief in October 2019. Prior to covering the cannabis sector, he spent nearly a decade as the driving force behind Brewbound, a leading online beer business trade publication.
Furnari also writes about the alcohol business for Forbes. He is frequently tapped to provide commentary on the beer and cannabis industries, and his analysis of industry trends has been referenced by The New York Times, CNBC, USA Today, The Boston Globe, and Cincinnati Public Radio, among others.
Furnari is a proud graduate of Santa Clara University, where he was a two-sport Division I athlete and served as the sports editor of the university's official weekly newspaper.
The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) has released an in-depth report that explores environmental challenges facing marijuana businesses and offers ways to improve sustainability.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, citing data from the state’s Metrc “seed-to-sale” tracking system, last week reported that 80 dispensary operators in the Bay State had combined to sell $1,000,521,905 worth of cannabis products since November 20, 2018.
Chicago-based cannabis firm Verano Holdings announced Wednesday plans to acquire Florida’s Alternative Medical Enterprises (AltMed) for an undisclosed sum. The merger of the two multistate operators (MSOs) will create one of the largest private cannabis companies in the U.S., a news release noted.
Nearly 70% of Americans support federal cannabis legalization, according to a new Gallup poll. On Monday, the analytics and polling shared the results of its annual crime survey, which was conducted between September 30, 2020 and October 15, 2020. In telephone interviews with 1,035 adults (18+), Gallup found that 68% of Americans were in favor of legalizing cannabis.
Aphria chairman and CEO Irwin Simon believes that beverages will become one of the biggest segments in the cannabis industry once adult-use marijuana is federally legalized in the U.S. In a conversation with THCnet, Simon explained his bullishness on the cannabis-infused drinks segment and shared why his company agreed to acquire Atlanta-based craft beer maker Sweetwater Brewing for $300 million.
Ontario, Canada-based cannabis firm Aphria Inc. will acquire Atlanta-headquartered craft beer company Sweetwater Brewing in a deal valued at $300 million. In a news release, Aphria said Sweetwater shareholders would receive $250 million in cash and roughly $50 million in stock.
It was a clean sweep for cannabis on Tuesday, as voters in five states approved marijuana legalization initiatives in a resounding win for marijuana industry stakeholders. Cannabis-related ballot measures in Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota overwhelmingly passed. Americans now have access to medical marijuana in 35 states and adult-use cannabis in 15 states.
In a wide-ranging discussion with THCnet, Cresco Labs co-founder Joe Caltabiano discusses his departure from the Chicago-based cannabis firm, how he expects the industry to develop in the coming years, and why federal legalization might not come as soon as some hope.
Denver-based GrowGeneration continued its acquisition streak Monday, announcing plans to purchase The GrowBiz, the third-largest chain of hydroponic garden centers in the United States. Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition will add $50 million in annual revenue to GrowGeneration’s books, according to a news release.
Los Angeles-based cannabis drinks company Cann today revealed that it has the backing of numerous well-known celebrities, including actress Gwyneth Paltrow and former NBA star Baron Davis, among many others. Rebel Wilson, Ruby Rose, Darren Criss, Tove Lo, Casey Neistat and Bre-Z also invested in the company.