Cannabis is exploding. Not literally (at least not with my clients). But the cannabis industry… wow. It’s officially one of the fastest growing markets in the world. In just North America, spending on cannabis is expected to grow from $9B in 2017 to $42B in 2027. Worldwide, it’ll hit nearly $60B.  So, it’s hot. And you know what happens when markets get hot… investors want in. I work exclusively with Read More

Cannabis is one of the hottest, and fastest growing industries in the world. It’s estimated to hit $150B by 2025. 32 states have legalized cannabis in some capacity, with 10 states legalizing it for recreational use. That means the US has a hyper-scale ecosystem of growers, processors, distributors, retailers, infrastructure, and supply chain dedicated purely to cannabis. It’s an exciting time to have a business in this field, which is Read More

Silver Leaf recently asked friend and strategic partner, Andrejs Bunkse to share his experience with cannabis businesses that lack the proper cannabis inventory software, accounting or business management software. Having worked as a consultant for state regulators that control who gets (and keeps) commercial medical marijuana or cannabis licenses, as well as for licensed enterprises in numerous states and Canada, I know first-hand how critical it is to rigorously maintain state-of-the-art cannabis inventory software accounting Read More

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) contracted with Beacon Information Design LLC and Elliott D. Pollack & Company to provide a system-wide audit looking for potential compliance gaps and best practices that could enhance oversight and management of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Program (AMMP). After meeting with dozens of program leaders from across the country, several areas of potential improvement were identified. These areas including testing for contaminants and Read More

Phoenix Business Journal April 7, 2016 Andy Bunkse and Chris Ellis are hoping to ride the marijuana legalization wave and take their Scottsdale business to a national platform. Ellis and Bunkse are co-founders and principals with Scottsdale-based Beacon Information Designs LLC. The company provides consulting and compliance services to government agencies, businesses and others delving into the world of medical marijuana and legalized cannabis. Read More

I recently attended a city council meeting to watch a debate on a controversial commercial permitting issue. I won’t mention the name of the city or the company seeking the permit. The requested permit had been brought before the council on several prior occasions, and this was the company’s last push of a grassroots effort to win approval. Heading into the meeting,

By Andrejs K. Bunkse Our fascination with entrepreneurship is reflected in the millions of pages analyzing what qualities drive their ability to succeed at going out on their own. I’ve always been inspired by the success stories of some of the more idealistic – Richard Branson, Yvon Chouinard, and Jann Wenner come to mind. And then there’s my personal favorite Sir Ernest Shackleton. Their idealism, coupled with force of will, Read More

As a business moves through its life cycle, there are times when it makes sense to engage consultants to bridge the gap between the company’s existing human capital and the skills needed to make a strategic leap. Enterprises that experience successful consulting relationships excel at what I call the 4 Exceptionals.

By Andrejs K. Bunkse Years ago, I worked for a public company that manufactured and placed electronic bingo equipment all over the U.S. and in several countries.   One day, I got a call from the Nevada Gaming Commission alerting me that one of our software engineers had likely manipulated our software systems to cause fraudulent jackpots. When the engineer discovered the allegations,

By Andrejs K. Bunkse Thirty years ago, most CEOs and Boards looked to senior counsel at an outside law firm for their legal support. As the corporate world has evolved in dizzying ways, so has the belief that a company’s outside legal service providers can be expected to holistically assess the challenges their clients face and advise at the enterprise level. Most practicing attorneys don’t have the decision making responsibility Read More