Leaf Trade, the nation’s foremost wholesale cannabis platform, is now expanding into Missouri a year after the launch of that state’s highly popular medical cannabis program.
Working with US cannabis giant Curaleaf Holdings Inc., Leaf Trade’s expansion will begin in early November and will make available to retailers in the state Curaleaf’s premier cannabis brand Select, the No. 1-selling cannabis brand in the US. Its products include high-quality oils, edibles, CBD products, and tinctures.
“Curaleaf now uses Leaf Trade’s innovative wholesale marketplace in 10 US markets with continued expansion in 2022,” said Michael Piermont, Chief Revenue Office of Leaf Trade. “As we work alongside them in Missouri to replicate the sales and expansion success the MSO has seen in other US markets, we know Missouri’s cannabis consumers stand to benefit the most because of our united promotion of higher-quality products and more-affordable options.”
Medical cannabis has been a robust industry in the state since its program launched in October 2020. According to MJBizFactbook, Missouri’s legal cannabis market could reach $225 million to $300 million in sales this year. And in a reflection of just how popular cannabis is in the state, Missouri voters could be deciding two recreational marijuana legalization measures on the upcoming 2022 ballot.
But the immense popularity of Missouri’s medical cannabis market has brought unique supply-chain challenges as retailers have tried to meet strong patient demand and supply constraints, often by tackling inventory management and operational inefficiencies.
“When it comes to wholesale cannabis operations, Leaf Trade enables my team to be incredibly efficient on multiple levels,” said Erica Kunkle, Regional Director of Sales, Curaleaf: “Not only is Leaf Trade crucial to our Metrc product tracking and compliance needs in Missouri, but it’s allowed us to reduce uploading our inventory tracking info from hours to minutes.”
And, she added, Leaf Trade is an important digital tool used by all of Curaleaf’s teams to “unite and communicate with one another while engaging thoroughly with our retail partners, too.”
Through September, Missouri’s Department of Health & Senior Services has approved 143 dispensaries, 40 infused-product manufacturers, and 29 marijuana cultivation facilities.
Leaf Trade, a technology company whose platform facilitates wholesale ordering and fulfillment for cannabis cultivators and retailers, has been a solid player in the fintech vertical as it grew to first dominate wholesale transactions in the company’s home state of Illinois, to now being the wholesale marketplace of choice in the fast-growing and dynamic US cannabis market. With more than $1 billion in annualized net GMV, Leaf Trade is among the largest national players in its category and is the most competitively positioned player in the markets in which the company operates.
Leaf Trade earlier this year launched its integrated payments platform, Leaf Pay, which provides seamless, end-to-end order processing and payment for all transactions. As an integrated feature on the Leaf Trade market platform that utilizes compliant bank-based payment processing, Leaf Pay is not only the easiest one-step payment tool for cannabis companies nationwide but is also the lowest cost. Designed to be more cost-competitive than credit card or wire payments, and easier to manage and track than check or cash invoices, Leaf Pay is positioned to become the dominant payment avenue for all wholesale cannabis transactions.