Why Do New Cannabis Brands Burn Out So Fast?

Dear Stoner: Why do cool weed brands go out of business so fast? A new grower whose Blue Dream I fell in love with lasted less than a year, and these THC chocolates I really liked are gone now, too.
Kimberly

Dear Kimberly: Cannabis business turnover has always been common, even when dispensary sales were increasing every month — but compliance issues were just as common back then as financial woes. Now that weed prices are low and sales have been dropping for well over a year, staying in business is especially hard for new growers, extractors and edibles makers that lack funding. George Hashington and So Good were two Colorado cannabis brands founded by true-blue operators that launched to high acclaim — and neither of them is in business anymore. Bigger players, like Coda Signature, have fled Colorado dispensaries, too.

One small, talented grower in Denver had to shut down when its electrical wiring was stolen, the final straw after months of sinking money into building renovations. Another cultivation that used to be among the best in Colorado is on the verge of ending thanks to infighting among co-owners. High tax rates and an erratic market create lots of failed dreams in state-legal pot, but egos are just as dangerous.

Send questions to marijuana@westword.com.