Money, Taxes & Banking

Accounts payable is the largest short-term risk in a NY dispensary. This page explains how the 30-day payment window creates cash pressure, how vendor concentration and overbuying trigger instability before C.O.D., and how to prioritize invoices and negotiate terms before delinquency.

ACH allows dispensaries to accept payments directly from a customer’s bank account without using credit card networks. This page explains how ACH works in cannabis retail, why it is generally more stable than cashless ATM models, settlement timing considerations, enrollment requirements, and why banking partners can still terminate programs.

A $20 wholesale item is not a $10 profit just because you doubled the price. Real profit gets eaten by labor, rent, security, cash handling, payment fees, and 280E. This page shows the exact per unit math and a $500k monthly NY example so you can price and buy inventory without going broke.

State-legal dispensaries cannot receive SBA loans. Federal law still classifies marijuana as illegal, and SBA rules exclude cannabis businesses from eligibility.

Banks do not have direct access to METRC, but they may request sales reports, inventory summaries, and compliance documentation during monitoring. This page explains how banks compare deposits to reported revenue, why inventory reconciliation matters, and what inconsistencies can trigger account review or scrutiny.

High cash volume increases banking scrutiny for dispensaries. This page explains safe and vault standards, armored transport procedures, daily drawer reconciliation, variance documentation, controlled safe access, and how weak internal cash controls can increase banking risk or insurance exposure.

Payroll taxes are one of the most aggressively enforced areas of federal law. Cannabis dispensaries that fail to remit withheld taxes risk penalties, daily interest, audits, and personal liability under the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. This page explains common payroll mistakes, misclassification risks, and how payroll errors escalate into enforcement.

Cannabis is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under 21 CFR § 1308.11 and the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.). This federal classification restricts banking access, eliminates most federal tax deductions under IRC § 280E, prohibits interstate transport and mailing, limits access to federal programs, and subjects cannabis operators to ongoing DOJ and DEA enforcement authority regardless of state legalization.

Cannabis is still federally illegal. Because it is Schedule I, Visa and Mastercard do not allow normal credit card processing for dispensaries. This page explains why this affects your dispensary, why Visa and Mastercard don't work, and why merchant processing is limited.