Cannabis Market Intelligence: The Data and Research Providers Executives Use (2026)

Cannabis executives and investors make decisions with less public data than almost any other consumer industry. There are no federal statistics, companies report on different timelines, and prices change state by state. A handful of specialist providers fill that gap.

This guide covers the main sources of cannabis market intelligence in 2026, grouped by the question each one answers. IgniteIt publishes this guide and includes its own Intelligence product; the other providers are described on their own merits.

Quick guide: which provider for what

• What’s selling at retail: Headset, BDSA, Hoodie Analytics
• Menu prices, distribution and store coverage: Hoodie Analytics
• Wholesale prices: Cannabis Benchmarks
• Licenses and B2B contacts: Emerald Intel (now including Cannabiz Media)
• Deals and capital raises: Viridian Capital Advisors
• Equity research on public operators: Zuanic & Associates
• Market sizing and economics: Whitney Economics, New Frontier Data
• What it all means, every week: IgniteIt Intelligence

Retail sales and consumer data

Headset

Headset, founded in 2015 in Seattle, tracks retail point-of-sale data: sales trends, pricing, product categories, potency and consumer demographics. Brands and retailers use it to benchmark performance by market and category.

BDSA

BDSA combines retail sales tracking, consumer research and forecasts through its GreenEdge platform. It is the official data partner of the National Cannabis Industry Association and publishes regular category trend reports.

Hoodie Analytics

Hoodie Analytics, founded in 2016, tracks live menus and prices at more than 12,000 dispensaries in the U.S. and Canada, along with distribution, out-of-stocks and foot traffic. It is especially useful for brands tracking where their products are carried and at what price.

Wholesale pricing

Cannabis Benchmarks

Cannabis Benchmarks publishes weekly U.S. and Canadian wholesale spot price indexes, forward prices and state benchmarks, with history back to 2015. Cultivators and lenders use it to understand wholesale price trends.

Licensing and B2B data

Emerald Intel

Emerald Intel provides license, compliance and B2B sales data across every regulated U.S. and Canadian market, with integrations into CRMs such as HubSpot and Salesforce. It acquired Cannabiz Media in October 2025. (It is not related to Emerald, the events company that owns MJBizDaily.)

Capital markets and deals

Viridian Capital Advisors

Viridian Capital Advisors runs the Cannabis Deal Tracker, which has followed equity and debt raises, M&A and valuations weekly since 2015.

Zuanic & Associates

Zuanic & Associates, led by Pablo Zuanic, publishes equity research on U.S. multistate operators, Canadian producers, lenders and international companies for institutional clients. Its price tracking and research notes are widely cited, including in IgniteIt’s coverage of the rescheduling delay.

Market sizing and economics

Whitney Economics publishes economic models, forecasts and supply-and-demand research, including hemp and international markets. New Frontier Data publishes consumer research and market-sizing reports for U.S. and international markets.

Business intelligence: IgniteIt Intelligence

Data shows what happened. Executives also need someone to explain why it matters. IgniteIt Intelligence is a weekly issue that turns filings, deal terms, pricing data and policy changes into analysis for operators and investors. Recent issues have covered what cannabis growth actually cost shareholders, price declines across 16 of 17 markets, and whether Curaleaf’s bid for Aurora will close.

It sits alongside IgniteIt’s daily cannabis business news and its events, where executives and investors meet in person.

How executives combine these sources

1. One sales data provider for your markets and categories (Headset, BDSA or Hoodie).
2. Pricing and deal data if you raise capital, lend or acquire (Cannabis Benchmarks, Viridian).
3. Weekly analysis to connect the data to strategy and valuation, such as IgniteIt Intelligence.
4. Daily news. See our guide to the best cannabis news sites.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get cannabis sales data?

Headset, BDSA and Hoodie Analytics are the main sources of retail cannabis sales and pricing data. Several states also publish their own sales figures.

Who tracks cannabis M&A and capital raises?

Viridian Capital Advisors’ Cannabis Deal Tracker is the best-known source. IgniteIt also covers financings and M&A in its Deals and Financings coverage.

What is cannabis business intelligence?

It means turning raw data such as sales, prices, licenses, filings and deals into analysis that informs decisions about strategy, investment and expansion.