Joe Lustberg: What Cannabis Lenders See That Operators Miss

Joe Lustberg: What Cannabis Lenders See That Operators Miss

May 15, 2026 · 44 min · Episode 300

About this episode

Joe Lustberg discusses the financial pitfalls in the cannabis industry and shares insights from his experiences as a lender.

The cash amount in your head and the cash you actually need are not the same number. That gap is where most cannabis businesses break. Joe Lustberg has financed operators across the country for years and watched that gap swallow businesses that looked fine on paper. He has also spent over two years paying rent on a Hamptons dispensary he cannot open because a municipality tried to rezone his property out from under him. The person telling you to build in 1.5X as your burn capital cushion has been living inside exactly the scenario he warns everyone about. When the lender financing your industry has lived the same nightmare, the advice changes. This week we sit down with Joe Lustberg, to discuss the following NY Regulatory Battlefield 280E Gone: What Changes Lending Specifics

People in this episode

Host: Bryan Fields

Guest: Joe Lustberg

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hamptons dispensary

Places: NY

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