Growing a Legal Business Deserves Legitimate Protection.
Protecting operations, inventory, and compliance in a highly regulated industry
Cannabis business operations — whether cultivation, manufacturing, retail dispensary, or distribution — involve managing high-value inventory, operating in a cash-intensive environment, and navigating one of the most complex regulatory frameworks in any industry. From product liability and crop loss to cyber exposure and state compliance requirements, cannabis risk is asset-heavy, legally nuanced, and subject to unique coverage limitations that standard commercial insurance was not designed to address. Whether operating a single dispensary or a vertically integrated cannabis company, exposures can arise from the products sold, the plants grown, the cash managed, or the licenses that authorize every transaction.
Properly structured insurance is essential to protect inventory, production assets, regulatory standing, and the significant capital invested in a state-licensed cannabis operation.
Key Risks in Operations
Product liability from cannabis products causing adverse consumer reactions
Crop loss or cultivation failure from equipment, pests, or environmental conditions
Theft of high-value inventory, cannabis products, or cash
Cyber breaches involving seed-to-sale tracking systems and consumer data
Regulatory investigations, license suspensions, or compliance violations
Employee injuries in cultivation, manufacturing, and retail environments
General liability from dispensary operations and consumer interactions
Losses can arise even when the business is professionally managed.
Core Coverages
Product Liability — Covers claims alleging bodily injury or illness caused by cannabis products sold, manufactured, or distributed by the operation.
General Liability — Protects against bodily injury and property damage claims involving consumers, visitors, and third parties at the business location.
Commercial Property — Protects cultivation facilities, grow equipment, manufacturing infrastructure, dispensary assets, and inventory from covered physical losses.
Crop / Plant Coverage — Covers cannabis plants and cultivation inventory against loss from fire, equipment failure, theft, or covered environmental events.
Commercial Crime — Covers theft of cash, products, and business assets — critical for cash-intensive cannabis operations with limited banking access.
Cyber Liability — Covers data breaches and loss of consumer information managed through seed-to-sale tracking and point-of-sale systems.
Workers’ Compensation — Provides coverage for employee injuries across cultivation, manufacturing, and retail environments.
Umbrella / Excess Liability — Provides additional limits for severe product liability, bodily injury, or multi-party loss scenarios.
What’s Commonly Overlooked
Insurance programs are often weakened by:
Attempting to place cannabis operations under standard commercial policies that exclude cannabis-related activity
Missing crop coverage for cultivation operations where plants represent the primary business asset
Inadequate crime coverage for cash-heavy dispensary operations with limited banking access
No product liability for manufactured or infused cannabis products distributed to consumers
Gaps in cyber coverage for seed-to-sale tracking systems required by state regulators
Insufficient property coverage for high-value grow equipment and HVAC systems
These issues typically surface at claim time — not before.
A consumer alleges illness or injury from a cannabis-infused product purchased at a dispensary
A cultivation facility experiences a total crop loss from an HVAC failure
A dispensary is robbed of cash and inventory during business hours
A data breach exposes consumer purchase records from the seed-to-sale system
A regulatory investigation results in a temporary license suspension and operational disruption
Even a single claim can disrupt operations, damage client relationships, or impact cash flow.
Why Proper Placement Matters
Coverage varies significantly based on:
License type and operational category (cultivation, manufacturing, dispensary, distribution)
State regulatory framework and compliance standing
Inventory value and facility size
Cash management practices and banking access
Product types and distribution model (retail, wholesale, delivery)
Improper placement can lead to uncovered claims, contract losses, or regulatory exposure.
Our Approach
At Cory Washington & Co., we structure cannabis insurance programs through carriers and markets that understand the regulatory complexity and unique risk profile of state-licensed cannabis operations. We coordinate product liability, crop, crime, cyber, property, and general liability coverage to protect the investment, the inventory, and the license that makes the business possible.
Licensed to operate. Protected to grow.
Not sure your coverage is complete? Run the Cannabis Coverage Self-Review Checklist — tick what you can confirm, and walk into your next policy review informed.
Download the fillable Cannabis & CBD Operations Supplemental to start your submission, or browse all applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get cannabis business insurance through Cory Washington & Co.?
Request a quote or contact our team. We start with a short conversation about your operations, analyze your exposures, then negotiate cannabis business insurance across multiple carriers that compete for your account and present options with the trade-offs explained. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
What drives the cost of cannabis business insurance?
Premiums vary from business to business. The main drivers of cannabis business insurance pricing are the nature of your operations, your revenue and payroll, your loss history, and the limits you carry. Rather than quote a flat figure, we negotiate across several markets and walk you through the options, so you only pay for the protection you actually need.
Do I need cannabis business insurance?
It depends on your situation. Some coverage is required by law; more often, cannabis business insurance is required by a contract, lease, lender, or client before they will do business with you — and even when it is not mandated, it guards against exposures that can be severe. We review your operations and obligations and tell you plainly what you need and why.
What if another agency has already declined or non-renewed my coverage?
Difficult, specialty, and previously-declined placements are a core part of our work. We access excess & surplus (E&S) and specialty markets that many generalist agencies cannot, and we explain the trade-offs clearly so you can decide with confidence.
Available in all 50 states. See how requirements differ in California, Texas, Florida, New York, or choose your state.