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We unpack why cannabis retail still can’t run on normal card rails, how debit and alternative payments increase average tickets, and what federal legality would actually change. Aubrey Amatelli of PayRio shares data, pitfalls, and a playbook for safer, smoother checkout.

• why Visa and Mastercard rules block standard cannabis card payments
• cashless ATM and debit as the current stable rails
• 34% average ticket lift moving from cash to debit
• 22–27% additional lift when adding credit options
• safety risks of cash-heavy operations and theft exposure
• stigma reinforced by nonstandard checkout experiences
• differences between hemp and cannabis processing
• COAs, 0.3% THC threshold, and bank compliance for hemp e‑com
• MATCH list risks and website monitoring
• state of banking access for cannabis vs hemp
• why SAFE or Schedule III won’t fully normalize payments
• founder journey, brand choices, and community support
• call to support women entrepreneurs across the cannabis space

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Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

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