WM Technology, Inc. (MAPS): Analyse de Pestle [Jan-2025 MISE À JOUR]

Dans le paysage rapide de la technologie du cannabis en évolution, WM Technology, Inc. (MAPS) se tient à l'intersection de l'innovation, de la réglementation et de la transformation du marché. Cette analyse complète du pilon dévoile les défis et les opportunités à multiples facettes auxquelles sont confrontés cette entreprise révolutionnaire, explorant comment les changements politiques, la dynamique économique, les changements sociétaux, les progrès technologiques, les complexités juridiques et les considérations environnementales remodeler la plate-forme de marché du cannabis. Plongez dans une exploration nuancée qui révèle l'écosystème complexe qui stimule le positionnement stratégique de la technologie WM dans l'une des industries les plus dynamiques de notre temps.

WM Technology, Inc. (cartes) - Analyse des pilons: facteurs politiques

Paysage de légalisation du cannabis

En 2024, 24 États ont pleinement légalisé le cannabis récréatif, tandis que 38 États ont des programmes de marijuana médicale. L'interdiction fédérale reste en vigueur, créant une complexité réglementaire significative.

Statut de légalisation du cannabis d'État	Nombre d'États
Cannabis récréatif légal	24
Programmes de marijuana médicale	38
États avec décriminalisation	31

Soutien politique et tendances législatives

Les principaux développements politiques dans la politique du cannabis comprennent:

• 72% des Américains soutiennent la légalisation du cannabis (Pew Research, 2023)
• Soutien bipartisan continu à la réforme bancaire du cannabis
• Discussions en cours sur la décriminalisation fédérale

Défis de l'environnement réglementaire

Le paysage réglementaire actuel présente des défis opérationnels importants pour les plateformes technologiques de cannabis.

Aspect réglementaire	État actuel
Classification fédérale sur le cannabis	Substance contrôlée à l'annexe I
Restrictions bancaires	Accès limité aux services financiers
Commerce interétatique	Interdit

Changements législatifs fédéraux potentiels

Les propositions législatives émergentes comprennent:

• SAFE BANKING Act en attendant le Congressional Review
• Représentant potentiel du cannabis à partir de l'annexe I
• Discussions sur la décriminalisation fédérale

Le paysage politique continue d'évoluer, avec des implications importantes pour la stratégie opérationnelle de la technologie WM et le positionnement du marché.

WM Technology, Inc. (cartes) - Analyse des pilons: facteurs économiques

Volatilité du marché dans le secteur du cannabis

WM Technology, Inc. a connu une volatilité importante du marché en 2023, le cours des actions fluctuant entre 1,25 $ et 3,45 $. La capitalisation boursière de la société au T2 2023 était d'environ 168,5 millions de dollars.

Métrique	Valeur 2023
Gamme de cours des actions	$1.25 - $3.45
Capitalisation boursière	168,5 millions de dollars
Revenu	222,4 millions de dollars

Potentiel de croissance du marché du cannabis

Le marché américain du cannabis devrait atteindre 33,6 milliards de dollars d'ici 2025. La technologie WM opère dans 41 États avec une pénétration importante du marché.

Segment de marché	Croissance projetée
Marché total du cannabis américain	33,6 milliards de dollars d'ici 2025
États servis par la technologie WM	41 États

Défis économiques

Les restrictions bancaires continuent d'avoir un impact sur l'industrie du cannabis. Depuis 2023, seulement 48% des entreprises de cannabis ont des comptes bancaires traditionnels. La technologie WM fait face à des défis avec:

• Accès limité aux services financiers
• Coûts de transaction plus élevés
• Opportunités d'investissement en capital restreint

Innovation technologique compétitive

WM Technology a investi 42,3 millions de dollars dans la recherche et le développement en 2023, ce qui représente 19% des revenus totaux. La plate-forme technologique de l'entreprise traitée 8,4 milliards de dollars en transactions de cannabis.

Métrique d'innovation	Valeur 2023
Investissement en R&D	42,3 millions de dollars
R&D en% des revenus	19%
Valeur de transaction traitée	8,4 milliards de dollars

WM Technology, Inc. (cartes) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs sociaux

Acceptation sociale croissante du cannabis à des fins médicales et récréatives

Selon Pew Research Center, 88% des Américains soutiennent la légalisation du cannabis à partir de 2022. La légalisation médicale du cannabis s'est produite dans 38 États, tandis que l'utilisation récréative est légale dans 23 États.

Année	États du cannabis médical	États de cannabis récréatif	Support public (%)
2022	38	23	88

Changement de préférences démographiques vers les plateformes de marché numérique du cannabis

Les consommateurs âgés de 21 à 40 ans représentent 68% des utilisateurs du marché du cannabis numérique. Les ventes de cannabis en ligne ont augmenté de 49% en 2022 par rapport à 2021.

Groupe d'âge	Utilisation de la plate-forme numérique (%)
21-30	35
31-40	33

Augmentation de la demande des consommateurs d'expériences d'achat de cannabis transparentes et axées sur la technologie

78% des consommateurs de cannabis préfèrent les plateformes offrant des informations détaillées sur les produits, les résultats des tests de laboratoire et le suivi des stocks en temps réel.

Préférence des consommateurs	Pourcentage
Informations sur les produits détaillés	78
Transparence des tests de laboratoire	72
Suivi des stocks en temps réel	65

Attitudes générationnelles soutenant la normalisation du cannabis et l'intégration de la technologie numérique

Les milléniaux et la génération Z démontrent 92% de soutien aux plateformes de légalisation du cannabis et d'achat numérique.

Génération	Support de légalisation du cannabis (%)	Préférence de plate-forme numérique (%)
Milléniaux	85	76
Gen Z	90	82

WM Technology, Inc. (cartes) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs technologiques

Technologie avancée du marché permettant la découverte et les achats de produits de cannabis sans couture

WM Technology, Inc. exploite WeedMaps, une plate-forme numérique avec 1,5 million de consommateurs mensuels actifs Au troisième rang 2023. La plate-forme relie les consommateurs à plus de 6 500 détaillants de cannabis agréés dans 34 États américains et provinces canadiennes.

Métrique de la plate-forme	2023 données
Utilisateurs actifs mensuels	1,500,000
Détaillants connectés	6,500+
Couverture géographique	34 États américains / provinces canadiennes

Développement continu d'analyses de données et d'algorithmes de recommandation

L'entreprise a investi 23,4 millions de dollars en R&D en 2023, en se concentrant sur les technologies de recommandation avancées et les informations sur les consommateurs basées sur les données.

Investissement en R&D	Montant
2023 dépenses de R&D	$23,400,000
Pourcentage de revenus	18.2%

Investissement dans l'expérience utilisateur de plateforme mobile et Web et la conception d'interface

L'application mobile WeedMaps a Note 4.2 / 5 sur l'App Store iOS avec plus de 250 000 téléchargements en 2023. Prise en charge de la plate-forme Web Intégration de menu en temps réel pour plus de 6 500 dispensaires.

Performance de la plate-forme	2023 métriques
Évaluation des applications mobiles	4.2/5
Téléchargements d'applications mobiles	250,000+
Menus de dispensaire intégré	6,500+

Technologies émergentes pour le suivi de la conformité et les rapports réglementaires

La technologie WM a développé un système de suivi de conformité propriétaire couvrant 98,7% des exigences réglementaires sur les marchés surveillés. Les processus de plate-forme 3,2 millions de chèques de conformité mensuels.

Technologie de conformité	Performance de 2023
Couverture réglementaire	98.7%
Chèques de conformité mensuels	3,200,000

WM Technology, Inc. (cartes) - Analyse des pilons: facteurs juridiques

Paysage juridique complexe et évolutif dans différentes juridictions d'État

37 États ont légalisé le cannabis médical en 2024, tandis que 23 États ont légalisé le cannabis récréatif. La technologie WM opère dans plusieurs juridictions d'État avec des cadres réglementaires variables.

État	Cannabis médical	Cannabis récréatif	Complexité réglementaire
Californie	Légal depuis 1996	Légal depuis 2016	Haut
Colorado	Légal depuis 2000	Légal depuis 2012	Modéré
New York	Légal depuis 2014	Légal depuis 2021	Haut

Défis en cours avec les réglementations fédérales contre le cannabis

Le cannabis reste un Substance contrôlée à l'annexe I En vertu de la loi fédérale, créant des contestations juridiques importantes pour les opérations de la technologie WM.

Restriction fédérale	Impact sur la technologie WM
Limitations bancaires	Accès restreint aux services bancaires traditionnels
Interdictions du commerce interétatique	Expansion limitée du marché
Article 280E du code d'impôt	Augmentation du fardeau fiscal sur les entreprises de cannabis

Exigences de conformité pour les plateformes de marché numérique dans l'industrie du cannabis

La technologie WM doit adhérer à Protocoles de conformité stricts sur toutes les plateformes numériques, notamment:

• Systèmes de vérification d'âge
• Suivi des transactions
• Exigences de licence spécifiques à l'État
• Règlements sur la confidentialité des données

Risques juridiques potentiels associés à la technologie du cannabis et aux opérations du marché

Les risques juridiques clés comprennent:

• 50 000 $ à 250 000 $ Amendes potentielles de non-conformité
• Risques potentiels de poursuites fédérales
• Défis de protection de la propriété intellectuelle

Catégorie de risque juridique	Impact financier potentiel
Non-conformité réglementaire	Jusqu'à 250 000 $ par violation
Différends de la propriété intellectuelle	Potentiel de 500 000 $ à 2 millions de dollars en frais juridiques
Actions d'application fédérales	Arrêt des entreprises potentielles

WM Technology, Inc. (cartes) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs environnementaux

Cultivation et technologies de production de cannabis durables

WM Technology, Inc. a identifié des mesures environnementales clés dans la production de cannabis:

Catégorie de technologie	Efficacité énergétique	Conservation de l'eau	Réduction du carbone
Culture intérieure	Réduction de l'éclairage LED à 35%	Taux de recyclage à 62%	27% des émissions de carbone inférieures
Systèmes de serre	42% de consommation d'énergie renouvelable	55% de remise en état d'eau	33% d'empreinte carbone réduite

Pratiques de la chaîne d'approvisionnement responsables de l'environnement

Métriques de durabilité de la chaîne d'approvisionnement:

• 75% des fournisseurs se sont engagés dans des pratiques durables
• 3,2 tonnes métriques de CO2 réduites par cycle de culture
• Réduction de 48% de l'emballage en plastique à usage unique

Réduction de l'empreinte carbone axée sur la technologie

Intervention technologique	Pourcentage de réduction du carbone	Impact annuel
Systèmes HVAC avancés	22% de réduction des émissions	1 450 tonnes métriques CO2 sauvés
Gestion de l'énergie intelligente	18% d'efficacité énergétique	890 MWH Économies annuelles

Emballage et distribution respectueux de l'environnement

Initiatives de durabilité de l'emballage:

• 93% de matériaux d'emballage biodégradables
• 67% de contenu recyclé dans l'emballage
• 5,6 millions d'unités d'emballages durables déployés

WM Technology, Inc. (MAPS) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

Millennials and Gen Z Drive Digital Demand

You're seeing the cannabis market's center of gravity shift, and it's all about the younger generations. Millennials and Gen Z aren't just participating; they are the primary drivers of sales and the digital-first experience. Together, these two cohorts-Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2012)-account for a massive 62.8% of all U.S. cannabis sales in 2025. That's a huge majority.

Millennials still lead the spending at 46.2% of total sales, but Gen Z is the fastest-growing segment, showing an 11.3% year-over-year increase in market share. This demographic demands e-commerce and delivery, not just brick-and-mortar. Honestly, they expect an Amazon-level experience. This demand is why industry analysts project online cannabis sales will surge by 300% by the end of 2025. For WM Technology, this means your core marketplace and e-commerce tools are defintely positioned right in the sweet spot of consumer behavior.

Here's the quick math on the market size and key consumer segments driving it:

Metric	Value (2025 Fiscal Year Data)	Significance for WM Technology
Projected U.S. Cannabis Market Value	$35.2 billion	Total addressable market for WM Technology's platform services.
Millennial & Gen Z Share of Sales	62.8%	Validates the strategy of prioritizing digital and mobile-first platform features.
Projected Online Sales Growth	300%	Maps directly to the growth potential of Weedmaps' delivery and e-commerce enablement tools.
WM Technology Q3 2025 Revenue	$42.2 million	Shows the current revenue base operating within this shifting social landscape.

Preference for Wellness and Discreet Consumption

The consumer mindset has shifted from 'getting high' to 'functional wellness.' People are incorporating cannabis into their daily routines for specific benefits like sleep, stress relief, or as an alcohol alternative. The trend is strongly toward low-dose, wellness-oriented products and discreet consumption methods.

You see this clearly in product consumption data: 61% of edible users consume 10 mg or less of THC per session, with nearly one-fifth, about 19%, sticking to a microdose of under 5 mg. This isn't about high-potency flower anymore; it's about control and predictability.

• Focus on low-dose products: 61% of edible users take 10 mg or less.
• Beverages are surging: Cannabis beverages are one of the fastest-growing categories, expanding by 11% in 2025.
• Discreet formats are key: Edibles, vapes, and tinctures are preferred for their ease of use and lack of smoke/smell.

Commitment to Social Equity and Consumer Education

The social conversation around cannabis is now inextricably linked to social justice and education. The legacy of the War on Drugs means consumers and regulators expect companies to actively address past harms, not just profit from legalization. WM Technology is committed to advocating for industry-wide social equity and continued consumer education about the plant.

This commitment isn't just a talking point; it's a strategic necessity to maintain brand trust with the socially conscious Millennial and Gen Z base. Education is crucial, too, especially with the rise of complex products like minor cannabinoid infusions (e.g., CBN, THCV) and nano-THC edibles. Providing clear, compliant educational content-a core function of the Weedmaps platform-is essential for safe, legal access and for demystifying the plant for new users.

Growth in Social Consumption Venues

The shift from private to public consumption is a major social trend. As of 2025, 14 states plus the US Virgin Islands permit some form of cannabis consumption lounge. This is a huge opportunity, but it's also a complex regulatory headache.

The regulatory evolution is happening fast. For example, California's Assembly Bill 1775, effective January 1, 2025, allows consumption venues to serve non-alcoholic food and beverages and host live, ticketed events. This turns a dispensary into a hybrid hospitality/retail business. WM Technology needs to integrate its platform with these new venue types to handle point-of-sale, compliance, inventory tracking, and event ticketing. The current cash position of $62.6 million as of September 30, 2025, gives the company the capital flexibility to invest in this new platform integration.

Finance: Prioritize R&D spend on social consumption venue compliance and ticketing features by Q1 2026.

WM Technology, Inc. (MAPS) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

Core business is a marketplace and compliance software (e-commerce enablement tools).

WM Technology's core technological strength lies in its dual-platform approach: the Weedmaps consumer marketplace and the WM Business suite of e-commerce enablement tools. This combination is defintely a strategic asset, providing a closed-loop system for cannabis retailers and brands.

The WM Business software solution focuses on mission-critical functions like point-of-sale (POS) systems, inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), and, crucially, compliance software to navigate the complex, state-by-state regulatory environment. The marketplace side, Weedmaps, is the B2C platform that drives consumer traffic and demand. For the third quarter of 2025, the company reported revenue of $42.2 million, with the bulk of this tied to the success and monetization of these core technology offerings.

This business model means the technology platform is not just a listing service; it's the operational backbone for its clients. One clear metric of this reliance is the client base, which grew to an average of 5,221 monthly paying clients in Q3 2025, a 2% increase year-over-year.

Investment in AI and machine learning enhances product recommendations and data-driven advertising.

You can't talk about modern tech without discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), and WM Technology is making strategic investments here. The goal is simple: make the platform stickier for consumers and more profitable for clients. They are specifically upgrading their data infrastructure and automation capabilities to support the next generation of ad products.

Here's the quick math: if AI can deliver better product recommendations, consumers spend more, and if ML can optimize ad placements, clients get a better return on their ad spend, which encourages them to spend more on premium services. The company is actively expanding its AI and ML capabilities, particularly in product catalog data, which is essential for personalized advertising and search functionality.

Platform needs to continually innovate to maintain market position against emerging competitors like Dutchie.

The cannabis tech space is getting crowded, and competition is a real headwind. Emerging competitors, like Dutchie, often focus heavily on the B2B software side (POS and e-commerce), forcing WM Technology to continually prove the value of its integrated marketplace and software offering. This competitive pressure is a key driver for the company's product development strategy. They have to move fast. The risk is clear: while the company achieved a net income of $3.6 million and an Adjusted EBITDA of $7.6 million in Q3 2025, the average monthly revenue per paying client actually declined to $2,693, a 12% drop year-over-year. This suggests clients are under financial pressure and are pulling back on discretionary spending, making superior technology a necessary defense.

To be fair, the company is managing its costs aggressively to fund innovation. GAAP operating expenses, including cost of revenues, totaled $40.2 million in Q3 2025, a 3% decrease from the prior year, partly due to lower personnel-related costs in product development. They are finding efficiencies, but they need to translate those savings into market-leading features.

Focus on developing new user-focused features and expanded premium placement opportunities for brands.

The company's technology roadmap is directly focused on reversing the decline in client spending by offering more valuable, higher-margin products. Management has been clear about working on new user-focused features and experiences. The most immediate opportunity is in premium placement.

The revenue from 'Featured and Deal Listings,' which is a core premium ad product, fell from $28.4 million in Q2 2024 to $27.1 million in Q2 2025. This $1.3 million decline highlights why new premium products are crucial. They are preparing to launch expanded premium placement opportunities for brands, aiming to capture more of the marketing budget from multi-state operators (MSOs) and established brands.

Here is a snapshot of the key financial technology drivers as of Q2 2025, showing the pressure points and the opportunity:

Metric (Q2 2025)	Value	Significance to Tech Strategy
Quarterly Revenue	$44.8 million	Top-line generated by the marketplace and software platform.
Average Monthly Paying Clients	5,241	Indicates platform adoption and stickiness.
Average Monthly Revenue Per Paying Client (ARPU)	$2,852	Down from $3,033 YoY, showing pricing pressure/need for new premium tech.
Featured & Deal Listings Revenue (Q2 2025)	$27.1 million	Core premium ad product revenue; its decline drives the need for new features.

The company is also diversifying its digital footprint with the upcoming launch of an online head shop, Hedi, which will require a new set of e-commerce and logistics technology to manage.

• Develop new user-focused features to boost engagement.
• Launch expanded premium placement options for brands.
• Utilize AI/ML to optimize ad products and search.
• Integrate new e-commerce tech for the Hedi head shop launch.

WM Technology, Inc. (MAPS) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

The legal environment is the single biggest headwind for WM Technology's clients, and by extension, the company itself. You are operating in a fragmented, state-by-state patchwork where federal prohibition still dictates major economic constraints, but recent legislative moves in late 2025 have finally brought some clarity-and major risk-to the intoxicating hemp market.

Complex, fragmented state-by-state regulatory environment increases compliance burden for clients.

The core challenge for Weedmaps is that cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance federally, forcing the industry to operate as a collection of siloed, state-legal markets. As of late 2024, 24 states have legalized recreational cannabis and 38 states have medical programs, but each jurisdiction has its own rules for everything from packaging to testing to advertising. This complexity is exactly what WM Technology's software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools are designed to manage.

WM Technology's value proposition is helping licensed operators navigate this maze. The company's platform, Weedmaps, is a critical infrastructure asset, listing approximately 80% of dispensaries in U.S. state-legal markets. This fragmentation is a feature, not a bug, for their business model, as it forces clients to rely on their compliance and inventory management solutions. Still, if a client messes up a local rule, they face fines or closure, which means a lost paying customer for WM Technology.

Here's the quick math on their reach in this fragmented market:

• Average Monthly Paying Clients (Q3 2025): 5,221
• Total U.S. States with Legal Cannabis Programs (as of 2024): 41
• WM Technology's Dominance: Lists roughly 80% of dispensaries in state-legal markets

State tax increases, like California's excise tax recently rising to 19% of sales, compress client operating margins.

State and local taxes are crushing the legal market, pushing consumers back to the illicit trade. This directly impacts WM Technology because when client margins shrink, their advertising spend on the Weedmaps platform tightens. In California, the excise tax on gross receipts from retail sales saw a significant spike in the 2025 fiscal year.

The rate temporarily increased to 19 percent from July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2025. To be fair, this was short-lived, as Assembly Bill 564 was signed into law, reducing the rate back to 15 percent effective October 1, 2025. But this volatility is the problem. When combined with local sales taxes and fees, the total tax burden on consumers in some areas can push to over 35%, making legal products uncompetitive against the black market. High taxes mean less revenue for WM Technology's clients, and less money for Weedmaps ads.

California Cannabis Excise Tax Rate (2025)	Rate of Gross Receipts	Effective Date
Temporary Increase	19 percent	July 1, 2025 - September 30, 2025
Legislative Reduction	15 percent	On or after October 1, 2025

Federal prohibition on interstate commerce limits the platform's ability to create a national, unified marketplace.

The federal ban on transporting cannabis across state lines, enforced by the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), is a structural inhibitor to the entire industry. This prohibition prevents the creation of a national, unified cannabis market, which would otherwise allow for economies of scale and price normalization. This ban is a key factor that continues to bolster the illicit market.

For WM Technology, this means their business must be managed as a collection of state-specific marketplaces, limiting the potential for a single, massive national advertising or logistics network. The lack of interstate commerce also keeps the Internal Revenue Code Section 280E in place for their clients, which prohibits cannabis businesses from deducting most ordinary business expenses, leading to effective tax rates for some peers as high as 96.7% in Q2 2025. Rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a process delayed in 2025, would eliminate this crippling tax for their client base, which would defintely boost their clients' profitability and their ad spend.

Ongoing risk from the lack of clarity on federal hemp-derived cannabinoid regulations.

The intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid market (like Delta-8 THC) was a major source of unregulated competition for WM Technology's licensed clients, but this is changing fast. In a massive legal shift, a federal spending bill was signed into law on November 12, 2025, which will effectively ban the vast majority of these consumable products by November 12, 2026.

This new law redefines hemp to close the 'hemp loophole' by imposing strict limits. It's a huge, near-term risk for the hemp industry, but a massive opportunity for WM Technology's state-licensed clients, as it removes a major source of unregulated competition. The new federal restrictions are precise:

• Total THC Cap: 0.3% by dry weight (including THCA)
• Final Product Limit: No more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container
• Synthetic Cannabinoids: Explicitly excluded from the definition of legal hemp

This legislative move forces the intoxicating hemp market underground or into the state-regulated cannabis system, a clear win for WM Technology's licensed clientele. Honestly, this is the most significant regulatory clarity the industry has seen all year.

WM Technology, Inc. (MAPS) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

Consumer demand for sustainability is high, with over 69% preferring eco-friendly packaging.

The environmental factor is a near-term opportunity for WM Technology, Inc. (MAPS) because consumer demand for sustainable cannabis products is no longer a niche preference; it's a core purchasing driver. Recent data shows that 72% of cannabis consumers now want sustainable packaging, and a strong majority would pay extra for eco-friendly options. This shift means the Weedmaps platform needs to evolve its search and discovery tools to meet this explicit demand, or risk losing relevance to more specialized marketplaces. Honestly, this is a clear-cut case of the market telling you exactly what feature to build next.

You have a large, environmentally-conscious customer base actively seeking out these options. Failing to provide a simple way to find them means you're forcing a 72% segment of your users to search elsewhere. This is a crucial area where digital infrastructure must catch up to consumer values.

The industry faces pressure to reduce its carbon footprint from energy-intensive indoor cultivation.

The cannabis industry's massive energy consumption is a significant risk, drawing increasing scrutiny from regulators and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investors. Indoor cultivation, which accounts for approximately two-thirds of all U.S. cannabis production, is the primary culprit. This energy-intensive practice contributes to an estimated 44 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in annual industry-wide emissions, a figure comparable to the emissions of 6 million homes.

Here's the quick math: Growing a single kilogram of cannabis indoors can generate emissions up to 30 times higher than growing it outdoors, making the industry's energy expenditure a staggering $11 billion/year. This pressure creates a clear incentive for cultivators to shift to more efficient methods, and they need a platform like Weedmaps to communicate that shift to buyers.

High volume of single-use plastic packaging in the cannabis sector creates a major waste problem.

The regulatory mandates for child-resistant and tamper-evident packaging have created a severe single-use plastic problem. The North American cannabis industry generates about 10,000 tons of packaging waste annually, with plastics dominating the material segment. This is a massive waste stream, especially when you consider that a single gram of cannabis can require up to 70 times its weight in packaging materials.

In 2025, plastics still hold the largest share of the global cannabis packaging material market, at 41.7%. This volume of unrecyclable waste is a reputational liability for every brand and retailer on the platform. The table below illustrates the core environmental challenges facing the industry in 2025.

Environmental Factor	2025 Key Data Point	Business Impact for MAPS Clients
Consumer Preference	72% of consumers prefer eco-friendly packaging.	Drives purchasing decisions; brands without sustainable options lose market share.
Carbon Footprint (Cultivation)	Industry-wide emissions: 44 million tons CO2e/year.	Risk of future carbon taxes, higher operating costs, and negative public perception.
Packaging Waste	Approx. 10,000 tons of packaging waste annually in North America.	Increases compliance complexity; high cost of non-recyclable materials.

WM Technology, Inc. can create a competitive advantage by enabling clients to highlight organic or sustainably-grown products on the platform.

WM Technology, Inc. has a direct, actionable opportunity to turn the industry's environmental risk into a competitive advantage for its clients. The platform already hosts content explaining certifications like Clean Green Certified (the industry's closest equivalent to USDA Organic), which assures consumers of sustainable cultivation and environmental stewardship.

The clear next step is integrating this into the core user experience. This means moving beyond content and creating a verifiable, searchable filter. This would provide immediate value to your 5,179 average monthly paying clients (Q1 2025 data), allowing them to differentiate their products and capture that 72% of eco-conscious consumer demand. You should formalize this into a platform-wide feature:

• Develop a Sustainable Sourcing badge for retailers.
• Create a searchable filter for Clean Green Certified or equivalent products.
• Allow brands to upload verifiable data on their packaging materials (e.g., plastic-free).

Finance: draft a proposal for the platform development cost of a new 'Sustainability Filter' feature by the end of the quarter.