Cannabis Financial Consultant for Cost Per Gram, Capex and License Pro Formas
Find out what a gram actually costs you to produce, and what it will cost after the expansion. Catalyst BC works as a cannabis financial consultant on operating economics: cost-per-gram models, yield-driven unit economics, facility capex planning and license application pro formas. We are not a CPA firm and do not provide tax filing, audit or 280E returns. We model the cultivation math those returns are built on.
A Decade of Harvest Success—Trusted by Leading Cannabis Operators Worldwide
Financial Planning Services Built for Cannabis Operators
A strong Cannabis Financial Planning foundation is essential for launching, scaling, or acquiring a cannabis business. At Catalyst BC, we offer a full suite of financial planning and modeling services tailored specifically for regulated operators—including cultivators, manufacturers, retailers, and vertically integrated companies.
From detailed pro formas and multi-year projections to investor strategy and capacity planning, our work empowers you to forecast confidently, raise capital efficiently, and make smarter long-term decisions.
Need assistance in Capital Raising? Take our Cannabis Capital Raising Questionnaire to get started.
Hear Why Industry Leaders Partner With Us
As Featured In:
Cannabis Financial Planning Services
Our financial services are built to help cannabis businesses manage complexity, attract investment, and achieve sustainable profitability.
Cannabis Financial Pro Forma Development
We create fully customized cannabis pro forma models tailored to your corporate structure, facility type, and market conditions. These pro formas support fundraising, strategic planning, and investor readiness.
Cannabis Business Multi-Year Financial Projections
Our models include 3–5 year projections for profit and loss (P&L), cash flow, and balance sheets. These cannabis financial models offer a clear, transparent financial roadmap for internal and external stakeholders.
Cannabis Business Plan Sensitivity Analysis
We stress-test your plan by analyzing how different variables (pricing, yields, costs) impact your financial outcomes. This provides greater confidence for decision-makers and investors.
Scenario Planning
We model multiple strategic outcomes—optimistic, baseline, and conservative—to assess risk exposure and opportunity across changing market or regulatory conditions.
Cannabis Capital Structure & Fundraising Strategy
Our cannabis capital strategy includes modeling your ideal mix of debt and equity, investor returns, ownership outcomes, and financing timelines. We ensure you’re prepared for every pitch and term sheet.
Capital Formation Support
Catalyst BC supports your investor relations process by providing pitch deck inputs, financial narratives, investor Q&A prep, and strategic presentation support.
Cannabis Lab + Manufacturing Capacity Calculations
We model lab throughput, processing timelines, and batch outputs to ensure that your planned scale can meet forecasted product volume.
Cannabis Plant Capacity Calculations
Our team reviews canopy plans and environmental data to determine optimal yield per square foot and lifecycle stage, helping improve cultivation planning and efficiency.
Cannabis Cull/Shrink Rate Planning + Calculations
We evaluate operational shrinkage and plant cull strategies to align production expectations with reality and minimize yield loss over time.
Cannabis CapEx and OpEx Planning
Our models include CapEx and OpEx breakouts by category, timeline, and ROI impact. This ensures funding is allocated strategically across build-out and ongoing operations.
Headcount Planning
We model staffing needs by department, role, and operational phase—ensuring your team scales appropriately and labor costs align with revenue projections.
Cannabis M&A Preparation + Valuation Modeling
For acquisition or exit planning, we provide cannabis business valuation modeling, financial due diligence prep, and internal rate of return analysis to support negotiations or investor evaluation.
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Modeling
We calculate IRR and ROI scenarios to inform investor presentations, equity share modeling, and future capital raises.
Inside Our Process: Behind-The-Scenes with Catalyst BC's Cannabis Consultants
Transparency and results are the foundation of every successful collaboration. Go behind-the-scenes with our cannabis consulting team and get an in-depth look at how we apply our specialized expertise to solve real-world challenges across various industries.
By exploring our client project portfolio and photo archives, you can see the technical precision and strategic thinking that define our unique approach. We invite you to browse our successes to discover how we can drive a meaningful and lasting impact for your organization.
Kind Love
Denver, CO
United States
Bostica
Lynn, MA
United States
Cultivate MA
Uxbridge, MA
United States
View All Projects
View all Catalyst BC Projects
Additional Financial Planning Supportive Services
Our cannabis financial services are enhanced by strategic and operational support across related areas.
Business Strategy Integration
We ensure financial models and projections align with your business strategy and licensing roadmap.
Data Management
Catalyst BC helps centralize and track financial data, KPIs, and investor metrics through customized dashboards and reporting tools.
Market Strategy Alignment
Your financials must reflect your market strategy. We link pricing, product mix, and distribution plans directly to your P&L and forecasting.
Equipment + Automation Guidance
We advise on equipment budgets, depreciation schedules, and automation ROI—ensuring technology investments make financial sense.
HR Advisement
Our human resources strategy ensures your organizational structure supports your goals. We provide job descriptions, hiring plans, and internal policy development—all aligned with your Cannabis Business Strategy and regulatory expectations.
License Acquisition Support
Financial narratives and projections play a critical role in competitive applications. We align all financial planning elements with your cannabis license strategy.
Why Choose Catalyst BC for Your Cannabis Financial Planning & Modeling Services?
60+ Years of Combined Cannabis Finance & Operations Experience
Proven Cannabis Financial Modeling That Wins Investment
Deep Expertise in Capital Strategy and M&A Preparation
Strategic Integration with Licensing, HR, and Market Positioning
Trusted Partner to Over 57 Licensed Cannabis Operators Nationwide
Whether you’re building your business from the ground up or pivoting an existing operation, Catalyst BC ensures your financial planning is built for success.
Cannabis Consultants in 40+ States
Tailored Cannabis Consulting Support Across the United States and Around the World.
Compliant Harvests
Square Feet of Cultivation, Production, and Retail Facilities Designed
Licenses Secured
What Our Clients Say About Catalyst BC
Latest Cannabis Industry Insights and News
How Much Does It Cost to Open a Cannabis Dispensary in 2026
The allure of jumping into the legalized cannabis industry often paints a picture of quick riches and burgeoning demand, yet the reality of establishing a licensed cannabis dispensary is far more nuanced, capital-intensive, and fraught with unique financial challenges. For aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned investors alike, understanding the true dispensary startup costs is the absolute bedrock of success.
Virginia Cannabis Facility Design & Build-Out for the 2027 Market
This guide covers the major considerations involved in planning and building a Virginia cannabis facility, with a focus on retail and cultivation operations and additional considerations relevant to processors and microbusinesses. It is written from the build side of the business, because that is where many otherwise-strong applicants stumble: they underestimate utility needs, local approvals, security infrastructure, commissioning, and the time required to convert a site into an inspection-ready operation.
Virginia Dual-Use Cannabis Conversion (2027): The $10M Medical-to-Adult-Use Pathway
For Virginia’s existing medical cannabis operators, the 2026 retail framework created a distinct and high-stakes transition: pharmaceutical processors may apply for verification to exercise dual-use privileges and serve both registered medical patients and adult-use customers. The pathway covers the processor and its permitted cannabis dispensing facilities, and it carries a one-time $10 million fee, a required medical cannabis program preservation plan, an impact-licensee business accelerator commitment, and a firm May 1, 2027 payment or installment-plan deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Cannabis Financial Planning
Is Catalyst BC a CPA firm?
No. Catalyst BC is not a CPA firm and does not provide tax preparation, audit, attestation or 280E filing services — those require licensed CPAs. We build the operating financial models underneath those filings: cost per gram, yield-driven unit economics, capex plans and license application pro formas. Most clients use us alongside their accountant.
What does a cannabis financial consultant do that my accountant does not?
Your accountant reports what happened; we model what the facility will produce. Cost per gram, yield per square foot, energy and labor load, capex sequencing and capacity forecasting all come from cultivation engineering, not from the general ledger. Catalyst BC builds those models from 3,000+ compliant harvests of operating data.
What should cannabis cost per gram be?
It depends on room design more than location. Multi-tier cultivation typically produces 120-195 grams per square foot against 40-65 for single-tier, and vertical systems add 15-25% labor efficiency, so fixed costs spread across far more output. We rebuild your figure from labor hours, energy load, media, depreciation and actual saleable yield.
Can you write the financial section of a license application?
Yes. Catalyst BC has secured 57+ licenses at a 96% success rate across 57 competitive applications, and the financial capability exhibit is built from the same yield and cost assumptions as the cultivation plan in that application. Reviewers score inconsistency between the two sections, which is a common reason for point loss.
Do you help with capital raises and lender packages?
We prepare the operating evidence lenders and investors evaluate: verified yield history, cost-per-gram model, capex schedule, mechanical and electrical condition, compliance record and staffing plan. We do not broker capital or provide securities advice. Clients typically take the package to their own banker, fund or board.
How much does facility capex actually run?
It is driven by mechanical, electrical and code compliance, not by shell construction. Harborside’s Salinas site needed a 4-acre greenhouse retrofit and a 4,000-amp three-phase upgrade across 47 acres. We price to IBC, ASHRAE 62.1, SMACNA, ASABE and UL/ETL before budget lock so the surprises arrive on paper instead of on site.
How long does a financial modeling engagement take?
A cost-per-gram model built from your operating data takes about three to four weeks once labor, energy, yield and compliance records are supplied. A full capex plan with mechanical and electrical pricing runs six to eight weeks. License pro formas are scheduled backward from the state’s application window.
Which states' economics do you know?
Catalyst BC works in 40+ states and international markets, with the deepest production history in Colorado, California, Illinois and Massachusetts. Wholesale price floors, energy costs, labor rates and licensing structures differ enough between them that a model built for one state will misprice another. We build to the state you are operating in.
Contact Us
Enough about us. We want to hear more about you, your project, and your vision! Get in touch with a real live person today. Don’t worry, we don’t have a long, confusing phone menu, and your email isn’t going to the abyss, we promise. At Catalyst, we provide the service and support we’d want to experience ourselves!