Retail precision, culture and regulation appear to be key elements in the strategy behind TheraTrue’s cannabis expansion. Can big-box retail scale without losing the trust of cannabis consumers?
When TheraTrue appointed Chris Ras as CEO in June 2025, the announcement marked more than a simple leadership transition. It signaled the start of a deliberate and potentially defining phase of cannabis expansion across two of the country’s most dynamic—and contrasting—markets: Ohio and Georgia.
The company’s roadmap is built around operational rigor, employee engagement, and a standardized retail model. Yet the challenge for TheraTrue, like so many others aiming to scale in a fragmented industry, is not just about growth. It’s about doing so without losing sight of what cannabis consumers, employees, and communities actually need.
A Retail Veteran Enters the Cannabis Space
Chris Ras didn’t emerge from the cannabis world. He arrives from big-box retail with a résumé anchored by Columbia Care, Deep Roots Harvest, and mainstream giants like Target and Hannaford. At Columbia Care alone, he oversaw the scaling of more than 80 dispensaries across 17 states and helped drive over $400 million in annual revenue.
His track record in systems, structure, and growth metrics gives him credibility in the eyes of investors and operators alike. What remains to be seen is how those same strengths translate into an industry where authenticity, regulatory nuance, and patient loyalty often outweigh pure efficiency.
In short, Ras is a proven operator. But cannabis doesn’t always play by the same rules as retail. That dissonance is where this story gets interesting.
Mapping the Cannabis Expansion
TheraTrue’s cannabis expansion is already underway in Ohio, where it recently launched its first dispensary in Cleveland. A second location in Cincinnati is expected to open by summer’s end.
The numbers coming out of Ohio are strong: Since the adult-use market launched in August 2023, it has generated roughly $849 million in sales across more than 11 million transactions. That kind of volume puts the state on track to hit $1.65 billion by 2027, according to market analysts.
Yet, beneath those headline numbers is a rapidly compressing pricing environment. Average flower prices dropped from $9.40 to $6.70 per gram in under a year. For operators, that means thinner margins and heightened pressure to differentiate—whether through experience, pricing, or brand loyalty.
Georgia’s Vertical Gamble
Georgia presents an entirely different set of dynamics. The state has only issued six vertically integrated licenses, and TheraTrue holds one of them. That gives the company a significant head start in building out its full supply chain—from cultivation to retail.
The patient base remains small, around 25,000 registered users, and the state limits allowable THC content. These restrictions create real friction for operators—but they also make entry harder for competitors. TheraTrue’s early positioning in this tightly controlled market could pay dividends down the line, especially if Georgia’s program matures into a more open system.
Standardizing Success: The SOP Playbook
Ras has introduced a four-pillar framework to guide TheraTrue’s cannabis expansion: customer experience, operational execution, financial control, and employee engagement. These are time-tested principles from the retail world, but cannabis throws a few curveballs.
While standardized operating procedures (SOPs) can bring consistency, quality assurance, and training benefits, the cannabis industry isn’t a monolith. Regulations vary wildly between states. What works for a dispensary in Atlanta might not make sense in Cincinnati—or even across town. Adaptability, not just efficiency, has to remain front and center.
Market Pressures and Operational Headwinds
Cannabis is a volatile industry. Even with robust planning, operators can get blindsided by sudden shifts in supply, regulation, or consumer behavior.
Ohio’s rapid supply increase has already cut deep into product pricing. That kind of compression can squeeze even well-capitalized companies. Meanwhile, regulatory frameworks in both Ohio and Georgia require constant navigation. There’s no one-size-fits-all compliance model—especially for companies trying to scale across multiple states.
Another wild card is employee engagement. Cannabis employees often enter the industry with a sense of mission and community. That passion doesn’t always mesh well with top-down systems imported from traditional retail. If SOPs feel like shackles, it can sour morale and drive turnover—two things no cannabis operator can afford at scale.
What Other Operators Reveal
If history is any guide, TheraTrue has models to both emulate and learn from.
Columbia Care’s national rollout showed how operational excellence could build a multi-state footprint, but it also demonstrated the growing pains that come when regulations evolve faster than systems can adapt. Meanwhile, companies like Curaleaf, Trulieve, and TerrAscend have embraced rapid acquisition and capital deployment to extend reach—successfully in many cases, though not without growing concerns over cultural dilution and patient disconnect.
The takeaway? Cannabis expansion works best when paired with humility and local fluency.
Culture, Trust, and Community Equity
Beyond the spreadsheets and store openings is a deeper question: Can a company standardize without sterilizing? Grassroots culture has long been a foundation of cannabis communities. If operators come in swinging SOPs like hammers, they risk breaking more than they build.
TheraTrue seems aware of that risk. Founder Paul Judge has emphasized the importance of representation in leadership—particularly in Georgia, where Black entrepreneurs remain underrepresented in cannabis. If the company backs up those commitments with tangible results, it could position itself as more than just another suit in the room.
As always, though, actions will speak louder than press releases.
Policy Realities and the Shape of Things to Come
Regulation is never static in cannabis. Georgia’s rules on vertical integration require hands-on compliance, while Ohio’s adult-use law continues to evolve. Companies that scale must also stay nimble—an often-overlooked challenge in an industry still writing its own rulebook.
TheraTrue’s model could influence future regulatory norms. If its expansion emphasizes compliance, equity, and community trust, it may help elevate the standards across the board. If it overreaches, it could reinforce suspicions that corporate cannabis is just commodification in a new disguise.
A Company at the Crossroads
TheraTrue has the tools to succeed—funding, leadership, first-mover advantage. Whether it can combine those assets with cultural sensitivity and real accountability will determine the long-term outcome of its cannabis expansion.
Growth is never just about market share. It’s about who gets a seat at the table, and who stays once the market matures.
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