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StreetSmarts

Retail Category Total U.S. Estimated % Approx. Locations
Location Carrying Hemp/ Selling Hemp/CBD
CBD

Grocery Stores / ~63,000 15-25% 9,000-16,000
Supermarkets

Pharmacies / ~25,000 10-15% 2,500-3,700

Drugstores

Specialty CBD / ~3,000-4,000 100% 3,000-4,000

Wellness Stores

(Chart prepared by Nationwide Payment Systems, using data from National Association of
Convenience Stores, USDA ERS, Chain Store Guide and Hemp Industry Daily – 2025)

of sellers spread across U.S. retail categories, as statistics is
the chart accompanying this article demonstrates:
The biggest issue with the HEMP
If the federal hemp ban language in Congress's 2025 ban is not only the manufacturing
budget survives into enforcement, it will impact nearly
half of these retailers who may have to pull, re-label or side of things but the massive
replace product inventories by the third or fourth quarter population of sellers spread
of 2026.
Visa and Mastercard lawsuit across U.S. retail categories.

The approaching end of the massive Visa and Mastercard
settlement should be cause for celebration. So why are so While the courts have not yet approved this settlement,
many ISOs, merchant level salespeople (MLSs), attorneys it doesn't look like anyone will get a financial windfall.
and the Merchant Coalition crying? The short answer is Flat-rate processors will make extra money, the same way
that after waiting for over 20 years, they're finding out that they're profiting from the Durbin amendment.
no one will receive a lump-sum payout.
When Visa and Mastercard lower interchange by 10
Some ISOs, MLSs and attorneys spent thousands of dollars basis points, companies that have merchants on flat rate
in anticipation of a settlement, advertising and inviting pricing, like Square, Stripe, QuickBooks and PayPal, will
merchants to sign up for payouts. be cashing in on this 10-basis-point bonanza.

None of them advised merchants that they could sign up Will the card brands let them get away with keeping this
directly on the official site without giving up a percentage money, the same way they did with Durbin 2010? None
of their benefits. When merchants learned third-party of the companies passed those savings on then, and they
providers would make 20 percent on each claim, they got probably won't be doing it now. When will merchants
buyer's remorse and filed counterclaims. wake up and smell the coffee?

How will the lawsuit impact dual pricing, which has been Want to know more? Keep reading The Green Sheet and
on trend in our community? Will dual-pricing merchants consider following me on LinkedIn, where we can share
want to begin surcharging customers? Until these details ideas and support each other.
get sorted, ISOs and MLSs' phones will continue to ring as Allen Kopelman, a serial entrepreneur, is co-founder and CEO of
merchants ask, where are my discounts? Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. and host of B2B Vault: The Biz
to Biz podcast. Email him at allen@npsbank.com and connect on
It's debatable if the courts will ever go along with some LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenkopelman/ and X @
of the proposed remedies, like having more surcharge AllenKopelman.
options or not accepting rewards cards.
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