What Cannasure Insurance Services does

Cannasure Insurance Services, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a specialty insurance program manager (MGA) that underwrites and administers coverage exclusively for legal cannabis and hemp businesses in the United States and Canada. The company operates as a dedicated vertical program within One80 Intermediaries' wholesale brokerage platform, distributing its products exclusively through appointed retail agents and brokers rather than direct-to-insured channels. Its product portfolio centers on two offerings: the exclusive Cannabis and Hemp Package Program, which consolidates coverage for cultivators, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and retail dispensaries under a unified policy, and Cannasure Specialty Coverages, which layers additional protections (product liability, crop, property, and regulatory exposures) on top of the package program.

The company's core value proposition addresses a structural market gap: mainstream insurers historically avoided the cannabis sector due to federal illegality in the U.S., leaving licensed operators underinsured or paying punitive premiums. Cannasure's decade-plus of single-vertical focus has produced specialized policy forms, underwriting appetite, and carrier relationships purpose-built for cannabis and hemp risk. Revenue is generated through premiums, commissions, and program fees on policies placed by its agent/broker network, with pricing determined through individual risk-based quoting rather than published rate tables. Cannasure also extends coverage to hemp businesses—an adjacent vertical formalized after the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill—covering cultivation, processing, and CBD-product manufacturing.

The business operates with 11–50 employees and has remained privately held since founding, under the leadership of Founder, CEO, and Managing Director Patrick McManamon, with Joe Foley serving as CFO. There is no disclosed evidence of proprietary technology platforms, AI-driven underwriting, or independent capital-raising activity beyond modest funding events (a $1.95M round in April 2019 and prior participation by Krauter & Company in December 2017). All distribution, carrier-paper access, and back-office scale are effectively provided through the One80 Intermediaries parent platform, positioning Cannasure as a focused vertical brand rather than a standalone insurer.

Name

Cannasure Insurance Services

Legal name

Cannasure Insurance Services

Website

https://cannasure.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cannasure Insurance Services is a Cleveland-based specialty MGA founded in 2010 that underwrites and administers insurance programs exclusively for legal cannabis and hemp businesses across the US and Canada, distributing coverage through wholesale brokers under One80 Intermediaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance (Cannabis and Hemp)

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines) (FSAEADAD)

Keywords

• Cannabis insurance
• Hemp insurance
• Specialty underwriting
• Wholesale brokerage
• Managing general agent

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premium Revenue: Cannasure generates revenue through insurance premiums collected from cannabis and hemp businesses. As a program manager and MGA (Managing General Agent), the company develops and administers specialized insurance programs for the legal marijuana industry, earning commissions and fees on written premiums.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cannasure Insurance Services underwrites and administers specialized insurance programs for licensed cannabis and hemp businesses, including cultivators, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and retail dispensaries. As a Managing General Agent and program under One80 Intermediaries, it delivers an exclusive Cannabis and Hemp Package Program and Cannasure Specialty Coverages through a wholesale brokerage channel of appointed agents and brokers. Its products are designed to address risk profiles (crop, product liability, property, regulatory) that mainstream commercial insurers have historically declined.

Product overview

Cannasure Insurance Services is a specialized insurance provider for the legal cannabis and hemp industry, founded in 2010. The company operates as part of One80 Intermediaries' wholesale brokerage and program management structure. Its product portfolio consists of two main offerings: the exclusive Cannabis and Hemp Package Program, which provides comprehensive coverage for cannabis and hemp businesses under a unified policy, and Cannasure Specialty Coverages, which offers additional specialized protection options. Together, these products address the unique insurance needs of legal marijuana businesses seeking coverage at reasonable costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cannasure Cannabis and Hemp MGA: Exclusive Cannabis and Hemp Package Program
• Cannasure Specialty Coverages

Products and services

• Cannabis and Hemp Package Program An exclusive, single-policy package insurance program tailored for licensed cannabis and hemp businesses, providing comprehensive coverage for the full operation under one policy. Distributed through appointed agents and brokers via the One80 Intermediaries wholesale channel.
• Cannasure Specialty Coverages Standalone specialty insurance coverages offered as part of the Cannasure program, providing additional protection beyond the standard package for cannabis and hemp operators, distributed through appointed agents and brokers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over a decade of continuous operation as a leading cannabis insurance provider

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• One80 IntermediariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne80 Intermediaries is the parent organization and wholesale brokerage platform under which Cannasure operates as a specialized program. One80 provides the infrastructure, carrier relationships, and distribution network, while Cannasure focuses exclusively on cannabis and hemp insurance program development and underwriting.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NPG (National Programs Group): Specialty insurance program manager offering cannabis and hemp coverage through wholesale distribution. Similar program-manager model and target customer segment as Cannasure.
• Founders Professional Insurance: Specialty insurance program manager with a dedicated cannabis practice offering package policies, product liability, and crop coverage to licensed operators — closely comparable to Cannasure's dual product structure.
• Pacific Specialty Insurance Company: Specialty property and casualty carrier with cannabis and hemp insurance programs developed through MGA relationships. Comparable product offering focused on the same vertical customer base.
• CannaCoverage Insurance Services: Direct peer in cannabis-specialty insurance brokerage. Operates as a wholesale broker and program manager offering similar package and specialty coverages to legal cannabis operators — directly competing for the same agent/broker relationships.
• IBA (Insurance Brokerage of America) - Cannabis Division: Specialty insurance brokerage with a dedicated cannabis and hemp insurance practice, distributing coverage to licensed operators through appointed agents — comparable niche specialization and wholesale distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Amwins: One of the largest US wholesale insurance distributors with a dedicated cannabis practice. A broad incumbent that overlaps with Cannasure in cannabis program management but operates across many other specialty lines at much larger scale.
• RPS (Risk Placement Services): Large wholesale insurance broker and program manager with cannabis specialty offerings. A broad incumbent providing comparable wholesale distribution infrastructure but across a much wider portfolio than Cannasure's cannabis-only focus.
• James River Insurance Company: Specialty E&S carrier that has historically underwritten cannabis-related risks through managing general agents. Operates as a carrier partner rather than a direct competitor, but its appetite shapes the broader competitive landscape for Cannasure's programs.

Emerging players

• Velocity Risk Underwriters: Specialty MGA with cannabis-adjacent commercial habitational and property programs. A smaller emerging player whose program-manager approach to niche verticals is structurally similar to Cannasure's model.
• CRC (Cannabis Risk Consultants): Emerging cannabis-specific insurance advisory and brokerage serving licensed operators. More advisory-led than Cannasure's MGA/program-manager model, but addresses the same risk-transfer needs of the same customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cannasure
• Facebookfacebook.com/cannasure

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cannasure Insurance Services