#110 - High-Risk, High Fees: Why Cannabis Payments Are Still Broken w/ Aubrey Amatelli of PayRio

For an industry built on growth and innovation, cannabis still hits a wall when it comes to something most businesses take for granted—getting paid. In this episode of High Spirits, Ben & AnnaRae sit down with Aubrey Amatelli, CEO of PayRio to unpack the tangled world of payments, banking, and fintech in “high-risk” sectors like cannabis, hemp, CBD, and even emerging markets like psilocybin.From the lingering effects of federal illegality to the creative (and sometimes chaotic) workarounds that keep dispensaries running, this conversation goes beyond the buzzwords to explore what really needs to change for cannabis operators to gain true financial access.💡 What You’ll Learn:Why cannabis, hemp, and CBD are still classified as ultra-high-risk industries—and what that means for cannabis card payments.How fintech innovators are building compliant, creative solutions outside traditional banking rails.The ripple effect of payment instability on every layer of the cannabis supply chain.What the path to normalized payments might look like post-legalization.Lessons from other “taboo” sectors that faced similar challenges before going mainstream.🌟 Meet the Guests:Aubrey is the Founder and CEO of PayRio, the first payments provider exclusively focused on cannabis and alternative medicines. With over a decade at J.P. Morgan as an Executive Director in Merchant Services and Commercial Banking, she brings deep fintech and commerce expertise to one of the industry’s toughest challenges—safe, compliant financial access for cannabis businesses.A single mother of three, Aubrey led PayRio to profitability in under a year, embodying resilience and leadership in a sector where few businesses—let alone women-led ones—thrive. She currently serves on the NCIA Banking & Financial Services Committee, helping shape the future of cannabis finance nationwide.🎧 Why Tune In?If you’ve ever wrestled with compliance, cash flow, or card rails in cannabis or hemp, this episode is for you. Ben & AnnaRae explore how payment access—or the lack of it—shapes the future of cannabis business, finance, and consumer trust.Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!--High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover? Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high.