Stepping into a high-risk industry like CBD, Kratom, Delta, or relevant niches can be beneficial yet a red flag at the same time due to a number of reasons. You have to deal with the regional regulations, regulatory compliances, payment channel restrictions, and the federal laws like the November 2026 ban on Delta products capping the amount of THC to 0.4mg of total THC per container reducing from 0.3% THC levels per serving.

So is it still possible to run a successful business in a high-risk industry without putting your investment at risk? The answer is yes! As long as you have the right partner. With specialized development partners like High Stack Solutions, you can confidently run your business while navigating through the complexities of a high-risk industry like a knife through butter.

In this article, we are going to talk about how specialized development services from High Stack Solutions can help your business grow and scale rapidly in a high-risk industry.

Is it Worth the Effort to Start a Business in a High-Risk Industry?

The proverb “high risk, high reward” is especially true for industries like cannabis, Kratom, Delta, functional mushrooms and related industries. Let us share some stats with you:

  • The global CBD market was valued at $10.68 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $30.96 billion by 2033 at a 13.70% CAGR. 
  • The Kratom market is moving just as fast, expected to grow from $2.19 billion in 2024 to $7.80 billion by 2032 at a 17.2% annual growth rate.
  • Delta-8 THC sales grew a staggering 1,283% in just three years, climbing from $200.5 million in 2020 to nearly $2.8 billion in 2023, according to Brightfield Group. Delta-8 alone generated $1.2 billion of that total, making up 44% of the entire U.S. hemp-derived cannabinoid market.
  • The global functional mushroom market was calculated at $34.62 billion in 2025 and is predicted to grow from $37.86 billion in 2026 to approximately $84.78 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 9.37%.
  • Global Market Insights valued the nicotine pouches market at $8.6 billion in 2025, estimating it to grow at a CAGR of 19.4% to reach $56.7 billion by 2035. Philip Morris International led the market with over 26% share in 2025, with the top five players collectively holding 64% of the market.
  • Over 100 million people vape worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. A 2026 study published in ScienceDirect calculated 129 million adult nicotine vapers in 2025, up from 50 million in 2018. In 2024, 7.0% of U.S. adults used e-cigarettes, while youth use fell to 5.2% of middle and high school students by 2025.

These are the numbers from just a few high-risk industries which shows the potential of these businesses expected to boom in the upcoming years. So yes, it is worth the effort to step into the high-risk industry.

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Why is Working in a High-Risk Industry So Complicated?

Doing business in a high-risk industry is not like selling shoes or electronics online. A standard web setup without industry-specific knowledge will get you into trouble fast. Here are the three biggest reasons high-risk eCommerce brands struggle:

Payment processing gets blocked

Mainstream payment gateways regularly decline or shut down accounts in these categories. Without the right high-risk payment processors, your checkout simply does not work, and sales stop overnight.

Compliance gaps are a liability

Age verification, state-specific product restrictions, legal disclaimers, and labeling requirements are all mandatory. Skipping or mishandling any one of these can mean legal issues, account suspension, or lost revenue from rejected transactions.

Platform restrictions catch brands off guard

Shopify restricts full THC commerce outright. Most developers do not know how to properly configure either platform for regulated products. That is a specialty skill, not a general one.

General agencies can build beautiful websites. What they usually cannot do is build one that works, stays compliant, and processes payments reliably for a high-risk brand.

What Services Does HighStack Solutions Offer for High-Risk Industries?

High Stack Solutions covers the full technical stack for regulated eCommerce. Custom website development is the core service, and every project starts from scratch with no templates. Stores are designed for compliance, mobile performance, and high conversion rates from the first page load.

WooCommerce and Shopify Store Development

Getting your store approved to do business in a high-risk industry on a mainstream eCommerce platform can be challenging. And that’s where High Stack Solutions offer their expertise to get your business set up with all the compliance, integrations and services they need while taking advantage of their features offered by WooCommerce and Shopify while staying compliant with regulations.

Custom Website Development

Need to launch your brand that stands out from the competition? High Stack Solutions specialized website development services are designed for your needs. Using the latest technology stack, we integrate exclusively designed options and features that can help you build scalable websites that comply with regulations of high-risk industries.

Website Maintenance and Support

The laws and regulations change rapidly in the high-risk industries like CBD, Delta, and Kratom. Now the only way to stay competitive in this industry is to stay informed and updated with your online business accordingly. With High Stack Solutions, you can not just survive but thrive as their reliable maintenance and support will always keep your business up and running as per latest rules and regulations.

Automation Integrations

To stay ahead with the modern technology, High Stack Solutions can automate your business processes to increase the operational efficiency by up to 50% or more. So you don’t have to waste time or budget on manually handling everything. Moreover, with compliant POS integration, High Stack Solutions resolve the biggest challenge faced by high-risk industries and make the transactional process more secure and reliable.

What Kind of Results Have High Stack Solutions Clients Seen?

HighStack Solutions have successfully delivered projects for many businesses across the globe and more specifically in the United States. Here are a couple of successful projects delivered by High Stack Solutions:

  • Super Speciosa and Kratom Country needed checkouts working reliably across states without recurring payment gateway issues. Diet Smoke and Great CBD Shop got full, AI-powered Shopify upgrades. Meanwhile, Bumble Bee Kratom and Happy Go Leafy launched fast-loading stores converting skeptics into repeat buyers. 
  • One client reported a 35% increase in online sales within the first month of launching their new store, pointing to the compliance features and optimized checkout as the key drivers. Explore the full portfolio of completed work to see what has been built across different brands and platforms.

How Do You Get Started with High Stack Solutions?

The first step is a free 30-minute strategy call. There is no pitch and no pressure. The call is focused on understanding your brand and what your store actually needs. You leave with a clear action plan and a realistic view of what building or improving your store would involve.

For context on just how large this opportunity is, U.S. CBD e-commerce sales are forecast to exceed $6 billion by 2026. The brands capturing that revenue are the ones with solid, compliant, well-built stores behind them. So take the opportunity now and enter the high-risk industry with partners like High Stack Solutions to yield high reward!