Conifer Insurance Services, a specialist insurance provider focused on niche markets, has partnered with Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, a commercial P&C insurer with a strategy centred around niche underwriting, to launch a new insurance programme called Cannabis Select.
The initiative is aimed at serving larger cannabis businesses and multi-state operators across the United States.
The partnership aims to meet the increasing demand for elevated coverage and tailored risk management within the cannabis industry, which continues to mature and evolve. Cannabis Select is designed to complement Conifer’s existing Cannabis Essentials programme by offering expanded property protection and higher insurance limits for large-scale businesses.
Conifer Insurance Services has long focused on providing customised insurance solutions to underserved markets, including the cannabis sector. It was acquired in 2024 by Bishop Street Underwriters, which has since injected capital and expertise into the business. These investments have included underwriting enhancements and AI-powered analytics to support more sophisticated client needs and agency partners. Skyward Specialty, for its part, brings a strong reputation for delivering targeted insurance products to highly specialised sectors, making it a strategic fit for this collaboration.
Cannabis Select is tailored to meet the complex insurance requirements of larger retail dispensaries, cultivators, and manufacturers. These businesses often require high-limit, specialised coverage that goes beyond standard insurance offerings. By introducing this programme, Conifer is reinforcing its commitment to cannabis businesses at all stages, from startups to enterprise-scale operations, while Skyward executes its strategy of dominating specialised market niches.
Conifer’s cannabis insurance practice is led by Kathleen Brown-Hurtado, president of Cannabis Specialty Programs, who is steering the strategic expansion of this vertical. She is joined by Jason Scheurle, vice president of Cannabis Specialty Programs, who brings additional industry-specific insight to support growth and agency collaboration.
The partnership also underscores Skyward Specialty’s strategic emphasis on unique market segments.
“The partnership with Conifer is a powerful example of Skyward Specialty’s ‘rule our niche’ strategy in action,” said Skyward Specialty president of captives & specialty programs Corey LaFlamme. “We provide high-impact, tailored solutions to highly niche markets.”
“As the cannabis industry matures, our agency partners have consistently shared the need for higher limits and greater capacity,” Conifer Insurance Services CEO Nick Petcoff said, “Cannabis Select is a direct response to that need, building on our long track record of success while maintaining the service-first, flexible approach that has always defined Conifer.”
“As cannabis businesses scale, their insurance needs grow more complex,” Conifer president of Cannabis Specialty Programs Kathleen Brown-Hurtado said, “Cannabis Select delivers the higher limits and specialised protections larger operations demand, while Cannabis Essentials ensures we remain the go-to partner for startups and growth-stage businesses alike.”
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