Stacking the Deck: The Best B2B E-commerce Platforms for Cannabis Wholesalers

LeafLink (includes Leaf Trade)

LeafLink remains the category’s network effect leader—a B2B marketplace connecting thousands of licensed brands/distributors with retailers, plus built-in advertising and payments. Its 2024 acquisition of Leaf Trade consolidated two major wholesale networks under one roof, expanding enterprise/MSO reach and deepening transaction rails. For wholesalers who want maximum buyer discovery, RFQs, and data at scale, this is the “be everywhere” option. Downsides: marketplace economics and ad spend can pressure margins; some operators prefer more control over brand presentation.

Apex Trading

Apex blends a wholesale marketplace with private, branded storefronts, letting wholesalers invite buyers to a controlled catalog while still tapping an open network when needed. Strengths include native METRC integration, order-to-QuickBooks sync, inventory controls, and reporting—useful for operators who want brand control without losing market reach. It’s a good fit for states where compliance sync and real-time menus are non-negotiable.

Distru Commerce (paired with Distru ERP)

Distru Commerce is a zero-commission B2B wholesale storefront that sits on top of Distru’s ERP—so orders, inventory, and compliance all live in one operational source of truth. The pitch is simple: own your wholesale channel and pay no marketplace take-rate, while still syncing inventory and even integrating with LeafLink or BLAZE when needed. Ideal for wholesalers seeking predictable unit economics and tighter ops control over hundreds of SKUs.

Flourish Wholesale Portal

Flourish is an ERP with a distribution module and a WooCommerce-based wholesale portal option. If a team wants to run an owned ecommerce site (with carts, buyer logins, pricing tiers) that stays in lockstep with seed-to-sale inventory and logistics, Flourish offers a pragmatic, API-friendly route plus dashboards (e.g., Perfect Order Index) for fulfillment quality. It’s particularly compelling for multi-state wholesalers that value ERP depth and customizable commerce.

IndicaOnline Distro

A distribution-focused platform that covers wholesale order intake, pick/pack, inventory, and analytics. While not as marketplace-heavy as LeafLink or Apex, Distro gives small and mid-size wholesalers an all-in-one operational stack to manage B2B orders alongside compliance workflows. It’s a fit when a team wants straightforward distribution tooling with embedded wholesale ordering.

(Retail-centric platforms like BLAZE or Treez excel for dispensary e-commerce and POS; some wholesalers use their integrations or modules operationally, but they aren’t primary wholesale marketplaces.)

How to Choose (and What Matters in 2025)

1. Network reach vs. owned channel

Marketplaces (LeafLink/Apex) accelerate discovery and reorders but may introduce fees and competitive shelf space. Owned storefronts (Distru Commerce, Flourish portal) protect margins and presentation but require go-to-market effort to onboard every buyer. Consider your state mix, SKU velocity, and how often you need net-new retailers vs. deepening existing relationships.

2. Compliance and inventory truth

Wholesalers live and die on inventory accuracy and chain-of-custody. Prioritize real-time METRC/BioTrack sync and a single operational backbone (ERP) so ecommerce never oversells. Apex’s METRC integration, Distru’s ERP+Commerce model, and Flourish’s seed-to-sale linkage are standouts here.

3. Margin model

If commission fees and paid placement dilute contribution margins, zero-commission storefronts (Distru Commerce, Flourish portal) can reclaim 5–20+ percentage points per order depending on your current marketplace mix. On the flip side, marketplaces can reduce sales overhead and shorten the sales cycle—still net positive for many.

4. Integrations and workflow automation

Look for QuickBooks or NetSuite flows, label printing, order approvals, and POS/marketplace bridges. Distru integrates with LeafLink and BLAZE; Apex connects to accounting and compliance; Flourish exposes APIs and partner integrations. These save hours per week and cut reconciliation risk.

5. Data and financing extras

LeafLink layers marketplace data (category pricing, velocity) and has expanded embedded financial tools—useful for cash-flow planning and inventory bets. If your team values market benchmarks beyond your own book, this is hard to replicate in an owned portal.

Quick Recommendations by Scenario

  • You want maximum buyer exposure and category data: LeafLink.
  • You want a hybrid of marketplace reach + private, branded storefronts: Apex Trading.
  • You want zero commissions and tight ERP-connected operations: Distru Commerce.
  • You want an ERP-anchored, customizable wholesale site (WooCommerce): Flourish Wholesale Portal.
  • You want simple distribution software with embedded wholesale ordering: IndicaOnline Distro.

Bottom Line

For most cannabis wholesalers, the smartest stack pairs an owned wholesale storefront (Distru Commerce or Flourish portal) for margin protection and brand control plus a marketplace presence (LeafLink or Apex) for discovery and state expansion. Keep compliance integrations non-negotiable, automate accounting handoffs, and pilot in one state before rolling out.