Paragon
Paragon is a cannabis-focused payroll and HCM provider with published package pricing, an assisted payroll option, cannabis-specific workforce tools and access to a broader cannabis business partner ecosystem.
2026 Cannabis Payroll Buyer's Guide
Compare Cannabis Payroll Providers With Confidence.
Compare payroll, HR technology, pricing, service, cannabis commitment, integrations and the business ecosystem surrounding each provider.
Start With Your Business
What matters most to you?
Select the situation closest to yours. We'll highlight the comparison criteria worth paying closest attention to.
At a Glance
Cannabis Payroll Provider Comparison
Use this table as a starting point, not a substitute for due diligence. Product availability, eligibility, service levels and pricing can change.
| Consideration |
Paragon
|
Würk
|
KayaPush
|
Gusto
|
QuickBooks
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis-specific offering | Yes — cannabis-focused | Yes — cannabis-focused | Yes — cannabis-focused | Yes — supports cannabis-related businesses | No dedicated cannabis offering identified in reviewed public materials |
| Payroll & tax filing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HR / HCM | Payroll + HCM available | Broad HCM platform | Payroll + HR platform | HR features available by plan | General payroll and workforce tools |
| Timekeeping & scheduling | Available as add-ons | Available | Core platform capabilities | Time tracking available by plan / add-on | Time tracking available on qualifying plans |
| Managed / assisted payroll | Assisted Payroll package available | Managed payroll available | Verify service level for your account | Primarily software-led payroll | Primarily software-led payroll |
| Published pricing | $7 / $9 / $14 PEPM + base fee | Contact for pricing | From $349/location/month | Published payroll pricing + CRB compliance pricing | Published general payroll pricing |
| Cannabis-specific surcharge / add-on | No cannabis surcharge | Confirm current proposal | No separate cannabis surcharge identified in published pricing | $18 PEPM CRB compliance add-on on Simple / Plus | Cannabis-specific payroll pricing not identified |
| Human support model | Live support is a core service differentiator | Human support and managed services available | Support available | Support level varies by plan | Support level varies by product / plan |
| Cannabis business ecosystem | Broad cannabis partner ecosystem | Cannabis-focused partner relationships | Cannabis software / partner ecosystem | Broader SMB and accountant ecosystem | Broader accounting / SMB ecosystem |
| Industry business introductions | Banking, CPA, insurance, benefits, retirement, technology and other industry resources | Partner resources available | Partner relationships available | General business ecosystem; less cannabis-specific | General business ecosystem; cannabis-specific resources not identified |
| Multi-location / multi-state fit | Yes | Yes | Strong multi-location retail focus | Depends on entity and workforce complexity | Depends on entity and workforce complexity |
| Market / eligibility nuance | U.S.-based cannabis-focused payroll provider | U.S. cannabis-focused provider | Canadian-based company serving U.S. and Canadian operators; confirm country-specific service availability | Explicit CRB support with additional compliance processes | Confirm eligibility before relying on connected services; Intuit documents marijuana/CBD as a potential QuickBooks Payments application-decline reason |
Public information reviewed September 2026. Product availability, eligibility, fees and service levels can change. Confirm current details directly with each provider before making a decision.
Compare, Don't Change
Want help comparing your current payroll setup?
Tell us what you're using today and what you'd like to improve. We'll help you compare your options without assuming you're ready to switch.
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Provider Profiles
Cannabis Committed
Different models fit different operations.
The goal is not to make every company look identical. It is to understand how their public offerings differ and which questions matter for your operation.
Würk
Würk is a cannabis-focused HCM provider offering payroll, HR, timekeeping, scheduling, recruiting, analytics and managed payroll services for cannabis operators.
KayaPush
KayaPush is a Vancouver-based cannabis payroll and workforce platform serving U.S. and Canadian businesses. Its public offering emphasizes payroll, scheduling, time tracking, hiring, reporting and retail workforce management.
Gusto
Gusto is a general-purpose payroll and HR platform that explicitly supports cannabis-related businesses. Certain CRBs on Simple and Plus require an additional compliance add-on, while Premium includes CRB compliance support.
QuickBooks
QuickBooks provides general payroll and workforce tools within the Intuit ecosystem. Cannabis operators should verify eligibility for the specific Intuit services they plan to use, particularly connected money-movement services.
The Cannabis Business Readiness Path
Payroll is one piece of opening and growing a cannabis business.
Your workforce infrastructure sits inside a much larger operating system. These stages show where payroll connects to everything else.
License
Entity, licenses, registrations
Banking
Funding, treasury, cash movement
Payroll
Tax, employee pay, records
People
Hiring, onboarding, benefits
Operations
Technology, compliance, accounting
Growth
Locations, reporting, scalability
Build My Cannabis Business
What do you already have covered?
Select the areas you've already handled. We'll show you how much of your basic business infrastructure you've mapped out.
✓
Banking & Treasury
Operating account, payroll funding and cash movement.
✓
CPA & Accounting
Accounting, bookkeeping, GL and financial support.
✓
Payroll & HR
Payroll, tax filing, onboarding and employee records.
✓
Insurance
Commercial coverage and risk resources.
✓
Workers' Comp
Workforce injury coverage and claims support.
✓
Benefits
Health and employee benefit resources.
✓
Retirement
401(k) and retirement resources.
✓
POS & Technology
Operational software and workforce connections.
✓
IT & Hardware
Infrastructure, access and cybersecurity.
✓
Compliance
Operations, licensing and regulatory support.
✓
Recruiting
Hiring and cannabis workforce resources.
✓
Training & LMS
Employee education and compliance training.
✓
Payments
Payment and treasury tools.
✓
Facility & Fixtures
Buildout and physical operations resources.
✓
Legal Resources
Specialized legal and regulatory support.
✓
People Policies
Handbook, processes and workforce planning.
0 of 16 areas mapped.
Select the areas you've already covered.
Ask This Before You Sign
Questions worth asking every payroll provider.
A feature list tells you what a platform advertises. These questions help uncover how the relationship actually works.
Ask what that distinction looks like in practice:
industry tenure, internal expertise, partnerships,
community participation and whether the company has built
services specifically around cannabis operators.
Ask for the complete first-year cost, including base fees,
PEPM charges, implementation, add-ons, year-end charges
and any cannabis-specific compliance or service fees.
Understand whether you can reach a human who can actually
resolve the problem, how escalation works and what support
is included in your plan.
Ask how prior wages and taxes are handled,
how year-to-date information is validated
and who owns year-end reporting.
Ask how entities, permissions, tax accounts,
reporting and implementations change as the company grows.
Ask who is responsible for data migration,
tax setup, employee imports, integrations,
testing and approval of the first live payroll.
Cannabis Commitment
Accepting cannabis isn't the same as building around cannabis.
Use this spectrum as a framework for asking how deeply a provider participates in and supports the industry.
Cannabis Adverse
Does not accept cannabis-related businesses.
Cannabis Tolerant
Accepts certain cannabis businesses with limitations.
Cannabis Friendly
Supports cannabis as part of a broader customer base.
Cannabis Committed
Builds expertise, resources and relationships around the industry.
Free Buyer Tools
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Take the comparison with you.
Different resources are useful at different stages. Choose the one that matches what you're trying to do right now.
Cannabis Payroll Buyer's Checklist
20 questions covering cannabis commitment, payroll and compliance, technology, service and pricing.
Best for: Beginning your research
Download Checklist →
Cannabis Payroll Provider Scorecard
Compare up to three providers using the same criteria and your own priorities.
Best for: Comparing finalists
Download Scorecard →
New Licensee Payroll Readiness Checklist
Work from license and business setup toward hiring, first payroll, opening day and the first 90 days.
Best for: New operators
Download Checklist →
Cannabis Business Readiness Roadmap
Map banking, accounting, payroll, insurance, technology, compliance and the wider business infrastructure.
Best for: Building the whole operation
Download Roadmap →
16 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Bring these questions to your next payroll demo and use the included Payroll & HR Document Glossary.
Best for: Provider demos
Download Guide →
Cannabis Payroll Switching Checklist
Gather, confirm and protect the records needed when moving payroll providers.
Best for: Preparing to switch
Download Checklist →
Fast Answers
Common cannabis payroll questions, answered simply.
These short answers help buyers quickly understand the questions behind a payroll provider comparison.
What should cannabis businesses compare in a payroll provider?
Compare cannabis eligibility, payroll tax support, HR and workforce capabilities, integrations, implementation, customer support, pricing, scalability and the provider's experience serving cannabis businesses.
Does every cannabis business need a cannabis-specific payroll company?
Not necessarily. What matters is whether the provider supports your business type and can meet your operational, tax, workforce, banking and service requirements. Cannabis specialization can become more valuable as complexity increases.
What should a new dispensary look for in payroll?
A new dispensary should consider payroll and tax setup, onboarding, timekeeping, scheduling, employee records, implementation support and whether the provider can help connect the business with other cannabis-specific resources.
Can cannabis businesses switch payroll providers mid-year?
Yes. The transition requires careful handling of year-to-date wages, taxes, employee records, deductions, payroll history and year-end responsibilities.
Can cannabis businesses use QuickBooks Payroll?
Cannabis businesses should verify eligibility directly with Intuit before relying on QuickBooks Payroll or related connected services. Intuit publicly identifies marijuana and CBD among business types that may lead to a QuickBooks Payments application being declined. Eligibility can differ by product, so confirm the exact services your business intends to use.
What is managed or assisted payroll?
Managed or assisted payroll adds human help around the payroll process rather than requiring the employer to handle every step inside the software independently.
What does cannabis-committed mean?
Cannabis Committed describes a provider whose involvement goes beyond accepting cannabis businesses and includes industry-specific expertise, resources, relationships and ongoing participation in the cannabis business community.
Sources & Methodology
How this comparison is built.
This guide uses publicly available provider information and applies the same decision categories across companies. Paragon publishes this page and is included in the comparison.
01
Public information
Provider websites, pricing pages, product pages and published support resources are reviewed.
02
Same criteria
Providers are reviewed across consistent categories: cannabis support, payroll, HR, service, pricing, workforce tools and ecosystem.
03
No paid ranking
No competing provider purchases placement or a position in this guide.
04
Paragon disclosure
Paragon publishes this page and is one of the companies compared.
05
Review date
Public information reviewed September 2026. Provider offerings can change.
Provider sources reviewed
Paragon Payroll:
Pricing & Packages
Würk:
Product & Services
KayaPush:
Platform Overview
•
Pricing
Gusto:
Cannabis Payroll & HR
QuickBooks / Intuit:
Payroll
•
QuickBooks Payments Eligibility Guidance
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about cannabis payroll providers.
There is no single provider that fits every cannabis business.
Compare industry eligibility, tax support, HR technology,
service model, pricing, integrations, scalability
and cannabis-specific experience.
Cannabis businesses may evaluate cannabis-focused providers
such as Paragon Payroll, Würk and KayaPush, as well as
broader payroll platforms such as Gusto.
Eligibility, fees and service models vary by provider.
Yes. Gusto publicly states that it supports cannabis-related businesses.
Its Simple and Plus plans require a CRB compliance add-on
for applicable cannabis businesses, while Premium includes
CRB compliance support.
KayaPush is Canadian-based and serves both Canadian
and U.S. cannabis businesses. Buyers should verify
which services and compliance support are available
for their specific country and location.
Cannabis businesses should confirm eligibility directly with Intuit.
QuickBooks offers general payroll functionality, but Intuit publicly
identifies marijuana and CBD among business types that can lead to
a QuickBooks Payments application being declined.
Availability can differ across Intuit services.
Ask about implementation timing, tax registrations,
payroll funding, employee onboarding, support,
first-payroll preparation, integrations and
resources available outside payroll.
A provider's level of cannabis commitment can affect
its industry knowledge, relationships, product strategy
and familiarity with the operational realities
cannabis employers encounter.
Yes. Comparing service, pricing and capabilities can
help you understand whether your current provider still
fits before making any decision to switch.
Depending on the transition, businesses may need
company and tax account information, employee records,
year-to-date wage and tax data, payroll history,
deductions, benefits, PTO balances and accounting information.
Compare, Don't Change
You don't have to change payroll to compare payroll.
See how your current payroll, HR technology, support, pricing and cannabis resources compare with Paragon. If what you already have is working, that's useful information too.