Mike Madden - Dark Horse CPAs

For Mike Madden, business—like life—is a team sport. After two decades as a paramedic and firefighter, he brought that same teamwork mindset into public accounting, where he helps cannabis business owners navigate some of the toughest financial terrain out there.

Mike specializes in fractional CFO support and state and local cannabis tax strategy, giving dispensaries, cultivators, and multi-state operators the financial clarity they need to grow with confidence. From cash flow forecasting and budgeting to compliance with ever-changing local regulations, Mike’s focus is on helping owners stay compliant while building more profitable operations.

His path to Dark Horse was anything but conventional. Mike started preparing taxes for fellow firefighters in 2002, became a CTEC-certified tax preparer, earned his EA credential, and later his CPA license in California—all while serving full-time in emergency medicine. He built and ran his own firm before merging it with a legacy Encinitas practice in 2017. That mix of resilience, discipline, and entrepreneurial grit now powers his work with cannabis operators nationwide.

Dark Horse CPAs is a national accounting firm built to serve cannabis businesses of all sizes. From single-location dispensaries to fully integrated, multi-state operators, our Cannabis Division delivers tax and CFO advisory that’s designed for the unique challenges of this industry.

We handle the details that matter—280E tax strategy, bookkeeping compliance, outsourced accounting, and fractional CFO services—so you can focus on running and scaling your operation. Whether you’re in retail, cultivation, manufacturing, or cannabis e-commerce, our CPAs work with you one-on-one to minimize tax exposure, streamline financial systems, and provide clear, actionable insights all year long.

With Dark Horse, you get more than a tax return—you get a strategic partner to help maximize your bottom line in one of the most complex industries in the country.