Additional Areas of Practice
Legislative,Regulatory and Policy Support
Developing and employing a balanced legislative, regulatory and policy framework is key to ensuring both public safety and achieving full revenue potential. The Marijuana industry is a new, ever-changing business environment and in order to formulate a successful plan of action it's important to have the right resources to conduct the necessary research, connect the dots across multiple policy agendas, develop effective partnerships with other entities that may be impacted and identify critical interactions and gaps or missing opportunities and develop recommendations for ensuring all goals are met.
Training, Certification & Credential Audits
Sound, risk-based certification and credential audits are essential to ensuring the businesses employees and vendors maintain current licenses and or required credentials for those roles and responsibilities assigned to support the activities of the business. Lapses is licensure or failure to maintain credentials and the standards required can be of significant risk to business operations.
Inventory Management & Control
Inventory management and control is key to the profitability and growth of a company. By implementing strong management and control processes a business has the opportunity to reduce overhead cost, improve margins and enhance sales. Ineffective inventory management and control can also have a significant impact to revenue and compliance related assessments, hindering audit capabilities and revenue realization for both the business and community.
Vetting & Due Diligence
Most companies have relationships with a wide range of individuals and organizations that support their business. These relationships may be seen as essential to the growth and success of the business however, they bring with them an abundance of potential risks that need to be mitigated and managed.
Food Safety, Inspection Services & Compliance
From Marijuana beverages to candies and mints, Marijuana-infused food is a legitimate, thriving, and growing sector of the food industry. Food Safety is of incredible importance no matter what the food product is and the Marijuana industry requires a unique perspective to food safety and requires extensive, practical hands-on experience, with a clear understanding of the business imperatives that are crucial to a businesses success. Historically, governance of food safety has relied upon federal law, federal agencies, and federal funding however, because marijuana remains a federally illegal substance, states are now faced with having to regulate in unfamiliar territory. Food Safety governance and compliance is required throughout all facets of the Marijuana supply chain, including growers, processors/manufacturers, food service operators, retailers, distributors, attorneys and insurers.
Records Management and Integrity
Efficient and systematic controls are important to ensuring there are documented processes in place for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions. Establishing programs that identify, classify, store, secure, retrieve, track and destroy or permanently preserve records is essential to implementing sound strategies focused on the management of business information throughout its life cycle, from point of creation to disposition.
Pre & Post Employment Background Screening
Pre-employment screenings are considered essential during the new hire process and although post-employment background checks are not as recognized, they can prove to be just as important. The actions of an employee can have a significant impact to an organization operating in this intensely regulated industry.
Seed to Sale Accountability
Tracking inventory, movement and disposition of products is critical to limiting distribution, restricted use and ensuring the business operates within the parameters of each jurisdictions’ regulations. Obtaining support that helps to address accountability and inventory tracking challenges ensures cannabis products are being distributed and used legally. These businesses need to account for every gram of product, from trimmings to crop destruction, they must track the employees responsible for managing the various facets of the business, as well as ensure they can identify what plants are being used under what license. All of these points of accountability create a number of daunting tasks on the business in facing the associated regulatory challenges.
Physical & Information Security
Businesses face an endless array of security risks, which includes threats to both the physical and informational infrastructures as well as operational aspects of the business. Reoccurring, consistent security evaluations are essential to safeguarding the assets (people, property, and information) of the business.