Watch out, 26 new Dispensaries are coming to Arizona!

Proposition 207 passed in November 2020 and legalized adult use marijuana in Arizona. Additionally, it requires the Arizona Department of Health Services to promote the ownership of marijuana establishments by individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous laws. Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) is currently accepting applications for the marijuana social equity program. To qualify, applicants need to meet three key requirements. An applicant must own at least 51% of a business which is in good standing with the Arizona Corporation Commission. The individual’s income must be below 4 times the poverty level for the year specified. In addition, the individual or a relative of the individual, must have been adversely affected by marijuana laws. This requirement must be proven with a copy of the conviction record issued by a convicting court. Lastly, the candidate must live in an area identified by the department.

The department identified qualifying areas based on the population of Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic. Areas selected have a population of identified races greater than 50% of the total population. This was not the only qualifying factor for areas identifies. The department also considered how much of the total population in the area is currently receiving SNAP assistance.

Those wishing to submit an application must participate in department mandated classes. These classes were provided to educate applicants on different aspects of owning a business in the marijuana industry. Once an individual gains a facility agent login, they are able to view these courses. The courses range from what type of business entity to create, compliance and regulatory aid, fundraising, legal issues in the industry, and advice from fellow industry operators. The classes ended on November 24, 2021.

After Applications

The application window closes on December 14th, 2021. Each application costs $4,000 which is non-refundable. After applications close, the department will review all applications submitted and request more information from candidates as needed. Once applications reviews are complete, the department will randomly draw 26 individuals to award licenses. The department has not set a date for the drawing however, it will be in Spring of 2022 according to AZDHS website. Winners will need to apply for an approval to operate before opening their licensed facility.

Other states are offering similar marijuana social equity licenses. Read more here.

Do you need a compliance expert, hiring aid, website development, or consultant for a social equity marijuana business?

The interactive maps below will display information about the legal status of cannabis by state or province. Clicking into a specific state or province will provide you with additional market specific regulations, information, products and services.

Marijuana Training From Experts:

Finally, save yourself some time and money. Let us train you based on best practices developed through years of experience in marijuana operations. Our e-Learning platform, live webinars, and one on one training courses are all you need to learn the ins and outs of the cannabis industry. Besides, the courses can be taken by anyone in the company; from budtender to CEO. Therefore, what do you have to lose?

Still interested in who we are? Learn more about us HERE.

Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) has given insight into a recent regulation update. The update comes in hopes to reduce the illegal activities currently taking place in the market. These updates can be found below.

New Director

To begin, the OMMA appointed a new Executive Director to oversee the marijuana program on August 18, 2021. Adria G. Berry will oversee OMMA operations, focusing on policy, regulations and relationship building. Berry states the importance of hiring additional staff to compose compliance audits. Moreover, the department will hire 76 employees to aid the oversight of compliance on marijuana businesses.

Implementation of METRC

On September 18, 2020 Oklahoma MMA announced that it has awarded the state Seed To Sale tracking contract to METRC. METRC is an inventory tracking system which the state will require to further oversee products in the market. Berry hopes the implementation combined with additional staff for the department will help reduce the illegal activities currently taking place in the market.

Learn more about OK Medical Marijuana

Testing Labs

Further, the new rules prohibits a lab from testing product obtained from a business in which an employee, agent, or owner has any form of ownership or financial gain in the marijuana business. This behavior is certainly considered a conflict of interest under the new ruling.

Batch Size

Of course, growers and processors will now have a limitation on the amount of product included in a “batch”. For this reason, growers are now required to separate batches of flower into 10 pounds. As well as, plant matter to be sold or processed are restricted to 50 pounds per batch. In contrast, Processors will need to ensure batches of liquid marijuana do not exceed 4 liters or 9 pounds for non-liquid cannabis products. Lastly, final product batches may not exceed 1,000 grams.

Samples

In addition to compliance regulations, dispensaries will be able to provide customer “samples”. Not free product, however consumers will now be able to view product put on display as samples before a purchase. The consumer would be able to get a visual inspection of the product, and smell the product while on sample display. The sample must not be for resale, and has a limitation on the weight allowed for consumer sample purposes.

Kief

Kief, or the resinous trichomes or marijuana that have been separated from the marijuana plant is now available for resale and production however, will also have restrictions. Although legal, only growers and processors may collect kief which can be derived from multiple harvest batches. Homogenized Kief must be processed into a new batch. The batch may not exceed 15 pounds and is subject to testing requirements outlined in OAC 310:681-8-1(I).

Pre-rolls

Finally, the OMMA has implemented rules that allow the packaging of pre-rolls at the dispensary level. The rules also prohibit the manufacture and sale of “infused pre-rolls”. In other words, an infused pre-roll as defined by the rule means “pre-rolled medical marijuana into which cannabis concentrate, extracts, derivatives, or other ingredients have been incorporated.” In addition to the infusion stipulation, processors and dispensaries may not produce or sale pre-rolls that exceed 1 gram.

Every business needs standard operating procedures to succeed and operate in a compliant manner. We have the following Oklahoma specific marijuana SOPs that include pre-roll, kief, and sample processes:

• Producer SOP_Oklahoma

• Oklahoma Cultivation SOP

• Oklahoma Dispensary SOP

• Vertically Integrated SOP Oklahoma

Do you also need a hiring aid, website development, or on site consultant for an OK MMJ Business?

For this reason, we have a wide variety of services for a current or future cannabis business.

At this time, the Connecticut police department is making a hard push to open Connecticut adult use dispensaries by Mid 2022. This would be earlier than previously proposed by The Connecticut Medical Marijuana Program (MMP).

Marijuana in Connecticut

Adult use marijuana in Connecticut is legal following Public Act 21-1, An Act Concerning Responsible And Equitable Regulation Of Adult-Use Cannabis. This initiative became effective on October 16, 2021. Although cannabis is legal, the department has not implemented an application process for adult use dispensaries at this time.

Furthermore; We have Extensive Application Writing Experience

If you plan on applying, Contact us for Consulting Services, Application Writing, and Seed to Sale System implementation.

What is Causing this Push to Open Dispensaries?

Presently, the lack of availability in Connecticut has left many marijuana consumers turning to the black market as the source of their product. Consequently, a recent push to open Connecticut adult use dispensaries is directly related to a seize of fentanyl laced marijuana.

“A Connecticut State Lab recently confirmed the presence of fentanyl in a marijuana sample after numerous people reported only using marijuana and overdosing. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat severe pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and has been linked to overdoses and death.”

O’Neil, T. (2021, November 22). Fairfield Police Issue Warning for Marijuana Laced with Fentanyl. Retrieved from John GuilFoil Public Relations: https://jgpr.net/2021/11/22/fairfield-police-issue-warning-for-marijuana-laced-with-fentanyl/
 

This issue proves the value of not only legalizing marijuana but also, swiftly establishing an adult use program to protect consumers from the contamination of harmful drugs. In addition, businesses should prepare by testing products before sale, providing products certificate of analysis upon request, and having Standard Operating Procedures that reflect the current process on hand.

Consequently, every business needs standard operating procedures to succeed and operate in a compliant manner. We have the following Connecticut specific marijuana SOPs:

Vertically Integrated Connecticut

Medical Dispensary in Connecticut

Connecticut Cultivation

Connecticut Manufacturing

In Conclusion

To conclude, the fact that consumers in Connecticut want marijuana available to them has become apparent. However, providing safe products to consumers for consumption is the number one priority for legalization. Above all, Connecticut consumers and law makers must educate themselves on cannabis and its products.

After reviewing this post, Are you Interested in Connecticut cannabis training videos?

On January 19, 2021, the House of Representatives were presented with H.R.365 – Marijuana 1-to-3 Act of 2021. The bill proposes marijuana become federally legal. To become law, the bill has to pass through the House, Senate, and finally the president. Once the bill becomes law, there are several other hurdles business owners in the industry will need addressed.

What would be Legal?

Once approved, marijuana will be removed from Level I of the Controlled Substance Act. A level I substance has no accepted medical use and provides a high potential of abuse. Consequently, marijuana will be classified as a Level III substance. To clarify, a level III substance has medical use, has low potential for dependency, and has less potential to be abused. Essentially, marijuana will be considered legal just like Tylenol with Codeine is currently legal for those prescribed. In contrast, states in which marijuana is recreationally legal, the plant would be decriminalized.

What About Banking?

Business owners in the industry know how hard it is to find a bank to hold revenue, provide funding, or simply pay bills. Because banks are federally regulated, they previously did not accept the marijuana industry. To alleviate this issue for many businesses, Safe and Fair Enforcement Banking Act will provide banking services for the industry. The SAFE Banking Act will prohibit federal regulators from reprimanding banks for providing financial services to legal medical related businesses.

Insurance Issues?

Similarly, the Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana Act has been introduced for insurance agencies to provide services to cannabis related businesses who operate legally. This bill would dramatically help employers in the industry who struggle to find insurance coverage for employees, or who have limited offered coverage. Lastly, this change could also decrease the contribution the employer and employee would make to an insurance agency when purchasing coverage.

Those Previously Charged?

The moment we have all waited for, decriminalization! The House has been actively reviewing the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (“MORE”) Act of 2020. The act will federally decriminalize marijuana, establish a process to expunge convictions, and finally will conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses. In 2020 alone, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported over 350,000 individuals who were incarcerated for a marijuana related offense through out the United States.

In Conclusion

To sum things up, these bills will change the way the our country views marijuana. Of course, the bills address taxing the plant to generate federal funding to invest in oversight of the industry. Many Americans have long awaited the day when cannabis would become legal. Without a doubt, there are several issues that still need to be addressed. However, the current bills in place verify that the marijuana industry is on its way to becoming one of the biggest industries in the country.

Interested in cannabis training videos?

Additionally, we have a wide variety of services for a current or future cannabis business.

With many states seeing increasing tax revenue from marijuana sales, it’s no wonder so many other states are welcoming the idea of legalizing some form of cannabis program. There seem to be three states who have implemented both medicinal and adult-use programs currently leading the cannabis industry. To date, California has generated over $638 million dollars in tax revenue. Colorado has generated over $360 million dollars in tax revenue from marijuana sales. Lastly, Arizona started recreational marijuana sales in January 2021 and has reported a tax revenue of over 153 million dollars. In conclusion, many states are introducing new bills that could legalize marijuana in 2022.

What States Are Hopping On Trend?

Idaho

Marijuana advocates are pushing for two bills to pass during the 2022 session. The bills will legalize marijuana for consumers over the age of 21. If passed, licensed dispensaries and home cultivation of marijuana would be prohibited. The concept is for consumers to travel to bordering states and retrieve cannabis for use at their residence. 65,000 signatures are needed to place the initiative on the ballet in 2022. Once on the ballet, voters will decide if marijuana will remain illegal in Idaho.

Indiana

Indiana law makers will push to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use in the 2022 legislative session. Currently, possession of marijuana in Indiana is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Prior convictions or possession of larger amounts of marijuana can increase jail time to a year or more. Indiana has made many attempts at legalizing marijuana in the past. In 2021, there were 10 bills filed that all failed to pass. Indiana believes legalizing will create jobs and boost the economy.

Kansas

In 2021, the Kansas House passed Senate Bill 158, which would create the Kansas Medical Marijuana Regulation Act and the Kansas Medical Marijuana Regulation Program. While the Senate did not work the bill in 2021, it remains alive for consideration during the 2022 session. In addition to SB158, a similar bill A Kansas Twist, discusses elements of both bills in the context of marijuana laws in other states. A Kansas Twist aims to help rule makers further understand the effects of the provisions on social, economic, and health outcomes. Lastly, the data will assist Kansas policymakers as they make decisions about medical marijuana legislation. 

Kentucky

The Kentucky State House passed HB136 in 2020 however, the Senate still needs to pass the bill for it to become legalized. Recently, the legislature’s Interim Joint Committee discussed the proposal as lawmakers consider what to take up in January 2022. The bill would require the creation of a regulatory board to oversee conditions for prescribing medical marijuana, as well regulations for dispensaries across the state.

Nebraska

Nabraskans for Medical Marijuana is a registered ballot committee working to qualify two medical cannabis initiatives for the ballot in 2022. The ballots in conjunction will decriminalize cannabis for qualified patients and establish a regulatory system to oversee the medical marijuana program. The proposal will set the allowed amount of marijuana at up to five ounces, not including the weight of non-cannabis ingredients in infused food, beverages, topicals or other products. It does not contain any provision that would enable patients to grow their own cannabis.

North Carolina

Lawmakers in the Senate of North Carolina will vote on a bill to legalize medical marijuana in 2022. Currently, the bill would allow patients with deliberating conditions to purchase cannabis at specific times during the day. The bill would also limit the amount of licenses and restrict the licenses from operating within a close proximity to schools. In addition, each license holder will be allowed 4 operational dispensaries. The bill will need to pass the Senate and the House to be approved.

South Carolina

South Carolina Compassionate Care Act was introduced to the House on January 12, 2021. The bill allows 2 ounces of cannabis in a 14 day period. In addition, the bill requires the establishment of a designated organization to oversee all aspects of the program. The newly found department would provide “licensure, testing, audits, inspections, registry identification card and electronic patient registry management, seed-to-sale tracking system management, diversion control, and other compliance services” to businesses granted licenses. In conclusion, the House will need to approve the Act for it to become law.

Interested in cannabis training videos?

We have a wide variety of services for a current or future cannabis business.

Several states have implemented a marijuana social equity plan in response to the legalization of cannabis for recreational or adult-use. Most importantly, each plan’s objective is to give back to communities that have felt a substantial impact from previous marijuana laws.

The States that Offer Equity Plans

There are several states that offer some type of social equity plan. However, when compared each equity plan has unique attributes. For Example, below are details on how different states have utilized marijuana social equity plans.

California Equity Plan

Currently, the Mission of the Social Equity Program in California is to promote equitable ownership and employment in the cannabis industry. This promotion will address 2 areas. The program will decrease the disparities in life outcomes for marginalized communities. The program will also address the disproportionate impacts of the War on Drugs in those communities. In addition, the California Cannabis Equity Act of 2018, and the Budget Act of 2019 appropriated funding for the state to provide to local jurisdictions. This funding will help develop and operate local cannabis equity programs. These acts focus on including and supporting individuals in California’s legal cannabis marketplace who are from communities that have seen disproportionate impact by previous cannabis law enforcement.  After initial registry from a qualifying individual, the department will hold a lottery drawing to pick the chosen license holders.

Illinois Social Equity

Similarly, through Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Social Equity Program, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) commits to connecting people that have been historically impacted by arrests for cannabis with the opportunity to participate in the cannabis industry. As part of these efforts, DCEO has developed a network of technical assistance providers that are available to assist social equity applicants in their quest to procure and retain a cannabis business license. Additionally, DCEO established the Social Equity Cannabis Loan Program for the purposes of providing financial assistance to social equity applicants. Illinois Social Equity plan provides technical assistance with application writing, reduced license fees, and access to low interest loans.

New York Equity Plan

The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will create a social and economic equity program. The program will encourage communities disproportionally harmed by disparate drug enforcement to participate in the marijuana industry. The MRTA incentivizes participation for individuals disproportionally impacted by cannabis prohibition. Additionally, the Department automatically expunges an individual’s past marijuana convictions. Finally, the department invests 40% of the adult use cannabis tax revenue toward rebuilding communities. The MRTA has a goal to award 50% of all adult-use licenses to social equity applicants. Factors that will increase the probability of winning a license include; the applicant having an income lower than 80% of the median in the county the applicant resides, lives in a community disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous cannabis laws, and has been or is related to someone who has been previously convicted of a marijuana crime. Read more about New York Social Equity Plan HERE.

Connecticut Marijuana Equity Plan

The Social Equity Council of Connecticut was developed in order to make sure the adult-use cannabis program is grown equitably. The SEC also ensures that adult-use cannabis program will bring back funds to the communities hit hardest by the “war on drugs”. The law takes a comprehensive approach to promoting social equity, focused on the neighborhoods disproportionately impacted. It provides for expungement of past cannabis-related crimes. It also reserves half of all cannabis business licenses for people from impacted neighborhoods. Lastly, the SEC will dedicate a portion of the revenue from cannabis sales to the new equity fund. This fund will invest in the neighborhoods impacted hardest by the enforcement of marijuana laws.

Arizona Social Equity Plan

Proposition 207 passed in November 2020 and legalized adult use marijuana in Arizona. Additionally, it requires the Arizona Department of Health Services to promote the ownership of marijuana establishments by individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous laws. There are three qualifications for the marijuana social equity plan in Arizona. The individual must live in an area identified by the department, make less than 400% of the national poverty level, and have been convicted of a previous marijuana crime. After initial registry, the department will hold a lottery drawing to pick the chosen 26 licenses available. Read more about Arizona Social Equity Program HERE.

Do you need a compliance expert, hiring aid, website development, or consultant for a social equity business?

Pursuant to the 2015 Legislature Act 261 and the 2016 Legislature, Act 96 the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy completed the rulemaking process to develop a licensing system to dispense medical marijuana for therapeutic purposes.  The Board’s Final Rule was published in the August 20, 2017 edition of the Louisiana Register with an immediate effective date.

Who Oversees the Louisiana MMJ Program

Two regulatory agencies oversee the Louisiana medical cannabis program. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is the state’s lead regulatory agency in the licensure and production of medical marijuana. The Medical Cannabis Program is responsible for licensing and overseeing the production of medical marijuana to ensure the safety of the final product. The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy oversees the patient and pharmacist registration.

Louisiana Medical Sale Restrictions

The regulation of marijuana sales has defined purchase limitations for consumers. These limitations are outlined in the Louisiana Dispensary Standard Operating Procedures.

Every business needs standard operating procedures to succeed and operate in a compliant manner. We have the following Louisiana specific marijuana SOPs:

Louisiana Vertically Integrated

Louisiana Medical Dispensary

Louisiana Cultivation

Louisiana Manufacturing

Need a compliance expert, hiring aid, website development, or on site consultant for a LA MMJ Business?

We have a wide variety of services for a current or future cannabis business.

Ohio will start accepting medical cannabis license applications starting November 4th, 2021. The opportunity to apply for a medical marijuana license in Ohio will close on November 18th, 2021. This is a short time frame for aspiring business owners who want to get into the industry.

So How do You Qualify?

First, you will want to ensure you are eligible. To reduce monopolization, a medical marijuana license holder with five licenses would be disqualified. Additionally, the applicant will need to ensure it can provide proof of assets that are worth over $250,000. Finally, applicants will want to ensure they are able to pass a federal background check. (Refer to Rule 3796:6-2-02 “Applications to operate medical marijuana dispensaries”)

Alright, I Qualify! But What Now?

To begin, you will need to decide what type of business to start, and register with the Ohio Secretary of State. Secondly, you will need to ensure your application is written correctly and all tax documentation or necessary documents are submitted to the department. Next, the fee for a dispensary license is $5,000 which is non-refundable and is due at the time of applying. Any information or fees submitted to the department after 2pm on November 18th, 2021, will not be accepted. Therefore, you will want to be ready. As a result, we offer application writing services HERE.

Don’t Forget Your Standard Operating Procedures:

Most all cannabis applications require Standard Operating Procedures and Ohio is no exception. As a result, we offer Ohio Standard Operating Procedures for marijuana businesses. We know Ohio cannabis rules from Seed to Sale, so, You can use our cannabis SOP’s for your applications, inspections and to help train your staff.

After I apply for a license, what happens next?

It should be noted that if the State of Ohio Board and Pharmacy receives more than 73 applicants, it will randomly draw the winners of these cannabis licenses. Such a method is a common practice when awarding licenses in the industry. The random selection will take place in early 2022.

If at this time, you are interested in how to Apply for a Medical Marijuana License in Ohio, and still want more guidance, feel free to contact us here.

Starting a dispensary is not an easy task. There are many things to consider and all of them will have an impact on the outcome. One of those things is what hardware you will need to get started. Each company’s solution may differ but they all look for ease of use and easy set up. We have provided some recommendations below that we feel provide both of those qualities.  

Before choosing your hardware, be sure you have chosen your point of sale software, better known as seed to sale software for cannabis businesses. You can ask your seed to sale software provider what hardware they suggest. For suggestions on seed to sale software, click here.

Tablets

You will need one for each POS station and may want to consider one for your inventory control person to use. If you have cellular data at your dispensary, we recommend you choose a tablet with that service so sales can still be processed if the facility internet is down. We also suggest you prepare to hardwire your devices because wifi does fail sometimes. If using a tablet, make sure it is compatible with an adaptor for plugins. See below for more on adapters for your cannabis point of sale set up.

• Samsung, WIFI Only, $229 each – https://amzn.to/3cTm4sD
• Samsung, WIFI + Cellular, $238 each – https://amzn.to/3gbF8nQ
• Apple, WIFI Only, $299 each https://amzn.to/3viwatf
• Apple, WIFI + Cellular, $459 each https://amzn.to/2Tr0xk8

Cash Drawers, Barcode Scanners, and Receipt Printers

You will need one each of these items for each POS station. You can by all the pieces separately or consider a bundle. The below solution is all-in-one, easy to use, and is compatible with any of the tablets listed above. There are many like this, however they are not all created equal. Be sure bundles do not limit your flexibility in upgrading for the newest technologies. Look for a barcode reader with QR code functionality because QR is all the rage these days.

• Bundle, $612 each, https://amzn.to/2TocCXe

Label Printers

Depending on where your dispensary is located you may or may not need labels at the point of sale. Some states require that labels be printed with the date of sale or customer information, where in others all the labeling is done before the products reach the dispensary. Our recommendation is a reliable option to consider if your location will be printing labels. 

• $332 each https://amzn.to/2RMLdxJ

Labels

If your location does need to print labels then you will want to remember to have plenty on hand.

• 2.25” x 1.25”, case of 12 rolls, 1000 labels per roll, $79.10 https://amzn.to/3pIfTwo

Adapters

This adapter is compatible with the Samsung tablet and allows you to connect all your devices as well as hardwire them to the internet. You will need one for each POS station at a minimum, but likely you will need one for each tablet in use in the dispensary. 

• $12.99 each https://amzn.to/3gpwwJf

Let Us Help!

If you are starting a dispensary you will have questions about hardware options. Contact us any time and we will be happy to provide the benefits of our experience.