Every dispensary should be conscious of following the regulations regarding cannabis and the penalties for not doing so. Avoiding penalties and fees and being permitted to conduct business are assured by following these laws. Maintaining prestige and faith among customers means not violating such laws, as well as staying up to date with current regulations.Following the tips outlined here will help your dispensary avoid offense and remain compliant with the law.
1. UTILIZE SEED-TO-SALE SYSTEM
The ability to trace a cannabis product’s path from seed to sale is one of the major regulations being implemented throughout legalized states. Being able to follow cannabis back to its source is important to many states and keeps potentially harmful goods out of stores. Seed-to-Sale tracking allows supervision and safe handling of products throughout the cultivation and transportation process. Clear traceability allows you to follow all steps and ensure that safety measures are in position. While enforcing appropriate tracking of each product sounds difficult, it is not as challenging as it sounds.
2. UP TO DATE LICENSES AND PERMITS
The legal cannabis industry requires companies and employees within it to have the appropriate licenses and permits to legally operate. Each state must authorize different cannabis businesses and equipment to operate. Obtaining the appropriate licenses and renewing them before they expire prevents you from being charged for operating illegally. Penalties can include fines or prison depending on which violations took place. States and even cities have different rules for cannabis regulation and these rules should be learned prior to beginning operations there. Making sure all employees are licensed according to state laws and that they obey the regulations themselves will also help avoid penalties.
3. TRAIN EMPLOYEES REGARDING COMPLIANCE
Ensure that budtenders and other employees stay up-to-date with cannabis industry laws as they interact with customers directly. A supervisor with the responsibility of maintaining guidelines so employees stay compliant can greatly aid with this. Keep employees informed not only of guidelines, but offer evaluations on performance and tips for growth. Internal guidelines are not considered sufficient in many states, and video surveillance is often required to stay compliant with regulations. The technology for these and other digital systems involved in the industry must be updated constantly as well. Placing someone in control of educating the team and observing employees allows the company to focus on expansion while ensuring penalties won’t be encountered for failing to follow the rules.
4. USE SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT
Cannabis is a product at high risk of being stolen or misused, and the product and people handling it should be kept under surveillance. Deliveries should be watched carefully, and each product must be accounted for during each step of the way. Who can modify or access different administration and monitoring systems within the POS should also be accounted for. This prevents dishonesty and theft in the workplace. Cameras also prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing off limit areas with someone else’s keycard.
5. POS SHOULD TRACK PURCHASE LIMITS
Laws vary by state in regard to buying cannabis. Buying limits are different for medical patients and recreational consumers. Therefore, dispensaries may not sell more than the fixed quantity of cannabis products to an individual within a specific duration of time. Missouri, for example, allows most medical marijuana patients up to 4 ounces in a 30 day time limit. Manually keeping track of these purchases would not be possible as a patient can purchase at any dispensary across the state. However, POS software contains built-in allotment tracking. Each purchase across the state is kept track of, and current allotment is sent to dispensaries when they check a patient into their own POS system. History of purchases may also be kept track of at each dispensary, including what time and what products were in the transaction. The easiest way to stay compliant and prevent overselling is by employing an electronic POS that can alert dispensary attendants when a customer is close to their purchase limit. Some POS systems can even prevent sales that would go over the limit from occurring altogether.