Member Blog: 4 Budtender Onboarding Tips To Help Keep You Compliant

by Tommy Truong, KayaPush

A recent survey by Headset.io found that 55% of budtenders leave their jobs within the first year of employment.* But why?

Some believe improper onboarding could be a culprit.

First impressions matter – and improper onboarding can leave budtenders feeling underprepared and unappreciated. Moreover, budtenders who don’t receive proper compliance training might be terminated due to compliance infractions and could even be at personal risk for their errors.

Luckily, by setting up solid budtender onboarding SOPs that put compliance first, you are more likely to keep great hires – and avoid compliance infractions.

The following information will help dispensary owners implement hiring and training strategies to increase retention, avoid compliance infractions, and simplify dispensary onboarding.

1 – Look into legal before you hire.

Compliant onboarding starts with understanding your budtenders’ requirements to work at your dispensary.

Every state has unique requirements regarding background checks, legal age, and budtender certifications – so it is essential to research each of these elements before you begin the hiring process.

Once you have established your hiring guidelines regarding legal requirements – you can take it one step further and set up an applicant tracking system that is customized to only reach out to applicants who qualify for your set terms.

Using tools that automate these processes will make compliant dispensary hiring easy.

Social equity hiring initiatives in cannabis

While we’re on the topic of hiring for your cannabis dispensary, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the importance of researching potential social equity programs for dispensary hiring opportunities.

You can use these resources to find qualified social equity candidates for your dispensary based on the state in which you are located.

2 – Have an organized onboarding documentation process.

The next step to a smooth and compliant onboarding process is to know all the forms you need to provide and gather from your new hire.

If you are an American business owner, the forms you will need to collect from your employee include:

W2
Criminal record check verification
1-9
State Tax Form
ID or Passport
Social security information
A void check
A signed employer agreement
Any certifications you have requested they acquire

The forms you will need to share with your new hire include:

A budtender onboarding manual
Their job description
Schedule availability

3 – Use self-serve onboarding software.

Business owners who don’t use employee onboarding software manage a lot of paperwork.

From chasing new hires around for signatures or documents – to figuring out the best way to store things – it’s a time-consuming headache, and it’s not ideal.

With dispensary self-serve onboarding software, dispensary owners can eliminate 100% of their paperwork – and increase their compliance in many ways.

Here’s how it works. When a new hire joins, a dispensary owner can share their onboarding link, where their new hire will upload digitized documents directly into the system for central storage.

If any documentation is missing, the system will send a reminder to ensure they provide all the information needed for dispensary owners to stay compliant.

4 – Provide compliance training for budtenders

Compliance training should be a critical part of the budtender onboarding process – but what does that mean?

For budtenders, there are four main areas of compliance to master: How to sell products to customers and with a POS system, how to handle products, and overall regulations comprehension.

Selling products to customers training might include:

Learn how to greet guests in a compliant way
How and when to properly ID guests
Knowledge of strains, potency, and effects
Understanding different types of products based on clients’ needs

POS training might include:

Knowing how to input ID information
Learning how to ring in products correctly
Understanding product limits per customer guidelines
Knowing how to use and report sold products with a compliant POS
Understanding the compliance factors behind customer loyalty programs and incentives

Product handling training might include:

How to properly package product
How to showcase product
How to inventory product
How to handle products

Overall regulation comprehension might include:

Current cannabis laws in the state or city
Current compliant regulations
Store opening and closing SOPs for compliance
Security SOPs for compliance
How to use cannabis software tools for clock in’s and schedules.

What are other tips to stay compliant?

Compliance is one of the most challenging aspects of running a cannabis dispensary – however, if you surround yourself with the right team, use cannabis software built for dispensaries in your state, and check in often on regulatory updates – you will be alright.

*(Headset.io, 2022 An analysis of employee turnover in cannabis retail)

Author Tommy Truong is the CEO at KayaPush; the cannabis software helping dispensary owners manage their employee HR, scheduling, and payroll. KayaPush also integrates with leading dispensary POS systems. Tommy loves hot sauce, fried chicken, and running with his Boston terriers

KayaPush delivers an innovative, unified compliance solution that meets payroll and HR needs without compromising speed and accuracy. Implementing KayaPush will save you time and money and help eliminate the financial risks associated with non-compliance.

Member Blog: 9 Standard Operating Procedures Every Dispensary Should Have

by Tommy Truong, Director of Partnerships at KayaPush

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the documents, protocols, systems, and procedures that your cannabis dispensary should have in place to manage day-to-day operations.

SOPs help dispensaries in many ways: From optimizing proper employee management systems such as dispensary payroll and onboarding to ensuring compliance with regulations are consistently met, and more.

What are the top dispensary SOPs to use?

There are hundreds of dispensary SOPs that could be created, and they should constantly be evolving as your store grows.

Overall the goal of dispensary SOPs is to increase efficiency and help you become more profitable in the long run. That being said, these are the 9 types of dispensary SOPs we recommend you start with as you build and scale your dispensary store.

1 – Opening & closing procedures and SOPs

All brick and mortar retail stores should have SOPs in place for opening and closing the store. But especially stores that require high-security measures like cannabis retail stores.

Opening and closing checklists for this special breed should include the following:

Opening checklist:

Vibe check: Turn on lights, music, temperature, put out signs, clean.
Check for any signs of a break-in or forced entry every morning.
Make sure that all products in the display and stores are accounted for.
Put away any orders.
Review inventory.
Turn on and start up all software systems.
Ensure you are in dress code (if applicable)

End of day checklist:

Check that the security cameras are working.
Lock all the doors and display cabinets.
Check and report any obvious security threats/ logbook.
Generate sales and compliance reports.
Cash-out protocols.
Closing the cash registers and POS system.
Turn off lights, music, bring in signs.
Clean and sanitize the store.
Lock all doors and perform security checks.

2 – Customer check-in procedures and SOPs

Many cannabis dispensaries violate their customer check-in procedures and end up facing fines and license suspensions by regulators. Due to this, it is crucial that you implement customer check-in SOPs to ensure compliance.

Customer check-in procedures include:

Proper budtender training on protocols beforehand.
Screen every customer entering the store to ensure they are of legal age.
Ensure customers have a valid license to purchase cannabis.
Scan the customer’s ID to make sure it is genuine and valid.
Check the customer’s age, and enter these details into your customer database or tracking system.
Check the system to ensure the customer has not already gone over their purchasing limit at a different store.
Follow proper serving protocols.

3 – Sales transaction process and SOPs

Sales transaction processes are crucial to the business because this is how the company generates its revenues. Keeping track of these is key. Do you have the following sales SOPs?

Sales transaction processes could include:

Greeter procedures (first customer contact),
Boxing and packing procedures.
Cashier procedures.
Answering customer product questions.
Recording product sales information into tracking systems.
Recording shipping information.
Processing various forms of payment.
Gathering sales tax to submit.

It would help if you integrated your SOPs with the technology you’re using, like cannabis-compliant POS systems.

4 – Delivery procedures and SOPs

Cannabis deliveries can get complicated as they tend to include strict guidelines around logistics. This is why it’s essential there are SOPs built around these logistics.

Delivery procedures could include:

Packaging and shipping guidelines with regards to the different types of products.
Procedures in place to pack and mark fragile deliveries — like glass bongs — clearly to ensure safe delivery.
Details and SOPs around third-party deliveries.
Sop’s around management tools or software.
Inputting data into the tracking software or POS system.
Proper accounting and documentation of the aforementioned.

5 – Security, accounting, and cash management protocols and SOPs

Cannabis retail stores face many challenges when storing and moving cash from the store to the bank. Since dispensaries are not legal at the federal level in the United States of America, they are limited in the services they can receive from banks. As a result of those limitations, dispensaries struggle with large amounts of cash being stored on the dispensary’s premises, so tight SOPs surrounding how to navigate these challenges are crucial.

Security and cash management protocols could include:

What employees are allowed in sensitive areas like stores and cash safes.
How long to keep security camera recordings and how to report a robbery.
How often armored trucks can pick up cash.
Who gives the cash to the trucks.
How the cash is stored while at the dispensary.
Who is keeping track of accounting and line items?
Who is keeping track of inventory management?
How are taxes being filed and accounted for, and by who?

6 – Track-and-trace & inventory management and SOPs

Track and Trace SOPs are important for every cannabis dispensary. In order to comply with the regulations, you have to adopt track and trace SOPs into your inventory management system.

These track and trace SOPs should cover:

Inventory management processes like procurement.
Transportation to store.
Product transfers.
Audits.
Track and trace software procedures that comply with local regulations.

Given how important track and trace SOPs are for compliance, you should automate this process if possible. Track-and-trace automation software can help you define the roles for each activity and integrate compliance checks.

7 – Quality assessment SOPs.

Quality assessment SOPs will make sure your product is up to the required standard by the regulators and that you are not violating any laws over what ingredients can be included in your products and how they are made. Failure to comply with these SOPs or pass a quality assessment could leave a dispensary owner at risk of losing their license.

Quality assessment SOPs could include:

Purchasing products from verified sellers.
Ensuring products are tagged within tracking systems.
Ensuring you are selling products that you can legally sell within your geographic location.
Product feedback requests.

8 – Product recalls and emergencies and SOPs

Product recall SOPs will come into play when a defective product needs to be recalled from the market. This can be stressful for the team as it will lead to customers complaining, and management concerned about losses being recorded. One of the most valuable assets to have in this situation would be SOPs that guide your team on how to act in this situation without losing their cool or professionalism.

Recall SOPs could be:

How /who contacts purchasers.
Who is on top of product updates (do you have a compliance manager?).
Product recall script.

9 – Employee Management SOPs

Previously, these SOPs have been focused on inventory and store management, however, managing your staff is another large part of any dispensary operation.

When managing your staff it is recommended that you use employee management software to alleviate the stress of manually running operations such as dispensary payroll, scheduling, onboarding, or time clock adjustments.

Using software alone can eliminate the need for some of these SOPs but if you do choose to go the manual route you should have SOPs for the following procedures.

Employee management SOPs could be:

How do you onboard employees?
Who manages their forms and licenses?
Who writes and manages the schedules?
How do employees swap shifts?
How do staff clock into shifts?
How runs payroll?
How are staff paid?
How are taxes paid?
How are employees’ performances reviewed, and by who?

Conclusion

These are the major SOPs that we believe you should have in place before opening or scaling, but don’t forget that enforcing them is just as crucial as implementing them!

The best way to run a compliant, systematic, and streamlined dispensary is to use great technology to help you succeed!

Consider using a project management tool to help you stay on top of all your tasks, a people management solution for payroll, HR, time tracking, and scheduling, and a dispensary POS solution that integrates with track and trace technology and people management solution for the best results. By using the tools paired with standard operating procedures your dispensary is sure to succeed.

Author Tommy Truong is the Director of Partnerships at KayaPush; the cannabis software helping dispensary owners manage their employee HR, scheduling, and payroll. KayaPush also integrates with leading dispensary POS systems. Tommy loves hot sauce, fried chicken, and running with his Boston terriers.

Member Blog: Want to Open A Dispensary In Oklahoma? Here’s What You Need to Know.

by Tommy Truong of KayaPush

In Oklahoma, the cannabis business is thriving. Yes, the controversial plant that users were prosecuted for using so very recently, is on a roll. You could even say, there is a cannabis rush.

In this article, we will cover how you can go about opening a dispensary, including how to acquire a license, and some laws you should be aware of. And we will also touch on how to set up your dispensary operations and software! Let’s dig in!

What do you need to open a dispensary in Oklahoma?

The process of opening a dispensary should go smoothly if you fill out an application form and follow the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority’s guidelines. Although the costs of opening a cannabis dispensary in Oklahoma are significantly lower than elsewhere, it is critical to have accurate information and to review some of the most relevant regulatory constraints.

Let’s start at the beginning, if you intend to learn how to open a dispensary in Oklahoma for commercial purposes, you must be at least 25 years old before proceeding. You must also make the following items available:

Proof of Oklahoma residency
A tax ID number, as well as a general business license
Valid identification documents

You’ll need to assess your commitment after you’ve got everything in place. Not only must you be informed of current cannabis production and sales regulations, but also of proposed legislation and revisions that may shortly come into force.

Now that you’re certain you’re ready to make this big move, it’s time to proceed to the next step: finding a suitable property.

You should check the following:

Rent cost
Cost of license
Licensing application fee
Employee salary
Transportation and storage of product
Security

How to get a dispensary license In Oklahoma.

Licenses for growers in Oklahoma come in the form of a certificate and are issued through the OMMA website. The charge to producers, processors, and dispensaries for applying for a license is $2,500. You must provide the following to apply:

A business plan
A financial plan
An inventory control plan
Patient education
Record keeping
Security plans

There are distinct rules in every state in the United States about opening dispensaries. Each state sets its own standards. You will need to study the rules that apply in Oklahoma.

The general requirement for opening a dispensary in Oklahoma is that you undergo marijuana dispensing training and acquire a license.

How to keep your dispensary compliant in Oklahoma.

You must abide by all of Oklahoma’s strict marijuana regulations to keep your dispensary compliant. These include:

Complying with Metrc
Operating under a recognized license
Enlisting compliance software’s assistance
Consider a compliance manager

Marijuana dispensaries in Oklahoma are prohibited from selling more than the following amounts in a single transaction:

Three ounces of cannabis
Concentrate of one ounce
72 ounces of cannabis

Oklahoma dispensary owners, like any other legitimate business, must pay taxes and ensure that they give the following information:

All cannabis-related information with other permitted firms
Details of batch numbers that show the weight of cannabis acquired at wholesale
The number of plants that have been approved for relocation to other locations
Batch numbers showing the weight of cannabis sold
Record of all items that have become obsolete

Substantial fines are imposed for noncompliance. There is a $5,000 punishment for a first infraction while a second offense will result in license revocation. Because of this, you are going to need the assistance of technology to automatically update you if the OMMA cannabis rules change.

Understanding Metrc in Oklahoma.

Metrc is an integrated system for tracking and tracing marijuana products in real-time. Every plant and its wholesale shipment has a unique tag attached by licensees. To uniquely identify each plant, these tags use readable text, barcodes, and radio frequency identification (RFID) chips for easy identification.

Metrc is already being used in Oklahoma following the state’s legalization of marijuana. The OMMA can only see and track inventory once it has been entered into Metrc by a commercial licensee.

To get started with Metrc in Oklahoma you should:

Watching their training videos and schedule training.
Request online access and complete the New Business System Metrc training with your dedicated Metrc Account Manager.
Connect all of your employees with Metrc and make sure they have the permissions they need for their jobs.
Request Metrc plant tags, package tags, and other UID tags and document the physical receipt of requested Metrc UID tags.
Assign UID tags to your cannabis items.
Access the Beginning Inventory Guide in Metrc for proper guidelines and references to other important factors.

What are the dispensary laws in Oklahoma?

Cannabis laws in Oklahoma are the guidelines that every cannabis dispenser must heed while dispensing medical marijuana. Every prospective cannabis retailer will be guided by these same rules, and it is one of the first things you discover when learning how to operate a dispensary in Oklahoma.

Some of these rules include:

To legally sell cannabis, you’ll need a state-issued license, but CBD oil made from industrial hemp is permitted without one.
Patients must first obtain an authorized medical marijuana card to acquire and consume medicinal cannabis.
Possession of paraphernalia is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of $1,000.=
Individuals under the age of 18 are only allowed to enter a dispensary with an adult who has a valid medical card.
The sale of fewer than 25 pounds of marijuana is a felony punishable by a two-year prison sentence and a $20,000 fine.

Who can your dispensary sell to in Oklahoma?

Only medical cannabis patients (or their caregivers) with valid patient licenses can shop at an Oklahoma dispensary. Medical cannabis is available to Oklahoma residents over the age of 18 who have a physician’s recommendation.

A physical medical marijuana ID card or the state’s database can be used to verify a patient or caregiver. Out-of-state persons or companies are not permitted to purchase medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries. Licensed processors can sell to other licensed processors and licensed dispensaries.

Oklahoma dispensary market size and opportunity.

Despite its accomplishments, the cannabis industry in Oklahoma is still in its infancy, and the environment is rapidly changing. Marijuana laws in the state are continually changing to make it more accessible.

Another feature that distinguishes Oklahoma from other states is that it allows cannabis smoking and vaping anywhere that tobacco can be lawfully consumed, such as on the sidewalk or in a bar that allows smoking. As a result, Oklahoma has morphed into an industrial cannabis state with a variety of dispensary options.

There are only a few challenges to overcome. Any sort of cannabis — from raw flowers to topical lotions, from oils and gels to vaporization and patches — can be sold by anybody who pays $2,500 for a dispensary license.

Cannabis legalization has resulted in a significant expansion in legal cannabis cultivation and distribution, as well as an explosion of related service providers in many states. Cannabis has become a lucrative business prospect for many inhabitants in the state.

What cannabis software do I need to run a dispensary?

To run a compliant dispensary in Oklahoma, you will need the following business software:

A compliant POS system
Scheduling and time tracking software
HR software
Dispensary payroll software
A Website
Inventory management software
Security system
Metrc

What should I look for in cannabis software?

POS compliant system.

One of the most important technologies in a dispensary is a point-of-sale system. A compliant POS system will make sales transactions easier for your dispensary’s staff and provide the greatest payment options for customers. A POS can help run the following tasks:

Regulate inventory control and legal compliance
Manage customer check-in and ensure that your customers follow the daily sales tracking guidelines
Assists you in automatically rejecting transactions for people who are not authorized to buy.
Integrate with the Metrc system, and keep you compliant.
Integrate with your workforce management system and give you sales insights.
Integrate with your scheduling software and provide labor forecasts for scheduling.
Produce all sales and customer reports for the approval of cannabis authorities.

Dispensary payroll software.

Integrated dispensary payroll software will assist you in managing your employees’ pay. It manages all expenses and interfaces with other systems such as personnel administration and payroll tax deductions. It makes direct contributions to the IRS and compensates employees via direct deposit.

Another benefit of using an integrated payroll system is that you can integrate your company’s payroll with the rest of your workforce management suite; performing tasks like approving clocked hours to payroll, and running payroll in the click of a button. Dispensaries who used this type of system report saving 5 hours per week on running dispensary payroll.

Scheduling and time tracking software.

Also known as workforce management software, integrated scheduling and time tracking software makes creating staff schedules, and managing staff hours very hands off. With this type of software, you are able to create schedules remotely, and staff can request shift swaps or time off. With time tracking, staff can sign into work using facial recognition technology, and staff-approved hours can be streamlined to payroll – so staff who clock into their shifts, get paid with the click of a button.

Dispensary HR software.

Recruiting, hiring, interviewing and onboarding can take up a lot of time. Especially when staff have important documents they need to sign, and criminal record checks that need to be completed. With dispensary HR software you can automate recruiting, and onboarding, by having staff onboard themselves and sign digitized documents.

A Security system.

A good security software system with cameras to monitor what goes on inside and outside your dispensary should be paramount to ensure your dispensary remains compliant. You will need a system where you can monitor all the affairs of your dispensaries at one glance without being in different places at the same time.

Inventory management software.

You require some software to help you manage your inventory, and the process of placing orders and confirming inventory counts from your vendors. You’ll also need a system that will remind you when new orders are needed when it detects product shortages.

Website.

If you are in a state that allows e-commerce for dispensaries, a website should be a top priority for competing for top rankings in today’s market. Because of technological advancements, you may now open an e-store where customers can buy cannabis online and have it delivered to their doorsteps.

Your website should be able to collect KYC information from your consumers to verify their identities and eligibility to acquire cannabis products, so you can be confident you’re following the cannabis serving guidelines. If you deliver a cannabis product to someone who isn’t eligible for it, you’ll be breaking the rules guiding cannabis consumption, and this might be a huge risk for your new business.

Metrc.

Metrc, also known as Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance is a regulatory compliance system and was built to keep track of cannabis cultivation, preparation, and packaging. Basically, Metrc is a database for tracking cannabis from seed to sale, and identifying it using RFID tags.

In Oklahoma, you must submit data to Metrc to run a compliant dispensary. Reporting to Metrc can be done manually, however cannabis-specific POS systems are offering a Metrc integration, meaning it is done automatically for you as you sell your product.

What else do I need to know?

Now that we have covered all the technical and operational bases, the rest is up to you.
Other key parts of opening a dispensary include considering where your store might be located, what your brand value and vibe will be, and how your product and store will look.

Marketing should also be a consideration, as well as staff training, and company culture.
Many new cannabis entrepreneurs hire consultants to help them navigate these areas.
For now, we hope this has been a helpful way to get you started.

Tommy Truong is the Director of Partnerships at KayaPush; the cannabis software helping dispensary owners manage their HR, scheduling and payroll all from one easy to use platform. KayaPush also integrates with leading dispensary POS systems, giving you an end-to-end solution.
Tommy loves hot sauce, fried chicken, and running with his Boston terriers.