With a glut of product and falling prices as a result, companies are attempting to stay afloat in the midst of closures and layoffs. So the fact that STIIIZY Ferndale is looking to hire is a bright light among it all.

And potential employees are being offered up to $18 per hour plus benefits.

What’s Happening With Cannabis?

Plummeting cannabis prices are wreaking havoc with not just cannabis growers and retailers, but also ancillary companies. Tech companies and delivery operators are shedding employees.

Part of the issue is that marijuana products are typically taxed at a far higher rate than most other goods. So on top of the challenges of much lower marijuana prices, these companies are trying everything they can to stay afloat.

Some are leaving retail to focus on cultivation. Others are opening consumption lounges to drive business back into their stores. Most are offering steep discounts that take a bite out of their profits. It’s a bloodbath.

That’s not the case for California-based STIIIZY though.

What Is STIIIZY?

STIIIZY is a lifestyle brand that prides itself on providing “cannabis for the culture.” But more than that, it also manufactures and sells skateboard decks, a clothing line, and cannabis paraphernalia with the STIIZY logo.

On August 27th, they opened their first store outside of California. The first 100 customers were rewarded with either a free STIIIZY Ferndale engraved giant bong or an engraved battery, as well as a STIIIZY Detroit shirt. Others enjoyed different promotional items, deep discounts, free food, and refreshments.

The STIIIZY consumer experience ensures customers who come through their doors have no wait time in the lobby. Rather they’re able to go immediately into the store after check-in and begin exploring the vast selection of STIIIZY and other name brand products.

They are then served by one of the more than 60 STIIIZY budtenders in a safe and efficient no-touch atmosphere while being provided the best products, value, and prices in the state of Michigan.

STIIIZY Ferndale Is Looking to Hire

And now STIIIZY Cannabis Company needs to hire 200 workers immediately for their manufacturing facility located in Orion Township. This is great news for those in the cannabis industry who may have been laid off elsewhere and want to get on board with a revolutionary “national” company with some serious chops.

The positions that need to be filled are associate positions where workers will be responsible for producing blunts, joints, and pods. The facility is currently expanding to include the production of gummies and other products. STIIIZY is offering up to $18 per hour along with benefits after 90 days and the need is immediate.

If you’re interested, check out the hiring event on Saturday, September 17th at Ferndale Maize Manufacturing Facility at 163 Premier Drive in Orion Township, MI. The event runs from 10am to 1pm.

Please send resumes to mioffice@shrynegroup.com or call (248) 805-4239.

Curious About Other Happenings?

Now that you know that STIIIZY Ferndale is looking to hire, you may be able to either re-enter the industry or start brand new.

And if you’re always on the lookout for new information about what’s happening in the world of cannabis, keep checking back with our blog.

The post STIIIZY Ferndale Is Looking to Hire appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

So glad you asked. In a nutshell, STIIIZY is a lifestyle brand that prides itself on providing “cannabis for the culture.” But more than that, it also  manufactures and sells skateboard decks, a clothing line, and cannabis paraphernalia with the STIIZY logo.

Given its popularity in California, it’s no surprise that the STIIIZY grand opening in Ferndale, Michigan, was a massive success.

STIIIZY Grand Opening in Ferndale Is a First

The 7,000 square foot flagship store in Ferndale is the first one outside of California. So why did they choose Ferndale?

When STIIIZY debuted in Los Angeles, thousands of customers lined up. With Michigan being one of the hottest and fastest growing cannabis markets in the United States, they chose Ferndale because of its ability to draw people. And it was a good choice. Over 2,000 people showed up for the grand opening last Saturday, August 27th.

STIIIZY Ferndale at 642 E. Nine Mile provides an atmosphere that is unique and second to none. During the grand opening, they featured custom giveaways, promotional discounts, free food and refreshments, and the rap stylings of Tory Lanez, Icewear Vezzo, Snapdogg, and others who were on hand to promote their products.

Plus, the first 100 customers were rewarded with either a free STIIIZY Ferndale engraved giant bong or an engraved battery, as well as a STIIIZY Detroit shirt. Others enjoyed different promotional items, deep discounts, free food, and refreshments.

What to Expect When You Shop STIIIZY

The STIIIZY consumer experience in Ferndale will ensure customers who come through their doors have no wait time in the lobby. Rather they’ll be able to go immediately into the store after check-in and begin exploring the vast selection of STIIIZY and other name brand products.

Customers will be served by one of the more than 60 STIIIZY budtenders in a safe and efficient no-touch atmosphere while being provided the best products, value, and prices in the state of Michigan.

STIIIZY representative Ryan Jundt puts it this way, “The STIIIZY cannabis shopping experience in our state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind Michigan facility will be controlled, efficient, and fun. We welcome one and all and we always put our customer’s satisfaction and safety first. From the get-go, STIIIZY will be very involved in Ferndale and the surrounding communities; looking for charitable opportunities to give back.”

Sounds like a win-win situation.

What Else Is New in the World of Cannabis?

As cannabis public relations specialists, we’re always on top of what’s happening in the cannabis realm. So if you’re a cannabis business owner, contact us to see how we can vastly improve your optics.

And keep coming back to our blog for all the latest.

The post STIIIZY Grand Opening in Ferndale a Huge Success appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

Jerry Millen, founder and owner of the Greenhouse of Walled Lake, is one of those folks. And if you’re a regular visitor to our blog, you probably already know all about him.

Millen is an exemplary example of what it means to give back. He regularly sponsors events that support communities in need – including giving away turkeys at Thanksgiving and pulling together with other community leaders to raise $10,000 for presents for less fortunate families over the holidays.

His most recent endeavor is simply called Pot for Shots.

What Is Pot for Shots?

We know the stance on vaccinations right now is all over the charts.

Some people don’t believe in vaccines, while others are still on the fence. We get that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Millen is a believer in the vaccine though. And as an incentive to encourage as many people as possible to get one, he has collaborated with Ubaked Cannabis Company in Burton, Michigan, to announce their newest promotion.

The “Pot for Shots” COVID-19 vaccination promotion will begin Friday January 22nd, and run all the way through Sunday, February 28th. It’s Millen’s way of recognizing those who have opted to receive the vaccine to help fight back against this deadly virus.

How the Promotion Works

It really couldn’t be any simpler.

“Our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccination as we as a community battle this horrible pandemic,” says Millen. “Pot for Shots is our way of showing our commitment in assisting the community get back to normality.”

Here’s how it works.

Once the distribution of the vaccine no longer resembles a carnival freak show and you’re able to get a shot, head on over to the Greenhouse with written proof that you received a Covid-19 vaccine.

At that point, you will be handed a FREE pre-rolled joint. That’s it. You’re done. You don’t even have to buy anything! Of course, with such a huge array of amazing product, you may want to.

Whatever the case, if you’re leaning toward getting the vaccine but haven’t quite committed, this could be just the push you need. As Millen says, “We hope this is the beginning of the end of this insidious pandemic.”

We’ll raise a glass to that.

Are You in the Cannabis Know?

After such a long stretch of darkness, it’s refreshing to see all the positivity coming out of the cannabis community right now. So keep checking back with our blog for more great news and articles.

And if you have a cannabis business and would like this sort of publicity, please reach out to us. Our cannabis marketing and public relations experts will put you in the spotlight.

The post Get Pot for Shots! appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

For some of us, it’s still hard to shake the idea that we can now walk into a dispensary – albeit through tight security – and buy it legally.

But here we are. And we have the folks behind the early cannabis dispensaries and operations to thank. They fearlessly broke the rules to make marijuana available to the masses.

Game Changing Early Cannabis Dispensaries and Operations

The earliest operations were, of course, in other countries.

For example, a teahouse in Amsterdam called Mellow Yellow drew folks in the 1970s for its steady supply of hashish. The whole exchange process was clandestine, and the Dutch police were continually raiding it. But since the shop’s inventory was kept at a nearby bookshop, the police couldn’t ever find any of it.

Then there were the government-run stores along a street in Kathmandu that openly sold cannabis alongside restaurants and other retailers. Affectionately termed “Freak Street,” it was a huge destination for boot string travelers looking to score. Until, that is, the U.S. put the kibosh on that by pressuring the Nepalese king to outlaw cannabis.

Insert eye roll here.

Even so, there were American cannabis renegades who were willing to engage in civil disobedience to ensure cannabis was available to all. They served as the sherpas who guided the cannabis movement from its darker days into the light of regulated legal cultivation and distribution.

One such person was Dennis Peron who founded the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club.

San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club

Distressed by the number of people who were seriously ill during the height of the AIDS crisis, Peron set out to find a way to provide cannabis to them.

Peron was no stranger to community organizing or civil disobedience. He’d been arrested multiple times. But that seemed to further fuel him to open the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club in 1992 – long before medical marijuana was legal in California.

The Buyers Club was a non-profit collective whose primary objective was to supply cannabis to the gravely ill for free or at a deep discount. Patients needed only to produce a photo ID and a doctor’s recommendation to enter and purchase cannabis.

Understanding the importance of community and human connection for those who were ill, Peron provided on-site consumption as well.

Just a few months before the historic vote on Prop 215 – California’s landmark medical cannabis law – over a hundred heavily armed police officers raided the Buyers Club. Their out-and-out tactical assault on ill people made for bad press and it’s believed that this may have motivated previously undecided voters to support medical cannabis.

Prop 215 passed in 1996.

Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM)

Mike and Valerie Corral were also renegades.

When they discovered that cannabis could help control Valerie’s debilitating seizures, they started cultivating it. This resulted in several results. But that didn’t stop them from founding Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Santa Cruz, California in 1993. They wanted to help others facing the same struggle.

The Corrals were fortunate enough to have the support of Santa Cruz’s major and they openly distributed medical marijuana to terminal patients for free or on a sliding scale. They were also pivotal in the passing of Prop 215.

The DEA raided WAMM’s garden in 2002 and arrested the Corrals. Facing federal charges wasn’t enough to stop them. Two weeks later, they were on the steps of City Hall with the mayor of Santa Cruz, distributing medical cannabis to their terminally ill members. In the presence of an assembled community and massive media presence, they openly dared the DEA to arrest them again.

The DEA didn’t show. So WAMM enlisted help from the ACLU to successfully sue the Department of Justice. It was a key victory during a time when raids and arrests continued to be the norm.

Harborside Health Center

Steve DeAngelo had been a longtime activist and underground cannabis distributor before founding Harborside Health Center in Oakland, California in 2006.

What made Harborside unique was it invited local politicians and the press into its large and comfortable retail operation. This lessened the stigma around dispensaries.

DeAngelo also co-founded the nation’s first lab testing facility for medical marijuana. And seeing media as an ally, he helped bring attention to CBD and develop new CBD strains, and educate millions through the program Weed Wars on the Discovery Channel.

Harborside has repeatedly taken on the federal government in battles over everything from decriminalizing marijuana to tax policy on dispensaries.

Denver Relief

Colorado’s second oldest cannabis dispensary, Denver Relief, opened in 2009 by Kayvan Khalatbari, along with partners Ean Seeb and Nick Hice. While they knew they wanted to build a business empire, they never lost sight of the importance of giving back to the community.

Khalatbari has also founded a pizzeria, a cannabis consulting firm, and a free arts magazine. He’s also helped to foster a thriving local comedy scene by marketing his products through culture and community events rather than hype.

These days, Khalatbari is running for mayor of Denver. His platform focuses on activism around homelessness, the arts, and cannabis. He’s come a long way since those early days.

Could Your Cannabis Business Use More Press?

There’s no doubt that current provisioning centers have it easier than those early cannabis dispensaries. They have certainly served as models for what can be though.

So if your cannabis business believes in and acts on giving back to the local community, contact us for your cannabis public relations needs.

Reaching a wider audience will not only strengthen your business, but it will improve the lives of so many around you.

The post Trailblazing Early Cannabis Dispensaries appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

Every single bloody stage.

That means from the planting of the first seed, through processing and distribution, all the way to its final point of sale.

So the state has contracted with METRC to utilize their software as an inventory tracking system of record. It’s supply-end software that’s supposed to, in theory, work with a dispensary’s POS system to keep things running smoothly.

Lately, it’s doing anything but.

The METRC Blues

METRC stands for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance and it’s state-mandated for dispensaries in Michigan. This software enables the state to issue recalls of unsafe product batches, as well as ease the hassles of tax collection.

Sounds like business as usual, right? Well, it should be.

Dispensaries pay for this service, but METRC itself works for the state. And the software has so much influence that one simple glitch in the system can indefinitely take the whole state’s cannabis market offline.

This is exactly what happened this week in Michigan. And it was far from business as usual for the dispensaries it impacted.

Unhappy Patients Unable to Get Medicine

A malfunction with Michigan’s METRC software rendered medical marijuana dispensaries unable to complete sales on Tuesday. The system didn’t come back up until Wednesday afternoon. Even then, it was sporadic.

Meanwhile, as patients visited their local dispensaries to pick up the medicine they rely on, they were told they couldn’t access it because of a computer glitch. You an imagine how pleased they were. (Hint: They weren’t.)

What’s worse – this isn’t the first time it’s gone down in Michigan. It’s gone down many times before. Just never for this long.

Cannabis Business Owners At a Loss

Any attempt to get help from METRC falls on deaf ears.

Since METRC works for the state, they’re not accountable to these businesses. “We’re working on it” or “the issue is with your POS” are their standard responses.

There’s simply no concern that dispensary owners continue to pay their employees to stand around while they themselves are incapable of making a single sale.

And what’s even more ludicrous is that there are absolutely no back up plans in place to deal with this situation. NONE.

“Why would someone be enticed to use the legal market when they can’t even get their medicine?” says Jerry Millen of the Greenhouse in Walled Lake. “This simply drives people to the black market.”

The Problematic Metrics with METRC

METRC was incorporated out of sheer practicality.

But old-school cannabis culture – i.e. medical marijuana dispensary owners who have been operating just fine without it – believe that instituting METRC could be the ultimate downfall for legal marijuana in the state.

Becoming paralyzed by it this week further confirmed their belief.

“They’re not making this business friendly at all. If we’re not careful, the cannabis market in Michigan is going to be just like it is in California now – where the black market rules,” says Millen.

“And why not? The black market is NEVER out of medicine. It’s cheaper product and patients don’t have to jump through hoops to get it.”

The Future of the Legal Market in Michigan

We hope Millen doesn’t prove to be a prophet.

But if things don’t change with how METRC and the state are operating, he could be right.

In the meantime, if you have a cannabis business that could use a cannabis marketing and public relations boost, then contact us.

We can’t get METRC up and running, but we can make your marketing and public relations strategy work for you.

The post The Problematic Metrics with METRC in Michigan appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

It’s been a bit of a buzz kill, to say the least.

Even so, it didn’t stop him from holding a special fundraiser at the dispensary this past Friday.

As one who’s long been dedicated to giving back to the community, Millen decided to sponsor the fundraiser – as well as a promotion leading up to it – to support a very special Walled Lake non-profit organization called The Drew Crew.

To say it was a success is an understatement.

The Story of the Drew Clayborn

The namesake for The Drew Crew is Walled Lake resident, Drew Clayborn.

In 2010, Drew was an active and engaged high school student who loved playing football and basketball. He was also a member of the marching band and the guitar club, and was getting ready to be in a school play.

It was during a rehearsal for that play that the 15-year-old Drew’s life would change forever. When the director of the play asked if any students had a unique talent they wanted to share, Drew was excited to say he could perform a backflip.

Although he was still in the process of learning how to do this, he felt confident he could do it.

Drew attempted the flip. And in a single life-shattering moment, he landed in such a way that he broke his neck – leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down.

He and his family were suddenly in need of a lot of help and didn’t know where to turn.

The Drew Crew

After Drew suffered his spinal cord injury, there was a huge outpouring of love and support from the community. They helped Drew and his family in ways the family never dreamed possible.

And thus, the The Drew Crew was born.

The Drew Crew is a now a non-profit organization focused on helping individuals and families that have suffered a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury.

Their mission is to demonstrate that those who have suffered a catastrophic injury such as this can still live a complete and fulfilling life. They offer mentorship and guidance to individuals and families, as well as help to facilitate ways to raise money for specific needs such as acquiring necessary equipment.

Through his own inner-drive, the overwhelming devotion of his family, and the love and financial support of the fundraising efforts by “The Drew Crew,” Drew’s dreams continue to be fulfilled while new goals are constantly being set.

Now a mathematical biology major at the University of Michigan, the 25-year-old Drew is approaching graduation and in pursuit of a master’s degree.

The Greenhouse Teams up with The Drew Crew

Upon learning about Drew and this amazing organization, Walled Lake Mayor Linda Ackley asked Millen if he would be open to doing a fundraiser at the Greenhouse.

Millen wasted no time saying yes.

So the Greenhouse got to work having coffee mugs, key chains, cards, and stuffed bears made up with catchy and humorous phrases to stimulate sales. All proceeds from those sale when to The Drew Crew group.

Furthermore, Kushy Punch, a manufacturer of gummies, also donated $2,000 worth of products that were raffled off as part of the promotion.

The End Result?

The Greenhouse had about 500 people come through the door on February 14th. Along with the nine-day promotion that proceeded the event, they took in $3000 in cash!

All proceeds went directly to the Drew Crew to help brain and spinal cord injury victims like Drew to live a more fulfilled life. It truly is an example of the power of giving back.

We’re so honored to be in the same industry with great people like Jerry Millen.

And we hope we can keep delivering great stories like these on our blog – and beyond.

The post The Greenhouse Fundraiser Was a Huge Success appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

What do you call it when one state-sanctioned lab determines a product to be clean, but another finds that same product contaminated?

Seriously frustrating. And frankly, not much of a joke.

But that’s exactly what’s happening.

And this inconsistent testing of products in Michigan is a total buzz kill for dispensaries.

The Greenhouse Pulled All Vape Cartridges

That was earlier this winter.

Since that time, the Greenhouse in Walled Lake got the go ahead from a state-sanctioned lab in Ann Arbor to put those cartridges back on the shelves since they tested clean.

But last Friday, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency told owner Jerry Millen and his team to take some of them down. Again.

Why?

Another Lab Detected Vitamin E Acetate

Y’all remember vitamin E acetate, right? The nasty additive responsible for the lung injuries during VapeGate 2019?

That’s the stuff.

Millen has ABSOLUTELY no issue pulling potentially dangerous product from the shelves. After all, he’s in this business to help people.

“I’m not going to argue with the state or anybody that tells me something might be dirty,” he said. “I’ll pull it off, I have no problem.

What he does have a problem with is how it’s being handled.

Inconsistent Testing Gave Different Results on Same Batch

The Motor City High cartridges under scrutiny received a clean bill of health, as it were, from PSI Labs. Millen has the documents that state no vitamin E acetate was detected.

But cartridges from this same batch – carried at another dispensary – showed levels of the additive when tested at a different lab.

So now, after being told it was okay to put them back on the shelves, he has to pull the 500 of this brand he still has in stock.

“You told me to put them back on my shelf, which I did. At your urging, they’re back on my shelf,” he said with frustration to the MRA. “Now you’re telling me to take them off even though they passed testing because carts failed from another lab?”

Dispensaries Pay the Price

Millen feels that his business – and others – are paying the price for this lack of consistency in testing.

The state’s regulatory arm, LARA, states that inconsistencies in testing can occur when products come from a caregiver. They say they’re just playing it safe.

“We understand that businesses need to look out for their bottom line, but in situations like this — when marijuana product is brought into the regulated market via a caregiver — we must always err on the side of caution and put the safety of patients first,” said LARA spokesperson David Harns.

“Vitamin E acetate is a public safety risk,” he continued, “and we can’t take any chance that these cartridges were cut with that prohibited product.”

So What Is the Solution?

Obviously, if there’s any chance that vitamin E acetate is in a cartridge, the consumer needs to be protected.

Millen and dispensary owners agree with this wholeheartedly.

They’d just like to see consistency in the testing so it doesn’t keep cutting into their bottom line.

Millen believes that if the MRA is going to decide that one lab is more proficient in testing than another, then every vape cartridge in the state should be tested there.

Creating a clear standard that every product would be required to meet would reduce confusion and ensure that every consumer is protected.

That makes perfect sense to us.

Has Inconsistent Testing Negatively Impacted You?

Cannabis businesses face many obstacles.

But you don’t have to let cannabis marketing be one of them.

We may not be able to do anything about inconsistent testing. But we CAN help you find a cannabis marketing strategy to grow your business.

So contact us today. And you can cross off marketing from your list of concerns.

The post Dispensaries Suffer from Inconsistent Testing appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

And while it’s made a comeback, it still has its fair share of problems. Allowing recreational marijuana sales in the city would help it to further thrive.

Yet two days ago, the Detroit City Council voted unanimously to extend an existing temporary ban on recreational marijuana businesses until at least March 31.

So why is there still no recreational marijuana in Detroit!?

Rewind to November 2019

Honestly, the whole thing is complicated.

Last year, LARA’S Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) set an opt-out date deadline of November 1st for communities that didn’t wish to sell recreational marijuana.

Despite warnings from LARA, the Detroit City Council failed to opt out by this date. In the meantime, Detroit businesses seeking recreational marijuana licenses began submitting applications.

Then on November 12th, the council passed a temporary ban that would run through January 31st of this year.

In the meantime, several Detroit businesses had submitted applications for recreational marijuana. They believe LARA is obligated to issue them licenses and are suing them in a Court of Claims.

We’ll have to see how that plays out.

So Why Extend the Ban?

The members of the City Council feel that they need to set a standard for inclusion. And they need more time to do it.

This effort is led by City Councilman James Tate. Tate stresses that this massive money-making industry should have a pathway for residents of the city to be gainfully employed.

That means more than pushing a mop or working security at a dispensary.

“It’s clear that Detroit’s medical marijuana industry is overwhelmingly owned and operated by individuals who don’t live in the city and take their dollars back to their communities,” Tate says.

“It’s critical that we take the necessary time now to ensure that Detroit’s impending recreational marijuana industry will properly reflect the demographic of the city it’s located in.”

In other words, Tate wants to take this extra time to create legislation that would remove barriers to entry that impact mostly people of color.

This certainly makes a lot of sense.

But while they’re working out logistics, there’s one big problem. The strong presence of the black market.

Detroit’s Black Market

By 2015, the number of unlicensed marijuana dispensaries operating inside Detroit’s 140-square-mile border was estimated at over 150.

An increase in law enforcement has put a dent in proliferation. Still, many of these businesses continue to operate. And they’re not always running out of brick-and-mortar locations.

To make matters worse, Detroit has experienced increased violence already this year. Since the beginning of 2020, there have been a total of 17 homicides and 32 nonfatal shootings.

And according to Detroit Police Chief James Craig, black-market marijuana is responsible for “most” of this increase.

What No Recreational Marijuana in Detroit Means

Opponents to the ban feel that what’s killing people is not marijuana, but rather the prohibition of it. Without places in the city where folks can consume marijuana recreationally, people will continue to find it on the black market and it will, therefore, thrive.

They also feel that the Detroit City Council has been dragging their heels.

One of the requirements of the 2018 voter-passed recreational marijuana legalization was the creation of a Social Equity Program that would encourage industry participation by those who have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement.

The City Council has had a year to create this, but still have no working draft.

So while many opponents to the ban agree that an economic development opportunity to benefit Detroit residents is crucial, they also note that the city and its residents are ironically losing millions of dollars in economic development for every week they fail to implement the recreational adult-use licensing program.

There Are No Simple Answers

Who knows how much longer will there be no recreational marijuana in Detroit.

It’s completely logical that the post-bankrupt city of Detroit wants to institute recreational marijuana in the right way versus the fastest way.

Yet, crime is increasing and the city is losing a lot of money in the process of trying to determine just what the right way is.

We’re in the business of cannabis marketing, not litigation. But from where we’re standing, it’s impossible to say one is right and one is wrong.

We just hope they figure it out soon.

For more up-to-date information on cannabis issues in Detroit and beyond, keep checking back with us.

The post Why Is There Still No Recreational Marijuana in Detroit? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

If you recently bought recreational marijuana in Michigan, you probably noticed employees collecting information from you. They’re collecting your name, address, and date of birth.

This, despite the fact that they don’t have to do this.

They will often ask for ID to ensure that you are of age – the same as buying alcohol.

So is gathering this information for the sake of tracking who buys recreational marijuana so they can brand you a criminal?

Ease up the paranoia.

They Are Not Tracking You, Per Se

If you sashay into most Michigan dispensaries that sell recreational marijuana, you’ll see your driver’s license or state ID get swiped if you decide to buy some of the green.

And some businesses won’t even let you gain entry to their fortress of solitude marijuana showrooms without scanning your ID first.

So if they’re not tracking the fact that you’re buying marijuana for fun and then sending that information to the state government to keep an eye on you, then what are they doing?

There Is Some Confusion

It’s hard to get a straight answer.

There is some belief that those selling recreational marijuana aren’t clear on the fact that they don’t actually have to scan anyone’s ID – as is required for medical marijuana.

Some business owners who have companies in other states besides Michigan noted that an ID is required in those states but at one time, it wasn’t. So they suspect it all be required eventually and they’re doing it to just stay ahead of the curve.

When a few other company owners were asked for details about what is done with the information, they succinctly state that these questions be directed to the Marijuana Regulatory Agency.

So reach out to the MRA.

Then There Is Metrc

The state already keeps track of recreational sales data through their tracking system called Metrc. But it keeps track of time and location of sales, as well as quantity, price and product type.

They don’t dabble in personal information, however. So when the state looks at Metrc, they see each transaction and what was sold. But that information, it simply says “customer.”

It Is Mostly for Marketing Purposes

And there it is.

Workers at some provisioning centers have their employees ask for names and addresses for customer service and marketing purposes. They are clear on the fact that they don’t record information from IDs or share personal information with the state.

It’s essentially the same information that any other retail collects. After all, those email lists are gold mines.

So what many customers are experiencing is not Big Brother looking over them as much as employees utilizing point-of-sale software that collects personal information. That information is not visible to state employees.

So Dispensaries Are Tracking Who Buys Recreational Marijuana

It’s just not necessarily for the reasons you may think. At least, that’s what we hear.

Just know that if you’re interested in making a purchase, dispensaries are tracking who buys recreational marijuana in Michigan.

Then do with that what you will.

And if you’re a company looking to include recreational marijuana in your line up soon, you’ll need experts in cannabis marketing to stay ahead of the game. Contact us today.

The post Are Dispensaries Tracking Who Buys Recreational Marijuana? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

It’s no easy feat.

Yeah, you could end up pulling in some serious profits. But there’s just as much potential that you’ll face losses.

There are a lot of reasons for this – the constantly changing regulations and ordinances not being the least of them. It’s essential you know these inside and out.

So if you were never a big fan of doing homework, then you may want to consider acquiring something simpler. Like a lemonade stand.

Because taking on a cannabis dispensary or brand means you’ll need to do A LOT of homework.

Let’s start with the dispensary.

The Steps to Acquire a Cannabis Dispensary

In both cases, your first point of focus should be on the financials.

If the dispensary you’re considering does not demonstrate stability, depth of penetration, and market share, then you’re taking a big risk. Any sign of choppy cash flow is an indication of potential systemic problems that will be exceedingly difficult to resolve.

You don’t need that noise.

The prior 12 months should show a flat-to-up trend with at least a 40% gross profit. And the top-line revenue should be a minimum of $3.5 million.

But the above numbers alone are not enough.

Consider the whole package. Any issues with licensing, high turnover, accounting irregularities, disciplinary actions from regulators and/or complaints filed against the dispensary are red flags. With any of these, you’ll need to weigh the risks.

If you’re still in, then your next step is proprietary due diligence.

Depending on the complexity of the acquisition, this can be a long and tedious process with multiple timelines and intricacies. The more information that needs to be investigated, the longer the process. So patience will be of the utmost importance.

While a fast timeline or limited budget can limit due diligence, you’re better off sticking with a thorough process. Taking the extra time now will reduce the risk of bigger problems later.

Once the due diligence process is completed, mergers and acquisitions analysts will create a report and assess the due diligence score. This is a score that objectively summarizes the business so the mergers and acquisition committee can more easily make a decision.

It might sound like a lot, but most of the time, dispensary acquisitions are pretty straightforward. The financials say a lot about the target company.

As such, this leaves less room for subjectivity during the decision-making process. That’s NOT the case for acquiring a brand, however.

Acquisition of a Cannabis Brand

The evaluation criteria here is more subjective.

For brand acquisitions, the prior 12 months should show an overall up-trending pattern with a top-line revenue of at least $5 million.

Much like the dispensary acquisition process, acquiring a brand starts by reviewing the financials and looking for those same red flags. But from there, the mergers and acquisition team begins a subjective evaluation to determine the brand’s penetration into its respective market.

Market share will be the most important factor. To determine this, the team creates a grading process that depends on a number of factors.

For instance, what is the number of dispensaries in the area that carry the brand? What percentage of the brand’s products are displayed in each store? And where are they located in the store?

Finally, merger and acquisition analysts perform an onsite visit where they prepare a highly comprehensive report on the brand. These reports can be extensive and will be utilized by the acquisition committee to make final decisions.

Are You in the Market for Acquisitions?

Now that you know the basics of what it takes to acquire a cannabis dispensary or brand, you might be ready to boldly go forward.

If so, we wish you the best of luck.

Once your acquisition is complete, contact us for reliable and experienced cannabis marketing and public relations.

We’re well-known and respected in the industry.

The post How to Acquire a Cannabis Dispensary or Brand appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.