Tag: business plans

Oklahoma Marijuana Licenses & Cannabis Business Operations

Legal Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma takes due diligence and planning for success

The state of Oklahoma became the 30th state to legalize medical marijuana in August of 2018, they offer a series of licenses for cannabis businesses to support the growing, processing and retail sale of marijuana. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is the governing body in OK and the definitive source for rules, compliance regulations, laws and protocols for diversion and reporting .

Licensees fall into three (3) very clear and concise categories for medical marijuana as follows:

Commercial Grow & Growers Operation License – commercial growers that are licensed in Oklahoma have the ability to legally seller cannabis to licensed retailer dispensaries and licensed packagers (think processors of cannabis). From a business operations standpoint, this is a wholesale exchange and does not include taxation per Oklahoma state laws.  It’s important to note that licensed commercial growers may not sell cannabis directly to a medical marijuana license holder. Those businesses that are licensed commercial grow operations (indoor cultivation) are only allowed to legally sell marijuana at the wholesale level to a licensed retail dispensary and licensed marijuana processor facilities. The design of these transactions is vital to compliance and regulation of security requirements, reporting, tracking and inventory management rules.

Medical Marijuana Processing License – a cannabis processor in Oklahoma that is licensed has the ability to take cannabis marijuana plants from the commercial grower and process said plants as concentrates, shatter, dabs, edibles, tinctures, terpenes, and other forms for consumption. Any licensed processor in Oklahoma may sell marijuana products it creates to the licensed retail dispensary and/or other licensed processors. Licensed processors may also process cannabis plants, into a concentrated form, for a medical license holder, for a fee.

Consider Total Harvest Coverage methodology for compliance & business operations to drive revenue.

Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Dispensary – those that apply for an have received a medical marijuana retailer license can conduct retail sale of marijuana, or cannabis derived products (oils, tinctures, salves, terpines, etc) provided by licensed processors. It is important to note that cannabis products can only be sold to license holders.

Business Plans & Security Planning 

In order for any business to be successful, it requires thorough planning and business strategy to be in place from the onset. Cannabis compliance and standard operating procedures are the foundation for maintaining cannabis facility design standards in Oklahoma and the keys to long term success. Below are key components that you may need a consultant to complete and advise upon:

  • Thorough and Comprehensive Business Plans
  • Legal & Documented License Applications
  • Security Plans & Compliance
  • Business Operations & Protocols for Compliance
  • Operational Procedures
  • Diversion Reporting
  • Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery

Integrated security planning and programming go hand-in-hand with the architectural plans and floor plan layouts to ensure total harvest coverage from seed-to-sale. Security cameras and video surveillance, along with alarm systems and monitoring are a vital part of success in the cannabis sector. For more information on marijuana facility planning and security standards for design, call 866.867.0306

Missouri Security Measures for Medicinal Marijuana Facilities

Planning for Medical Marijuana & Potential Recreational Cannabis Requirements

Security is a facet of consideration of any new business, especially those within the cannabis industry. Marijuana is currently purchased almost exclusively with cash, and has a high resale market value through illegal means. For these reasons, significant safeguards must be established to protect product and profit.

Key Considerations for Missouri Cannabis Facilities & Retail Dispensaries

  • Develop Protocols to Deter Diversion & Crime
  • Maintain Compliance with reporting sales, diversion & evidence for law enforcement
  • CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design)
  • Exterior Security Protocols
  • Interior Security Protocols
  • Plans for Security Cameras, Intelligent Video Surveillance
  • Prevention of Theft of Product & Cash
  • And many more.

This would lead an entrepreneur to infer that state regulations regarding security provisions for marijuana facilities would be explicit and detailed, but the contrary is true for Missouri. The legislation is vague in regards to physical security, and there is no detailed protocol for construction or building security requirements. It could be inferred that this is due to the illegal status of the product at the federal level. If (when) cannabis is legalized at a national level, states would need to revise legislation, guidelines, forms, administrative materials, protocols for diversion, etc. to meet these federal demands upon implementation. If a state does not address these provisions specifically, the legislation will be easier to amend when the time comes.

Facilities shall install and maintain security equipment designed to prevent unauthorized entrance into limited access areas and to prevent diversion and inversion of medical marijuana: 2019 MO Regulation Text 25597

Within the facility application, a business must describe verbally what measures to be implemented. At the schematic planning and architectural programming phases, this plan is vital to long term business success. Attachments/visuals are not accepted. The assistance of a security expert is incredibly beneficial within the preparation of this portion of the application. The cannabis facility security plan developed within the application MUST be adhered to after the issuance of a license (unless otherwise authorized by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services). Veering from the original plan would cause numerous delays and potentially incur fines and or financial consequences.

Luckily, there are industry experts that have experience with securing product on par with federal regulations. If stringent guidelines are imposed at the point of planning, the likelihood of changes needed afterwards is much lower. By using federal guidelines in place for the storage and handling of highly regulated products, a business owner can rest assured that they will meet or exceed federal guidelines when they are established.

4 Factors to Success for Marijuana Business in Missouri

  1. Proper Planning – Business Strategy & Security Plans / Safety Plans
  2. Maintain Compliance with State Laws & Regulations
  3. Optimize Business Operations for growing revenue
  4. Continual Improvement

Consulting and Planning for Missouri Cannabis Facilities

At KL Security we utilize the Total Harvest Coverage™ methodology for security plans as well as cannabis business operation improvements. With successful projects in facilities in multiple states we help leaders in the cannabis industry drive revenue and stay compliant with state laws.

  •             Developing Protocols for Business Operations
  •             Integration of Video Surveillance, SSPOS and Cannabis Software
  •             Cash Management Process
  •             Monitoring and tracking of plants, products and closing the loop at point of sale
  •             Schematic Design & Development from Architectural Planning through Construction

We work with leading architects, interior designers and construction management firms to ensure projects are completed from start to finish. With an established track record of completed facility designs, we set the standard for growing, cultivation and retail dispensary for medical and recreational marijuana plans, layouts and project management.

 

Information has been gathered from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. Legislation referenced within this article: 19 CSR 30-95.040