Managing the Buckets of Compliance
Written by Jenny Germano
With 13 years experience working in the regulated Cannabis marketplace, at ICS we have a deep understanding of the tenacity and specific systems it takes to be successful as a licensed operator. There are a lot of moving pieces that happen in a cannabis operations environment, and sometimes it can be overwhelming to maintain all the moving parts. It is important to come up with a plan for how everything will be managed, especially if the daily compliance tasks are being implemented by employees of the company.
We highly recommend creating specific categories that help create a systematic approach to managing the buckets of compliance. A good way to organize is by breaking everything down into specific groupings. It would be helpful to make a list to divide everything up, in order to have a visual representation of each group. Once you have created the groups, decide what will go into each bucket.
The purpose of the bucket is to:
- Eliminate becoming overwhelmed by breaking things into smaller categories.
- Have a plan that organizes management of everything in that bucket.
- Helps define what different categories are present for your license type.
- Buckets contain the categories that make the processes more manageable and easier to implement.
Compliance is something that definitely should not be done as a “shooting from the hip” kind of approach. It should be well thought out, organized with a plan in place and managed through a set of integrated systems. One of the items that we see most out of compliance, is the lack of document management systems and systems that support the day to day operations.
Here is an example of a bucket we created: The Bucket is - A Safety Program
The bullets represent all the different items and/or topics that could go into a Safety Program.
- OSHA Standards
- FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
- Worker Protection Standards
- Safe Products - Testing of materials and product
Lastly and one of the most important factors is creating a culture of compliance for the workforce who are engaging in the day-to-day operations at the licensed facility. Employees thrive in structure and businesses soar when compliance systems are actually implemented and integrated with all the operational processes in place. All in all, it's about creating a healthy business that can be successful in a challenging marketplace.
ICS Consulting specializes in Compliance based services, such as Third-Party State Regulatory Audits, State and Local License Application Support, Technical Writing, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Compliance Operations Training, Employee Retention Solutions, and Employee Onboarding. For more information on how ICS Consulting Service can help your Cannabis Business, book a free 30-minute consult and we'll help you map out your next steps to be successful in the Regulated Cannabis Industry.
