4 Keys to Cannabis Compliance for Marijuana Dispensaries

As more and more marijuana dispensaries receive their business license, the focus will shift to cannabis compliance with state and local officials. Blatant violations such as failing to report sales, selling to minors, or lack of security will most certainly be met with penalty fines or even revoking a license.

While major infractions are unacceptable, even minor ones can put your cannabis retailer at risk. Maintaining compliance is simple if your dispensary is using a powerful marijuana POS system. Today we’ll cover some key ways your operation can make cannabis compliance sustainable.

METRC Track and Trace System

The State of California has decided to use Franwell Inc.’s METRC System for cannabis compliance reporting. Marijuana retailer owners and operators can register for a METRC training webinar scheduled for January 11th from 9am-11am. This webinar will provide detailed information on recording existing and new inventory, training Licensee staff to operate the system, and how to report all activity that takes place on the retail end of the supply chain.

It’s important to note that only businesses that have applied for an annual business license are eligible for the webinar. Dispensaries that have only applied for a temporary license will not qualify for this training session. However, marijuana dispensaries with temporary licenses will be held accountable for maintaining sales invoices and shipping manifests.

METRC’s reporting system for the distribution chain is expected to launch later in 2018, possibly by the end of January. All retailers applying for an annual business must complete the METRC training before they are granted access to the system. METRC suggests account managers register for training while their license application is under review to minimize downtime.

Reporting Daily Data

New California marijuana regulations stipulate that every retailer must report data on sales transactions, returned products, and disposal of returned or display cannabis on a daily basis. Fortunately, there is an option automate these data reports in real time. Integrating IndicaOnline’s marijuana point-of-sale software with METRC reporting system will eliminate the need for long hours of data entry.

Once the METRC system is fully functional for the State of California, marijuana business with annual licenses will be able to submit all sales reports and shipping manifests online. Tracking purchases from distributors as well as customer purchases will be vital to for cannabis compliance. Every package received from distributors must be re-weighed and accepted through the METRC system. These shipping manifests are mandatory and allow the state to audit the supply chain to prevent any illegal activity.

Verifying Patients and Customers

One aspect of compliance that is non-negotiable is verifying medical marijuana patients and ensuring all customers are of age to purchase cannabis. Recreational clientele are required to be at least 21 years of age and medical patients must be at least 18 years of age. Dispensaries must verify all medical recommendations and state identification prior to making sales.

Utilizing the patient management tools found in IndicaOnline’s POS system dispensary staff can verify doctor’s recommendations instantly. Uploading digital copies of recommendations is easy and our system will even send alerts when a recommendation expires. Verifying a customer’s age will be as simple as running their driver’s license through the built-in swiper on IndicaOnline’s all-in-one POS unit.

Reconciling Retail Inventory

Licensed cannabis retailers will need to reconcile the physical inventory with the digital counts within your dispensary POS software. California Bureau of Cannabis Control regulations require this reconciliation every 14 days. An accurate count is also need to reconcile inventory with reports submitted to METRC to maintain cannabis compliance.

The majority of these compliance related procedures can be easily accomplished using your marijuana POS software. IndicaOnline remains committed to providing innovative solutions to cannabis compliance as regulations evolve. Schedule a free demo for a thorough explanation of how our all-in-one register can benefit your dispensary.