We’re living through the Green Rush! 38 states + the District of Columbia have now legalized or decriminalized cannabis, with Delaware and Maryland becoming the latest to ratify recreational use. According to Politico, nearly two-thirds of Americans currently support legal cannabis. Senator Chuck Schumer has stated his support several times, saying that a federal bill is “headed in [the] direction” of legalization instead of just decriminalization. There’s never been a better time to improve your wholesale cannabis operations.
It’s a great time to be in wholesale cannabis. But if you’re in the industry, you know things aren’t as easy as hanging a shingle and waiting for the sales to roll in. Compliance regulations vary greatly from state to state, making an expansion into new markets a challenging venture. Cultivators and brands face a unique set of challenges when considering expanding.
Fortunately, at Leaf Trade, we’ve been through the process of guiding our clients through moving into new markets many times. Here are seven tips we’ve picked up over the years for those looking to expand operations into new states.
Real-Time Data is Real-Time Supply-Chain Protection Designed to Scale Your Wholesale Cannabis Operations
Retailers might want to purchase large quantities of your product, but that doesn’t always mean they have the ability to store it. In fact, most cannabis dispensaries have limited storage capacity, so it’s important that cultivators and dispensaries readily understand the availability of a cannabis product up to the minute in order to have predictive sales capabilities and operational consistency.
But, the real story isn’t about storage, it’s about real-time inventory syncing and automation so you don’t have to spend time manually entering data. Whatever solution you choose should include robust tech and integration capabilities to prevent you from having to redo your work.
You Need to Spend Time Forging Relationships
There’s no getting around the fact that wholesale cannabis cultivators can spend a lot of time working with order processes and ensuring fulfillment needs (manually inputting data in many cases) and improving their wholesale cannabis operations. But, in today’s fast-moving cannabis industry, the need to streamline and automate their wholesale cannabis operations is vital if companies want to establish business relationships beyond simple orders and shipments. These business relationships can be lifesaving during wholesale supply-and-demand issues affecting shortages or an overabundance of products.
That’s why it’s vital to have a solid wholesale cannabis operations platform, like Leaf Trade which offers in-platform messaging and branded storefronts. It is incredibly important for negotiation and relationship building as well as introducing more customers to your brands. You can build brand loyalty with your customers by giving them access to bulk pricing discounts.
The closer your CRM is to the point of sale, the easier it will be to track interactions.
You Have to Overcome Operational Inefficiencies
In today’s cannabis environment, operational inefficiencies put companies at a distinct disadvantage, especially at the wholesale cannabis level. Your customers are going to keep returning, only if you can enhance your product inventory management, streamline your order and fulfillment tasks, and make timely payment transactions. If you don’t, your competition will.
Be Prepared for Price Fluctuations
Wholesale flower prices can rise and fall wildly, especially when new markets open. State-by-state inventory and distribution costs have a direct effect on pricing concerns, too. Cannabis cultivators need to be able to analyze these pricing changes easily and in real time if they want to be able to leverage what they have to offer at the greatest profit margin available.
Know the Marketing Regulations in New Markets
In Arizona, there are currently no marketing regulations for medical cannabis providers. Contrast that with Illinois, where it’s illegal to advertise cannabis within a thousand feet of a school or public park. The point is, you need to do your homework before you plan out a marketing campaign. The last thing you need is a hefty fine or to incur the wrath of the FCC.
Don’t Neglect Your Distributors
Even if your cultivation farm or processing company has an in-house sales staff, some US markets require by law, that distributors move products to store shelves. For example, California, one of the largest markets in the US, doesn’t allow cultivators to sell directly to retailers. All finished products must be transported from manufacturers to retailers by licensed distributors and all cash payments must be picked up by licensed distributors. In all markets, distributors have to be in the same state as the operator as nothing is allowed to cross state lines.
Don’t Disregard Shipping Logistics
You might understand that cannabis products can only be shipped within state lines. But, are you aware that product-delivery validation only occurs at set points along the supply chain route? That’s an important concern if product damages or losses happen, and it’s one that should be addressed contractually at the point of sale unless you want to take on additional risks.
A Solution to Address the Common Concerns
Undeniably, the US cannabis industry is in a position of robust growth and heady profit-making, despite risks that remain. At Leaf Trade we’ve worked hard to create a single solution that addresses all of these common obstacles facing your wholesale cannabis operation.
Schedule a demo today to see how Leaf Trade can meet all your operational needs in one, easy-to-use platform.