NCRMA Chronic Risk

Sensi Media Group With CEO Stephanie Graziano today on NCRMA's Chronic Risk only on The Cannabis Radio. Sensi Media Group is an award-winning, Colorado-based cannabis lifestyle print and digital publishing company. Sensi Media's flagship publication Sensi Magazine is a well-known industry leader and culture curator - rooted in cultivating community and elevating experience for all stakeholders. Sensi Magazine has been named three-time 'Best Publication' in the industry by the Cannabis Business Awards, five-time magazine design award winner at 2020's FMA Charlie Awards, featured on Forbes Magazine's 2020 'Best Startup Employers' in America list, included alongside iconic Fortune 100 companies in the Institute for Real Growth's 2021 IRG100 - a first for the cannabis industry, and Sensi Magazine Editor-in-Chief/Co-Founder was named a Folio Top Women in Media Honoree.

Tariq Tongue, Environmental Health Safety & Quality Manager from Flower One provides us insight into product safety and worker safety in the cannabis industry.This week's host, Alex Hearding (Chief Risk Management Officer for National Cannabis Risk Prevention Services (NCRPS), a service of the NCRMA) , recently posted the following on Cannabis Safety:"What safety training do cannabis workers need?All employees who work in an area that has recently applied pesticides need to have Worker Protection Standards (WPS) training.Pesticide Handlers are defined as those who mix, load, or apply agricultural pesticides; clean or repair pesticide application equipment; or assist with the application of pesticides.Agricultural Workers are defined as: those who perform tasks related to growing and harvesting plants on farms or in greenhouses, or for nurseries.These definitions would generally include all employees who work in a cultivation facility. The only exception would be if the trimmers were not involved in harvesting and were prevented from entering the grow areas. To be safe facilities should train all their employees.The training for handlers is the same training as for agricultural workers but with additional information on personal protective equipment and on safe procedures for applying, cleaning, transporting, and disposing of pesticides. Many cultivation facilities train all their employees for pesticide handling, so they are not limited in the tasks they can partake in."

Jennifer Zalkin talks to ICS Consulting founder Jenny Germano about the launch of her newest course to promote the importance of cultivation compliance across the legal industry. In the NCRM Academy Course titled Cannabis Cultivation Compliance, Jenny shares how owners, operators, and compliance managers can better equip their employees to each be an asset when it comes to maintaining a successful and sustainable compliance program in their day-to-day? Jenny is a long-time industry vet who witnessed the industry in Colorado go from an unregulated wild west in 2009 to the strictly regulated market of 2022. This experience has taught her the importance of implementing and understanding regulation and protocol. In 2015 Jenny founded ICS Consulting Service and transitioned from being an employee in the regulated Industry to Chief Executive Officer of a compliance focused consulting business. ICS 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, Employee Onboarding, Licensed Facility Build-out Support, HR Compliance and Operational Compliance Readiness Support, as well as Manufacturer Food and Product Safety Certifications/ServSafe® Instructor, and she is OSHA certified.

Auditing the Cannabis Insurance Policy: What Coverage You May Be Missing as Jennifer Zalkin talks to Thomas Cioletti, Underwriter / Program Manager at TRICHOME™. They discuss the the coverages often overlooked when purchasing a cannabis business insurance policy, and how such oversights can expose you to potential losses and liabilities.Trichome™ is an insurance brand which is part of the association captive owned by the NCRMA. This entity has been established to initially offer property, general premises liability and product liability coverage to cannabis dispensaries and associated grow facilities. Only a few insurance providers currently offer products to the industry because cannabis remains illegal on the federal level. According to NCRMA’s members, those limited offerings have high premiums and inadequate coverages and services. This has hampered the success of the cannabis industry. NCRMA’s captive-based model provides significant financial and operational advantages to its members in addition to risk management, including:Accurately priced premiumsHolistic approach to underwritingAppointed brokers vetted by criteria established by NCRMA membersInsurance products birthed by cannabis risk management (NCRMA)Short term profit taking replaced by long term stability and reward

Canna Business Services with Emily Seelman today on NCRMA's Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio. Emily is the founder, CEO, and valiant leader of the Canna Business Services team. Armed with a legal background, business marketing degree, and start-up industry experience, she brings an unmatched combination of multifaceted knowledge and dedication to the table. After years working for other companies that overcharged and underperformed, Emily forged a path to build her own cannabis consulting company that values her clients’ success and outcomes above all else. Canna Business Services is a cannabis consulting company that offers unparalleled market expertise and regulatory compliance.

Enviro-Sciences Inc with Irv Cohen, ESI President & CEO today on Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio. In today’s episode, we’re going to discuss how to mitigate environmental hazards that can compromise the safety of your cannabis product. If you’re looking to purchase a property for a cannabis operation, planning to expand your operation, or are a business owner looking to build your first facility, it’s important to understand that there are a lot of environmental hazards that can be associated with your potential property. Do you know about the soil? Does it contain heavy metals?

Paybotic with VP of Partner Relationships Mahlon James today on NCRMA's Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio. Paybotic is a team of experienced payment professionals who have spent the past few years formulating and strengthening their network of domestic and international partners to provide solutions suitable for nearly every type of legal high-risk business. Whether your business is in need of credit card processing, ACH processing, check service, or any other payment solution, they customize a high-risk payment solution by selecting the best partner options to suit your exact needs. They take pride in their expert customer service while finding you the best fit for your processing needs.

TRICHOME With Dr. Brenda Wells today on NCRMA's Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio. On this episode of Chronic Risk, we are joined by an extra-special host, Dr. Brenda Wells, Director of Risk Education Strategies LLC, Robert F. Bird Distinguished Professor & Director of the RMI Program at East Carolina University, and proud Service Partner of the NCRMA. Dr. Wells meets with NCRMA Chairman, Rocco Petrilli, who is leading the charge in delivering effective risk management and insurance options for the cannabis industry through the recent launch of TRICHOME. Together, they discuss the creation of TRICHOME and how its products and insurance offerings differ from the other cannabis insurance offerings currently in the marketplace.

Simplifya with VP of Partnerships Brooke Butler today on NCRMA's Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio Staying on top of the ever-changing rules and regulations while running a business in cannabis is no small feat. That is why the NCRMA is thrilled to welcome Simplifya, the leading provider of regulatory and operational compliance software for the cannabis industry, to our network of Service Partners. Together, the NCRMA and Simplifya recognize the value compliance and risk mitigation will increasingly play in the burgeoning cannabis industry.On this episode of ChronicRisk, we are joined by Brooke Butler, Simplifya's VP of Partnerships, who dives into what the software is and how cannabis businesses can benefit from it. She explains at what point in business development new cannabis businesses should bring in the platform and what businesses are risking by not investing in it. The number one way to mitigate and manage risk is through compliance and being ready for the next regulatory challenge. Whether you're a new or mature cannabis business, our goal is to provide you with the tools and savings needed to identify, manage and eliminate the risks inherent in this highly regulated industry.

Preparing for Compliance in the Cannabis Industry with Jenny Germano today on NCRMA's Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio. Jenny began working in the Colorado Marijuana Industry in 2009 after she transitioned over from working in commercial kitchens for 23 years in the restaurant industry. She worked her way from the ground floor through every employee and management position in medical dispensaries to the level of director of operations of a multi-million dollar recreational dispensary and cultivation operation in 2014. Jenny is a long-time industry vet, witnessing the industry in Colorado going from an unregulated wild west in 2009 to the strictly regulated market of 2020. This experience has taught her the importance of implementing, understanding regulation and protocol. In 2015, Jenny founded ICS Consulting Service and transitioned from being an employee in the regulated Cannabis Industry to the Chief Executive Officer of a compliance-focused consulting business. ICS 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, Employee Onboarding, Manufacturer Food, and Product Safety Certifications/ServSafe® Instructor, OSHA certified, Licensed Facility Build-out Support, HR Compliance, and Operational Compliance Readiness Support. All this and more on Preparing for Compliance in the Cannabis Industry with Jenny Germano on NCRMA's Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio!

DreamLeaf Partners with Andrew Hatch and Bryan Turbett today on Chronic Risk only on Cannabis Radio. Andrew Hatch has a strong background in agricultural science and 10 years of experience in cannabis research, plant pathology, plant tissue culture, and plant breeding. Andrew served as Head of Cultivation Sciences for one of the largest, vertically-integrated cannabis dispensary chains in the United States. In this role, he led a team of scientists to drive process optimization, ensure product safety, maximize yields, develop high-throughput tissue culture protocols, create continuing education classes and training tools, and maintain a plant pathology lab for crop protection. Andrew is also a frequent lecturer at universities and botanic gardens, and actively mentors students in the fields of agricultural and horticultural science. He holds a B.D. in Soil and Crop Sciences: Plant Biotechnology Genetics and Breeding from Colorado State University. Bryan Turbett is a founding partner at Dreamleaf Partners and has two decades of experience in the legal cannabis industry. Over the course of his career, he has developed a number of operational, compliance, and managerial systems and procedures that have had a material impact on his clients’ ability to meet key production, profitability, and compliance objectives. Over his 20+ year career, Bryan has held a number of executive and operational roles with some of the largest cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers in the cannabis industry. Some of Bryan’s prior roles include Head of Cultivation at Vapor Room, one of the industry’s first legal and fully-vertical cannabis businesses in San Francisco. Head of Compliance & Packaging at Evolab, one of the industry’s largest extractors and manufacturers. Production Assistant at Google, one of the world’s most innovative companies. Bryan has experience working in all functions that make up the cannabis supply chain. In recent years, he has focused his attention on the compliance side of the business with an emphasis on Metrc, packaging, and inventory management.

Cannabis Occupational Safety and Health with Alex Hearding, CRMO NCRMA. Today we are joined by a man who can provide us insight into occupational safety in the cannabis industry. Our guest is the chief risk management officer at the NCRMA Alex Hearding Alex has developed four new Cannabis Occupational Safety and Health courses for the NCRM Academy. For More information on all specific courses go to https://ncrma.net/ncrmacademy/. Direct and indirect costs related to worker injury can be very expensive. Protect your most important assets, your workers, with courses designed and developed to keep workers safe. Alex Hearding has an educational and professional background as a water and soil scientist and safety professional. He has legally cultivated marijuana as a medical caregiver and as a facility manager in a licensed greenhouse. He has experience starting marijuana businesses including license application, facility design, construction, operational development, and management. He currently provides services including occupational safety & health services and training and risk management for the cannabis industry.

DK4 Decontamination Services with Dan and Brandon Kent. Now more than ever it’s clear that contamination is an issue that isn’t just going to go away. As testing regulations tighten over the cannabis industry, the need for high-level, effective, and safe decontamination options has become paramount. On this episode of ChronicRisk, we’re highlighting the expertise of the NCRMA’s newest service partner, DK4 Decontamination Services LLC. DK4 is the premier provider of hospital-grade surface and complete room decontamination for the transportation, healthcare, hospitality, pharmaceutical, and other commercial industries. In mid-December, DK4 launched its cannabis initiative with the goal of providing the cannabis industry with access to SteraMistTM decontamination and sanitization options. DK4’s founding members Dan Kent and Brandon Kent join NCRMA Chief Risk Management Officer to discuss their plans to devote a majority of their efforts to combat the primary contributor to product loss in the cannabis industry.

Sunshine Design With Sonny Antonio (Part 2). In this two-part episode of Chronic Risk, we’re highlighting the expertise of Sonny Antonio, founder, and CEO of Sunshine Design. Sonny specializes in full-service utility design for commercial and residential building projects and has streamlined the process of applicant design from start to finish, working out a system that flawlessly delivers what your company needs. From consulting on contract negotiations to working out utility layouts of all-electric, gas, telephone, and cable TV, the team at Sunshine is a full-service provider of all your utility standards and needs.Sonny joins NCRMA Chief Risk Management Officer Alex Hearding to discuss the importance of assessing and understanding the utility needs that your cannabis business requires. Throughout the invaluable discussion, he touches upon what you need to know ahead of time when looking at potential properties and what you might run into along the way. Tune in to Part 1 of the discussion to learn more on how to ensure that your money is being spent wisely on utilities, how to work with your power company to get what you need and so much more.

In this two-part episode of Chronic Risk, we’re highlighting the expertise of Sonny Antonio, founder, and CEO of Sunshine Design. Sonny specializes in full-service utility design for commercial and residential building projects and has streamlined the process of applicant design from start to finish, working out a system that flawlessly delivers what your company needs. From consulting on contract negotiations to working out utility layouts of all-electric, gas, telephone, and cable TV, the team at Sunshine is a full-service provider of all your utility standards and needs. Sonny joins NCRMA Chief Risk Management Officer Alex Hearding to discuss the importance of assessing and understanding the utility needs that your cannabis business requires. Throughout the invaluable discussion, he touches upon what you need to know ahead of time when looking at potential properties and what you might run into along the way. Tune in to Part 1 of the discussion to learn more on how to ensure that your money is being spent wisely on utilities, how to work with your power company to get what you need and so much more.

Introduction to Dispensary Compliance and Best Practices with Jenny Germano founder of ICS Consulting Services. Jenny began working in the Colorado Marijuana Industry in 2009 after she transitioned over from working in commercial kitchens for 23 years in the restaurant industry. She worked her way from the ground floor through every employee and management position in medical dispensaries to the level of director of operations of a multi-million dollar recreational dispensary and cultivation operation in 2014. Jenny is a long-time industry vet, witnessing the industry in Colorado going from an unregulated wild west in 2009 to the strictly regulated market of 2020. This experience has taught her the importance of implementing, understanding regulation, and protocol. In 2015 Jenny founded ICS Consulting Service and transitioned from being an employee in the regulated Cannabis Industry to the Chief Executive Officer of a compliance-focused consulting business. ICS 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, Employee Onboarding, Manufacturer Food, and Product Safety Certifications/ServSafe® Instructor, OSHA certified, Licensed Facility Build-out Support, HR Compliance, and Operational Compliance Readiness Support.

Product liability And More with our guests Jennifer Zalkin, Marketing Manager and Regional Director-East, Cathy Anderson-Manager of Member Services, Alex Hearding-Chief Risk Management Officer, and Ezter Farkas-Regional Director – West. Currently, 33 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 14 allow marijuana for adult recreational use. The trend toward legalization is expected to continue in 2020 with at least 19 other states considering adult recreational use or medical. While the sector is growing, insurance coverage has not kept pace with its risk management needs. Conflicting state and federal laws have made insurance carriers reluctant to write cannabis policies—due in large part to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies it as an illegal Schedule 1 substance. Product liability exposures for cannabis businesses encompass a wide range of areas, including breach of warranty, deceptive practices, edibles, failure to warn, label claims, misrepresentation, mold and fungus, pesticides, and vaporizers. Claims can involve bodily injury or property damage resulting from product misuse (particularly for many who are trying cannabis for the first time), including illness caused by inhaled, edible, or infused products; manufacturing or product-related defects that result in a loss; and faulty or misused equipments, including vape cartridges, batteries, and lighters.

NCRM ACADEMY is our main topic in today's episode of MCRMA's Chronic Risk. On the last episode of Chronic Risk, we spoke about the Effective Combination of Captive Insurance and Risk Management for the Cannabis Industry with Ian Stewart, from the law firm of Wilson Elser. Captive insurance refers to an insurance company that is wholly owned and controlled by its insureds; its primary purpose is to ensure the risks of its owners, and its insureds benefit from the captive insurer's underwriting profits. Fast forward to today, the NCRMA has now endorsed captive insurance companies. NCRMA has recently trademarked NCRMACADEMY which is the name of the new educational and training arm of the National Cannabis Risk Management Association. The NCRMA has been adding new businesses to its list of service partners or which Cannabis Radio is thrilled to be included in that growing list. Plus, you are further enhancing offerings available to its growing membership like the NCRM Academy. We talk about how listeners can become NCRMA members so they can also support all of the great works NCRMA is doing.

The Effective Combination of Captive Insurance and Risk Management for the Cannabis Industry with Ian Stewart. Today we are joined by someone who can provide us insight into the legalization of cannabis and risk management. Our guest is Ian Stewart, a partner with the Wilson Elser law firm. Ian has defended complex litigation in state and federal courts for more than 20 years with a focus on product liability, complex general casualty, cannabis law, transportation and marine claims, data privacy and security, and intellectual property litigation. Ian is co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis Law practice.

Scalable Living Soil with Cassandra Maffey of Force Of Nature LTD. Recently named one of the Top 50 Women in Cannabis by HighTimes Magazine, Cassandra Maffey has over 20 years of cultivation leadership experience within regulated cannabis markets across the United States and Europe. She pioneered the Scalable Living Soil Cultivation system, which produces award-winning cannabis in commercial-scale gardens worldwide. Cassandra is CEO and Founder of two cannabis startups: Force of Nature LTD which specializes in commercial living soil cultivation consulting, and FireTower.us a cannabis cultivation task management and productivity platform currently in beta testing.The foundation of Force of Nature’s cultivation program is Scalable Living Soil (SLS), developed by Maffey. Scalable Living Soil is easy to install, cost-effective to implement, and comes with comprehensive coaching and customized SOP manuals—including soil testing protocol, nutrient amendment, and troubleshooting solutions for all phases of plant growth.