Roles Compliance

Compliance as a Budtender is the most important job to do in the retail setting. It ensures that the products we carry, the customer experience, and everything in between not only is consistent, but also safe for every customer, every time.
So how can you make sure you are staying compliant in the retail setting? Let’s break it down to zones:

Reception:

• Ensuring every single person that walks through the door has a VALID government-issued ID. Driver’s licenses, State IDs, Passports, and other legal documentation are all accepted. If their ID is expired, they HAVE to have the paper from the State that makes it legal attached to it. No exceptions, no excuses.

• We are NOT a medical facility and we do not have medical products, so there will be NO reason a minor is EVER permitted on the premises. Even if they’re a minor with a medical card, they cannot shop here as they still cannot purchase a recreational product because they are not 21. No exceptions, no excuses.

• Vendors, people with interviews and meetings, brand representatives, service workers, etc. - all MUST sign in EVERY TIME. We also need to make sure we are recording when they leave the property as well.

• The ONLY people that DO NOT have to sign in are CRA officers and police officers. The State is able to track them based on their badges, so we do not have to have them sign in legally. We’d rather have them sign in without needing to, than have someone show up and NOT sign in though!

• While checking in a customer, we also have to ensure we have their correct address and phone number on file. Alpine IQ does their profiles based on their phone number, and it is imperative to have the correct numbers on file so we can ensure they are getting their correct points. We also need this information in case they have an adverse reaction or if a product gets recalled.

Sales Floor:

• Ensuring we are checking ID’s when customers come back to the sales floor. It’s never a bad idea to double check an ID, make sure nothing is expired, etc. Our receptionist should be catching these details, but on the off chance they didn’t, we are also making sure we are selling to the correct customer.

• Not adding products while on the sales floor, and telling your Fulfillment Lead that you’re adding on products. They are then able to ensure they are scanning every product, and scanning them correctly so the METRCs are not getting mixed up, and items are not getting lost or becoming non compliant.

• Making sure we do not oversell to customers. The State of Michigan says our “transactional limit” is 2.5 ounces of flower, OR 15 grams of concentrate, OR any combination thereof. Edibles are based on the overall weight of the item so gummies will weigh less than baked goods. Either way, we need to make sure they are not going over their limit for their transaction and while Dutchie will keep track of it, it is up to us as Budtenders to know what they are allowed to buy at a time.

• Stapling the bag closed. This is what makes the bag “concealed” and a person walking out of the dispensary with an open bag is the equivalent of a bar letting you walk out with your drink.

• Stapling the receipt. This part of compliance comes from ensuring that the customer bought THC products from a certified and regulated dispensary. No receipt could mean they bought off the black market, stole the items, etc. and we don’t want our customers getting into trouble or coming under scrutiny for no reason!

• No buying for others. I know this one can be tricky, as we have all been there and offered to go pick something up for a friend or family member. However, we cannot make a sale if they are obviously talking about buying for others. A way we can remind customers of this is by simply saying, “I understand wanting to help, but it’d be best if they came in to talk with us directly, so we can get the whole picture of what they’re looking for in their products.” If the customer does push back or makes excuses, we then simply remind them that “Under Michigan law, we cannot sell to anyone that has said they are buying for someone else. It’s like alcohol in that sense, and we want to make sure we are selling the correct product for the correct need of the consumer.” If the customer gets upset or angry, grab a Lead and they will be able to handle the situation for you.

• No use of phones on the sales floor (except for showing reviews and social media follows). This is mostly to make sure that we are giving the customer the best experience possible. We are also ensuring that they are not grabbing products for minors. While we cannot control what they do with the product once they leave, we can make sure that nothing comes back on us, saying we were in the wrong up to that point.

Leads:

• Scanning every item, every time. There is no reason to search for a product, and as a Lead, we are the only ones that are allowed to enter the vault and add products anyway. By scanning every item, every time, we are able to get an accurate picture of when we need to reorder items, and how fast we are selling through products.

• Making sure we are putting the METRC tags in the FINISHED bin when a product sells out, unless it’s on display; then it goes in the DISPLAY METRC box. Making sure we have the correct tags in the correct places ensures we are not overlooking anything, products are not expiring, and everything is presented at its best.

Stickering:

• While stickering products, we have to make sure we are not covering any information. ANY warnings, symbols, or cautions cannot be covered.

• Do not cover any dosing information, nutrition facts, etc. as it is important for the customer to know all the warnings, dosing directions, ingredients, etc.

  • If you HAVE to cover something, cover the brand logo or social media logos/info so people can still read the important information.

Consumption:

No on-site consumption of THC products is allowed for any reason by staff or customers. The easiest way to explain this to people is that they are not allowed to go outside of the bar to drink in the parking lot, you cannot go outside of our dispensary to spark up your pre roll. No exceptions, no excuses.

All of these are just the main points of compliance and why we need to stay compliant.
We don’t want our doors shut or to incur fines and fees when we can take a few simple steps to avoid it all completely.
Staying compliant makes sure our customers have a safe, reliable dispensary to shop at. It allows us to have a really cool job with great perks, and shows we mean it when we say Misty Mountain is committed to quality, safety, and excellent experiences for every customer, every time, in and out of the store!