It’s safe to say our country’s cannabis sectors need better regulation. Between Washington’s traceability system that hasn’t worked right since its initial launch back in 2017 and the vaping sicknesses that have taken 33 peoples’ lives and made hundreds sicker, cannabis consumer and customer advocacy is needed more than ever. Many of the state’s top recreational chains aren’t waiting around for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Control Board (WSLCB) to prioritize their customers’ health, their taking it into their own hands. While a temporary ban of flavored vape additives seems like a step in the right direction for the industry; many critics say its short-sided, misses the point and unfairly puts non-cannabis related vapes in the crosshairs of what’s mainly a cannabis-related issue. “Vape Gate” is just one problem facing cannabis producers and the issue of self-regulation that keeps coming up as many producers don’t have any faith in the WSLCB. Therefore, Uncle Ike’s and Cinder started their own in-house compliance programs called OK Cannabis and Cinder Cares, respectively.
Taking Regulations Into Their Own Hands
Uncle Ike’s OK Cannabis program caused a lot of noise during their launch. Several notable producers like Ionic and Sweetwater Farms failed pesticide tests which sent the comments sections into a frenzied dialogue about the lack of pesticide testing and producer transparency (or lack thereof). The Cinder Cares program was quietly started about a year ago. Cinder Cares launched in direct response to employee farm tours that were far from stellar, according to Becca Johnson, Director of Operations of Cinder. Before Cinder Cares, several vendors lost spots on their shelves because of poorly kept up facilities and business practices. This led to the idea of installing Cinder’s stringent product standards into a program that helped not only customers, but their vendors and the industry as a whole.
“We’ve had the opportunity to help people identify problems they don’t know exist.”
Becca Johnson
The point of Cinder Cares isn’t to only catch fraudulent vendors, but to help brands fix their process and create better products. One brand popped hot on a test, only to find out that they weren’t waiting long enough before placing plants in the room after the cleaning and fogging process, causing accidental contamination. Cinder Cares takes a problem-solving approach. They would rather help vendors solve the problem before having to pull people from their shelves. Vendors are allowed to challenge and appeal any failed test. The appeal process involves testing two more products on the vendor’s dime, one from the same lot and a second from a random lot within the store. If they pass the second tests than business continues as normal. If they fail, they’re automatically put on a six-month suspension and all of their products in the store are either returned or destroyed. Sustaining and maintaining relationships helps everyone make more money, which is the point of working in the cannabis industry at the end of the day.
Cinder Cares Is More Than Extra Testing
The Cinder Cares brand has expanded past just product testing. Cinder Cares will be Cinder’s all-encompassing consumer advocating and education effort. This includes Training and Education Specialists that keep every employee on an ever-evolving development program to ensure every employee is constantly refining their skills. Training and Education Specialists also hold in-house “vendor days” of sorts to educate customers about every product on the shelf. This was designed to create an information gathering safe space for curious customers. Pot shops can be daunting for customers stopping in after work and meeting a rush-hour line filled with people aggressively checking their watches and tapping their foot while they wait for their $5 pre-rolls.
Johnson saw an opportunity to give customers more resources to make quality consumer decisions for themselves and their loved ones, which is incredibly important for medicinal cannabis patients. Also wrapped into the Cinder Cares brand is their full-time compliance team and community outreach efforts like community service. While they have an entire team bending their backs perpetually counting inventory among other tedious tasks, Cinder still tries to approach compliance with a common-sense approach.
For The Love of God, Sell To Grandpa
Their “sell to Grandpa” rule exemplifies this. Budtenders are instructed to sell to anyone that is “obviously over 40.” Which makes sense, because we can all tell who those people are. It may seem inconsequential, but anyone who has been with their grandparents after they’re carded for alcohol knows how annoying it can be to certain folks. Making customers feel at home while giving them space to learn is just as important as a component of Cinder Cares as additional random product testing is.
