Cannabis products have choices now. Flower, edibles, vapor pens, concentrates and extracts, there are new ways to consume cannabis coming out every single day. With all of this variety, we decided to explore some of the simple steps to reading a cannabis label and starting to understand what kinds of effects you could expect.

1. Strain / Cultivar. This is the best indication of what kind of experience you will get. When it comes to flower, the strain name is the best way to categorize all of the cannabinoids and terpenes that make up that unique plant and can give the best consistency from one consumption to another. When it comes to cannabis products, you will want to make sure the product is made from a single strain of cannabis, otherwise, the results are much harder to predict.
2. THC & CBD can be displayed with either a percentage (for flower, cartridges, and concentrates) and also as milligrams per serving (for edibles and tinctures). This is a good number to look at but is just one piece of the puzzle. Higher THC products tend to have heavier effects. We suggest serving sizes of about 5mg at a time, about a 5-second draw on an SBF vapor pen cartridge.
3. Harvest Date or Product Made this date refers to the day the cannabis flower was harvested, or the day that the flower was turned into a cannabis product. This is a good piece of information to look at to get an idea of how long that product has been on the shelves. I believe that we will have “Best if Consumed by” dates on our packaging. 

With just a few pieces of information, it is possible to start experimenting with different varieties of cannabis strains. The best part about choosing cannabis products by strain, even if you have never tried a certain product before, you can find a familiar cultivar in any product category!

By: Adam Reed

By: Justin Reed

“Well begun is half done.”

– Cited by Aristotle as an ancient proverb in his treatise, Politics

In 2014, Oregonians voted to pass Measure 91 and legalize the recreational use of cannabis, and everything was great. The end.

Just kidding.

After 91 passed the the real work started of transitioning a robust black market out of the shadows. In late 2015, consumers were allowed to purchase limited amounts of cannabis from medical dispensaries. Then  2016 saw recreational dispensaries open as well making a variety of new products (vapes, edibles, capsules, etc.) available to consumers 21 and over. Packaging rules have been overhauled to better align with FDA guidelines, and rules have been established for mixing hemp and cannabis products.

All of these changes started out as bills at the Oregon legislature. Our Finance Director, Brian Johansing, and I had the opportunity last month to visit the state Capitol as a part of the Oregon Cannabis Association Lobby Day. After a quick tour and preparatory meeting, we were off to meet with our representatives and their staff to talk about the following bills:

HB 2233

• This bill would permit social consumption sites for cannabis such as lounges and temporary events. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) would regulate both lounges and temporary event functions similar to alcohol.
• We are very excited to see steps towards social consumption. Not only is this a stigma issue for us to be treated more like alcohol, but a socio-economic one. Low income individuals disproportionately live in apartments that don’t have to allow consumption.

SB 420

• Directs the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) to expunge the criminal charges on the record that would no longer be considered a crime under current law.
• -This is a no-brainer for us: legalization was as much about criminal records as it was about access.

SB 582

• Allows the Governor to enter into an agreement with other states that have legalized cannabis to coordinate enforcement of cannabis businesses conducting business across those states.
• We support this bill as a great first step towards federal legalization.

HB 2382

• This legislation permits counties to expand venues they can tax licensed cannabis producers to ‘production sites’. The proposed fees are $1 per square foot of licensed recreational canopy and $50 per plant in medical grows.
• We strongly oppose this bill. While we understand the idea of redirecting funds from Portland (where the majority of cannabis products are purchased) to southern Oregon (where the majority of cannabis is grown), we do not believe adding a tax (that is reflected in no other industries) to already beleaguered producers is the answer.

My biggest takeaway from the trip was how hard our politicians are working to understand these issues, and how important it is for us to educate and advocate on the issues we care about.

Justin Reed | Compliance Specialist

Last summer I received a message from a former leader at the company where I worked: “Do you know any good finance people who might be interested in working in the cannabis industry?” I felt a surge of excitement and jumped at the opportunity. After all, cannabis is the “final frontier” of business. After decades of lobbying, cannabis enthusiasts finally influenced legislation and public opinion to create meaningful change. What was once the pastime of hippies and stoners crossed over into the realm of big business, attracting huge amounts of investment capital and no small amount of media attention. Of course, that’s where I wanted to be: In the middle of the action, on the forefront of social and political change, and living off the land on a pot farm in Southern Oregon.

Six months later, I can report that some of that dream came true. I’m now the only finance person I know who can speak intelligently on the differences between hemp-derived and cannabis-derived CBD. I know more about terpenes and cannabinoids than I’ll ever know what to do with in polite conversation.

I spent time on the farm in late summer, watching the plants grow and learning how a sungrown cannabis farm operates. I helped with the harvest, learned how to identify ‘A’ buds and witnessed the process of curing flower. I rode along with our sales reps, learning the ins and outs of the dispensary scene.

It turns out that working in finance at a cannabis company is a little less like Goodfellas and little more like Office Space. And a few months in, I’ll admit I experienced some professional disillusionment.

Yes, I get piles of cash dropped on my desk, but most of our customers have transitioned to paying with checks and wire transfers. Yes, our production consists of rolling joints and trimming flower, but in the meantime, I’m still filing payroll tax returns, approving purchase requests, reconciling bank statements, and paying bills.

Although it can be a source of pop-culture zeitgeist and countless news clips, legalized cannabis is still just business as usual when all is said and done. Our calendars are filled with compliance and safety committee meetings, awkward networking events, sales scrums and one-on-one meetings with direct reports. For the most part, the core functions of our cannabis jobs are eerily similar to what we would be doing at any other job. Occasionally, I’m overcome with a sense of irony that we’re working in a federally illicit industry, while a visitor to our Portland office might at first suspect we’re a tech startup.

This is not to say that I find my job boring or mundane. On the contrary, working in cannabis is challenging and exciting precisely because of the ironies and contradictions that exist. Our marketing team must be constantly vigilant that our message does not appeal to minors. Our post-production team is prohibited from moving product from one licensed premise to another. (They’re 30 feet away from each other.) On a quarterly basis, I’m required to provide a stack of documentation to our bank, simply for the privilege of having a checking account. We have found that our regulators, the good people of the OLCC, are some of our most trusted advisors, helping us carefully navigate the maze of laws we are required to comply with.

Sometimes it feels like we’re doing business blindfolded, with one arm tied behind our back and a small child kicking us in the shins. These setbacks and restrictions force us to do our jobs with innovation and efficiency, and I’m filled with gratitude because of it. I get to work with people who are passionate about removing the stigma from a product that shouldn’t be treated any differently than alcohol or tobacco. And yet, I’m aware that at any moment the feds could shut us down, or the state could rescind our license.

Cannabis is indeed the wild west of business: Opportunity abounds and danger persists, but more often than not, we’re just trying to steer clear of any outlaws and keep our business running. Sh#!, the printer is out of ink again.

Brian Johansing | Director of Finance