Marijuana Business Magazine - March 2018

Zeta Ceti, founder and CEO of Green Rush Consulting in Oakland, California, said a cannabis business owner might make publicized donations to alcohol and drug treatment groups. But he cautioned that owners should tread carefully as far as donating to nonprofits involving children, noting you don’t want to appear to be linking your business to minors. Lawyer Michele Brooke, the founder of the Brooke Law Group in Pasadena, California, said MJ business owners might consider joining groups such as Habitat for Humanity or community gardening groups. “It shows you are part of the com- munity and you are going beyond just running a business to make money,” she said. For her part, Brooke routinely speaks in front of groups like the Rotary Club and Jaycees about the benefits of medical marijuana operations. Brooke even suggested going one step further – running for a local government position such as city council. “Why not? It shows you’ve got skin in the game and are willing to take a stand. If your local council members are on the wrong side of history and fighting cannabis busi- nesses every step of the way, replace them with someone else: you,” she said. Tips for Retailers To head off potential problems, mari- juana retailers need to choose the right site for their facility. For starters, retailers need to be in compliance with all local and state regu- lations, said Ceti. If your dispensary is too close to a school or a day care center, for example, you will be vulnerable to neighborhood attacks and lawsuits. It’s also important to educate neigh- bors about your business so they will have a better idea what you’ll be doing. That might involve telling neighbors how MMJ can help treat people with a variety of medical conditions, or explaining the security features at your facility and your support of local nonprofits. “The trick is education, early and often. We go around and will present to various groups so that they are fully informed on what the MMJ-related business is, and – more importantly – what it is not,”Moriconi said. For example, he noted, you could stress that MMJ businesses are not methadone clinics and will not lead to people loiter- ing in the street, vandalism or traffic congestion. Ceti said education can include compiling a printed fact sheet that dispels common fears of MJ businesses – they attract criminal elements, for example, or encourage people to smoke cannabis inside the store.The fact sheet can be distributed at neighborhood meetings. An online version should also contain links to state regulatory officials who can provide detailed technical information, he said. In Montgomery County, Pennsylva- nia, Moriconi’s law firm created a seven- minute video illustrating the clinical aspects of a proposed dispensary, the owner’s expertise and the security meas- ures protecting the facility.The video – shown at the second of three zoning board meetings in early 2017 – worked, and the board granted the variance for the facility last March without any more community resistance. Tips for Cultivators While marijuana growers need to consider many of the same issues as retailers, there are key differences. Many cultivation concerns revolve around odor, particularly in the case of outdoor grows . In the Wenatchee Valley in rural Washington state, for example, neighbors complained in 2016 that the smell of mature marijuana plants from an outdoor grow was so strong they couldn’t even barbecue. Last year, county commissioners in the area approved stringent rules for odor control and other measures for marijuana cultivators. “On the cultivation side, it usually is a smell complaint, but there actually seems to be less overall resistance to a grow by neighbors – as long as you have proper zoning and political support.” Moriconi said. One way to mitigate unwanted smells is to move any outdoor plants into an indoor grow or greenhouse equipped with an odor-filtering system. Filters made with charcoal and other materi- als can trap noxious fume. If you are willing to spend even more money, sophisticated climate-control systems can reduce the need for exhausting air outside the building. Ceti said the cost of moving plants into even an elaborate greenhouse possi- bly could be offset by being able to grow year-round and better control the crop – versus an outdoor grow, which is at the mercy of the weather. Growers also should stress the eco- nomic benefits the business can bring to the local community.That can help you win over wary local government officials. “The grower needs to stress job creation more than anything – this is what the politicians care most about,” Moriconi said. In California, a big selling point California attorney Michele Brooke said it is important for cannabis business executives to be viewed as active members of the local community. Photo courtesy of Brooke Law Group 80 • Marijuana Business Magazine • March 2018