Marijuana Business Magazine July 2018

You also want someone who has a vision for the company’s future. The HR person should be able to help the CEO work out which positions are going to be filled as the business grows and help create the founda- tions of the whole company. “The human resources profes- sional is going to be integral to the growth of the company,” Heise said. Steve Gormley, a member of the board of directors at Juju Royal, Julian Marley’s brand of medical cannabis products, wants someone who is even tempered. “There are some pretty volatile personalities” in the industry, he said. “Anyone who’s worked in the black mar- ket that has managed to survive, then thrive and legitimize, has ridden a rough path; so, temperament is critical.” A successful hire should have the ability to maintain composure when dealing with high-stress situations – such as sexual harassment allega- tions – and with various personality types unaccustomed to the traditional corporate world. “Someone in HR has to be a peacemaker and a problem solver,” he added. Hodas wants someone who understands the cannabis indus- try’s culture. “By that I mean you can’t have the HR manager from a bank come over and put in place policies from a bank,” he said. Cannabis companies are typi- cally staffed with people who might be resistant to that type of management. “There has to be an understand- ing of the organic culture within the industry and within the individual companies,” Hodas added. The person should also have a good understanding of cannabis in the workplace and of marijuana the industry as a whole. “Those are very specific chal- lenges in HR that don’t necessarily exist for other industries,” he said. In addition, the right candidate needs to understand that not all vendors want to work with canna- bis businesses, so it might take a little more effort to find providers of payroll or time-management tools, for example. “Functionalities that you might find in other industries simply aren’t available to us here, so it’ll have to be homemade in some ways,” Hodas said. BACKGROUND Heise isn’t necessarily looking for someone with cannabis indus- try experience. Paralegals who have worked for law firms are good candidates, she said. They know how to comply quickly and don’t have to continu- ously look up processes. “If somebody actually has human resources experience, that’s a huge benefit,” she said. “But really there’s not much difference between human resources in the cannabis industry versus human resources in the normal world.” Gormley, by contrast, pre- fers employees with industry experience. “Having someone who under- stands the intricacies of the plant and the consumer, I find, is really critical,” he said. That way, the employee knows the challenges and difficulties a cannabis business can experience. “It’s always my preference to hire someone who has had some failures and success in cannabis,” he added. Hodas prefers a candidate with an HR background, but he really wants someone who is flexible. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cannabis company executives don’t often make developing a human resources department a priority. But hiring the right HR person can make a big difference for your company. When looking to hire an HR pro, look for someone who: • Can help your company execute its vision for growth by hiring the right people. • Knows how to roll with the punches. The cannabis industry is ever-changing and dynamic. • Will help you develop standard operating procedures and employee handbooks that set the tone for your company. • Relates well to people, as your HR pro will be handling delicate personnel matters. • Fits in well with the culture of the cannabis industry, which can be a little more freewheeling than other job sectors. Joe Hodas is chief operating officer of General Cannabis in Denver. Leah Heise is chief experience officer for Mission Partners. 108 • Marijuana Business Magazine • July 2018