Budding New Industry

Cannabis retailer MedMen is leading the way in facilities management for the emerging trade

By Scott Mason

Although not yet federally legal, as it stands now, 33 states have passed pro-marijuana legislation, including 10 of those approving recreational use for adults. With wider access and availability to marijuana, the demand has grown significantly for cannabis retail facilities. Enter MedMen, a now publicly traded marijuana retailer based in Culver City, California. With stores in California, Nevada and New York, and store-front operations soon to open in Florida, MedMen is poised to become one of the retail giants in the cannabis business. 

As the industry evolves, so too does the need for best practices focused on facilities management. Andres Ott, Facilities Manager at MedMen, has played a key role in fulfilling the company’s mission to provide a great customer experience. “My FM background includes experience in: residential, commercial, food distribution, global facilities and national retail. When MedMen decided to expand their retail presence and hire a facilities leader, I went all in and I haven’t looked back,” Ott said. 

State by state

Since the industry is relatively new, and somewhat segmented based on state-to-state code variances, MedMen employees are often tasked with navigating the laws and regulations in the city or state in which they operate. Ott’s job, however, is to ease the burden by taking worries about facilities off their plates. “Although each state — and even some cities — have different regulations, those slight variations don’t necessarily change what my role is within the portfolio. My job is to minimize the time spent by our retail and hospitality partners focusing on the facility and allow them to provide world-class service to our customers,” Ott said. “The only difference for me is understanding how regulations have changed from state-to-state or city-to-city and ensure we do not have any glaring concerns or issues that would cause a store to get shut down. Our compliance team is very strong and professional and are great partners in ensuring MedMen is compliant across the chain.”

When asked about the future of the cannabis industry, Ott said that expansion to other states is on the horizon. “As the future continues to develop, I see a continued expansion into states that provide their constituents adult use options in addition to the medical aspect that allows for patients to seek alternative medications for many ailments including getting away from opioids to manage pain,” Ott explained. “Every day you hear or read in the news of additional states considering adult use initiatives. I see cannabis expanding into more states as the months go by and full federalization within the next few years.” 

Looking forward 

As we track the future of the cannabis industry, facilities management will play a big role in the success or failure of these new retail stores. Andres Ott and MedMen understand this and will continue to make an impact in evolving not only the cannabis market, but the retail market as a whole. 

Sidebar: Five Tips for FMs Looking to Add Cannabis to Retail Lineups

“As states continue to legalize cannabis sales for tax generating purposes, the idea of integrating it into other retail environments may be enticing to retailers. However, with the regulatory aspect cannabis contains currently, I do not see it being distributed like alcohol or cigarettes,” Ott predicted. He offered five suggestions for FMs that may be looking to add cannabis sales to their product lineup in the future:

➊ Ensure you understand the compliance aspects of cannabis and what your facilities need to do to be compliant.

➋ Partner with your retail team to understand their strategy and streamline support.

➌ Define a facility request. With compliance pressure, facilities tend to be the catch-all and should involve other partners to ensure everyone understands their responsibilities.

➍ Have a robust software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that can grow, while being nimble with changes or adjustments that occur within your realm.

➎ Be prepared to take on everything. Define the needs of every partner involved.

 

Take a Cannabis Tour

As cannabis has become legal in Colorado and other states, a new vertical retail market sector has emerged. Come join us as we take a closer look at the growing retail cannabis industry. This 2.5-hour tour will visit two dispensaries and one cannabis grow facility. The tour will focus on retail operations and will be led by a team of guides who have an extensive background in cannabis retail, general retail operations, as budtenders, store management and territory managers. They will share insights into grow operations, MIPs (marijuana infused products) and much more.

By attending this session, you will:

• Learn about marijuana facilities codes, standards and managing hazards.

• Comprehend the basics of cannabis law and regulations.

• Evaluate the difference in medical versus recreational use.

• Discuss facilities management challenges for dispensaries and grow facilities.

Monday, April 29, 2019

8:00 A.M.-11:00 A.M., MST

Cannabis Dispensary & Grow Facility Tour – $125

Register at prsmnational.com

Must be at least 21 years of age and provide a valid U.S. issued ID or passport at the tour check in. Includes continental breakfast and transportation.