Tag Archives: training

September 6, 2016

Adam Jacques and Team Launch Sproutly, Dispensary in Eugene, Oregon

By Aaron G. Biros

Adam Jacques and his team officially launched the newest arm of their business last week, Sproutly, a dispensary located in Eugene, Oregon. “This is an extension of what the Grower’s Guild Gardens does and what the Microgrower’s Guild was,” says Jacques. The Grower’s Guild Gardens, Jacques’ award-winning cultivation business, is known for their high-CBD genetics and patient-focused work, most notably with Leni Young, which helped lead to the passing of legislation in Alabama called Leni’s Law, decriminalizing the possession of cannabis oil for patients in the state.

Sproutly’s shelves boast over 75 strains of cannabis from Jacques’ farm.

Sproutly is a medical and recreational dispensary that boasts a wide variety of high-CBD strains, a reflection of the team’s focus in the past. “We are extremely medically focused with a variety of unique CBD strains in stock,” says Jacques. “First and foremost are the patients, but entering the recreational market means we will be carrying a wider variety.” The opening of the dispensary is well timed as the team received their Tier II cultivation license, allowing them to grow cannabis up to 20,000 square feet in an outdoor space and 5,000 square feet indoor. So in addition to the handful of brands they carry, including Lunchbox Alchemy edibles, Northwest Kind and Marley Naturals, they also carry over 75 strains from their own Grower’s Guild Gardens.

Adam Jacques in front of a display shelf at Sproutly.

Adam and Debra Jacques pride themselves in rigid standards for quality in sourcing, so it should be no surprise that they plan on supplying their dispensary with over 150 strains coming from more than 1,200 plants on their farm. “We really only take products from people we know and trust,” says Jacques. “That is why most of the flower in the dispensary is coming from our farm, so we know exactly what is going into it.” Jacques points to third-party certifications such as Clean Green, for other vendors to find reputable growers. “I need to know where it is coming from and that requires a personal relationship to trust the quality of their products.” The value of trust and personal relationships is also why they go through extensive training of their staff, using their own expertise for in-house training.

The team includes Chris West, Elton Prince and John De Kluyver, all of whom have a decade or more of experience cultivating cannabis and working with patients. “We take our bud tenders through training classes, they get tested on their knowledge of products and the science of cannabinoids and terpenes and how the combinations affect people differently,” says Jacques. By leveraging that high level of in-house expertise, the team prides themselves on customer service, helping patients and customers find the right strain or product that suits them best.

In the front of the dispensary, a receptionist greets patients or customers, checking identification and showing you to a bud tender. As you walk into the retail space, you immediately notice the professionalism of the staff, taking time to personalize each customer’s experience without making him or her feel rushed. The clean aesthetics, product selection and knowledgeable staff provide for a friendly retail culture without the common ‘stoner culture’ that usually follows.

Jacques and his team will not be trading in their overalls and work boots just yet as they are inching toward harvesting their 1,200 outdoor cannabis plants soon. Grinning ear-to-ear, Jacques showed off his Tier II cultivation license on the farm, and with it came a glimpse into their exciting growth.

August 24, 2016

Greenhouse Ventures Names Lindy Snider Lead Advisor

By Aaron G. Biros

No Comments

Greenhouse Ventures (GHV), a cannabis business accelerator based in Philadelphia, PA, announced they are bringing on Lindy Snider as the lead advisor to the organization. GHV helps seed-stage startups through a ten-week, 90-hour curriculum-based program. Using industry mentors and staff, the accelerator trains founders on emerging best practices of building sustainable cannabis businesses and helping them to raise up to $5 million in seed or growth capital, according to a press release.

Lindy Snider, lead advisor at Greenhouse Ventures

Snider is the founder and chief executive officer of a Philadelphia-based skin therapy company, LindiSkin, as well as an investor in KIND Financial and Poseidon Asset Management. According to Snider, she is involved in a number of cannabis related ventures at the moment. “In a nascent industry like cannabis, early stage companies require hands-on training reinforced with constant mentorship and continuing education,” says Snider. “Greenhouse Ventures is taking a unique education-technology approach towards early- stage venture development, which stands to benefit entrepreneurs who get accepted into their accelerator, as well as investors who are evaluating accelerator graduates for a potential investment.” Snider’s late father, Ed Snider, was the chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company that owns the Philadelphia Flyers.

According to Tyler Dautrich, co-founder of Greenhouse Ventures, Lindy Snider is an extraordinarily valuable asset. “Lindy has been essential in the early success that Greenhouse Ventures has experienced to date and we are fortunate to name such an active and respected member of the investment community as our lead advisor,” says Dautrich. The company will be hosting two ten-week semesters in February and September every year. Applicants that are accepted into the program typically receive an average of $60,000 in professional services in exchange for a minor equity stake in their venture. Those accepted applicants are not required to relocate, as virtual participation is available.

Kevin Provost, Greenhouse Ventures co-founder and chief operating officer, believes Snider has played an instrumental role in the company’s growth. “From day one, Lindy has supported Greenhouse Ventures’ goal of positioning Pennsylvania as the east-coast cannabis and industrial hemp capital of the country, and with the recent passing of SB3, Greenhouse Ventures is in a unique position to make Philadelphia the epicenter of medical research and ancillary technology innovation,” says Provost. The organization is currently accepting applications for its Fall 2016 semester in Philadelphia beginning October 3^rd and culminating with Demo Day on December 8^th.

June 2, 2016

A2LA, Americans for Safe Access Announce Cannabis-Specific Lab Accreditation

By Aaron G. Biros

2 Comments

The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and Americans for Safe Access (ASA) announced yesterday a collaboration to develop a cannabis-specific laboratory accreditation program based upon the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and ASA’ s Patient Focused Certification (PFC) Program. Accreditation under this program will offer the highest level of recognition and provide the most value to the laboratory and users of the products tested, according to a press release published yesterday. ASA is the largest medical cannabis patient advocacy group in the United States. “A2LA is pleased to partner with ASA to offer a cannabis testing laboratory accreditation program to ISO/IEC 17025 as well as the additional laboratory requirements from ASA’s Patient Focused Certification Program,” says Roger Brauninger, biosafety program manager at A2LA.

PFC-A2LA — Pictured left to right: Kristin Nevedal, Program Manager, PFC at ASA;
Jahan Marcu, Ph.D Chief Scientist, PFC at ASA;
Roger Brauninger, BioSafety Program Manager, A2LA;
Michelle Bradac, Senior Accreditation Officer, A2LA

The program affirms that cannabis laboratories are compliant with state and local regulations and ensures that they adhere to the same standards that are followed by laboratories used and inspected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) among other regulatory bodies. The two non-profit organizations will offer their first joint training course at A2LA’s headquarters in Maryland from July 11^th to the 15^th. During this course, participants will receive training on PFC’s national standards for the cultivation, manufacture, dispensing, and testing of cannabis and cannabis products, combined with ISO/IEC 17025 training.

The guidelines for cannabis operations that serve as the basis for this accreditation program were issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Cannabis Committee, an industry stakeholder panel, and have already been adopted by sixteen states. “We are very excited to see the PFC program join the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation efforts to help fully establish a robust and reliable cannabis testing foundation,” says Jeffrey Raber, chief executive officer of The Werc Shop, a PFC-certified cannabis testing laboratory. “It is a great testament to ASA’s commitment to quality in their PFC program by partnering with a world-renowned accrediting body to set a new standard for cannabis testing labs.”

According to Kristin Nevedal, program director of PFC, this is an important first in the industry. “This new, comprehensive accreditation program affirms laboratory operations are meeting existing standards and best practices, adhering to the ISO/IEC 17025 criteria, and are compliant with state and local regulations,” says Nevedal. “This program is the first of its kind developed specifically for the cannabis industry, giving confidence to patients as well as regulators that their test results on these products are accurate and consistent.”

“The program will combine the expertise and resources of the country’s largest accreditation body with the scientific rigor and knowledge base of the nation’s largest medical cannabis advocacy group, benefitting the myriad of laboratories tasked with analyzing cannabis products,” says Nevedal. According to Brauninger, a cannabis-specific accreditation program is vital to the industry’s constantly shifting needs. “The ability to now offer a cannabis testing laboratory accreditation program that is tailored to address the unique concerns and issues of the industry will help to add the necessary confidence and trust in the reliability and safety of the cannabis products on the market,” says Brauninger. “Those laboratories that gain accreditation under this program will be demonstrating that they adhere to the most comprehensive and relevant set of criteria by their compliance to both the underlying framework of the internationally recognized ISO/IEC 17025:2005 quality management system standard and the specific guidelines issued by the AHPA Cannabis Committee.” This type of collaboration could represent a milestone in progress toward achieving a higher level of consumer safety in the cannabis industry.

April 5, 2016

Are You Ready For an Inspection?

By Maureen McNamara, Lezli Engelking

1 Comment

Would you be proud to have your customers and patients tour your production facility? When health inspectors or enforcement personnel arrive at your location is there sense of panic or pride?

When you have detailed systems in place, inspections should be informative, not stressful. Keep in mind that in the cannabis industry, products are often created for patients. Patients may have a compromised immune system and thus are more susceptible to food borne illnesses, pesticides and other contaminants.

Are you and your team doing everything you can to produce a wholesome and safe product?

According to the World Health Organization, Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) “is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced according to quality standards.”

GMP is the proactive part of quality assurance. It is designed to minimize the risks involved in all steps of the manufacturing process. A basic tenant of GMP is that quality cannot be tested into a product. It must be built into each batch of product during all stages of the manufacturing process.

GMPs involve much more than most people think. A common misconception is that GMP only covers the process of manufacturing itself. GMPs actually cover all aspects of the production process:

Materials
Premises
Equipment
Storage
Record Keeping
Staff Training to Hygiene
How Complaints Are Handled

GMP & The Cannabis Industry

In most industries, agencies that control licensing for the manufacture and sale of a product recommend GMPs, or guidelines to business owners. These guidelines provide minimum requirements that a manufacturer must meet to assure that products are of high quality and do not pose any risk to the consumer or public. The guidelines generally become the basis of regulation for that industry.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends guidelines for anything food, drug or pharmaceutical related.

Because cannabis still remains illegal at the federal level, none of the federal agencies that would normally develop good manufacturing guidelines have done so. This has left state lawmakers and business owners on their own to navigate this new and rapidly developing industry.

The Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards (FOCUS) has developed standards with a mission to protect public health, consumer safety and safeguard the environment by promoting integrity in the cannabis industry.

The comprehensive implementation of cannabis specific good manufacturing practices, like the FOCUS standards, across all aspects of the industry will assist business owners and regulators alike, addressing quality proactively at every step in the process, which is critical to protecting consumer safety and public health – and the overall success of a nascent and divisive industry like cannabis.

The FOCUS standards are completing the final phase of development, a thirty-day public review and comment period before being released for use in the marketplace in June. These voluntary consensus-based standards are built on GMPs drawn from agriculture, food production, chemical management, OTCs, pharmaceuticals, and other relevant industries. In addition, the standards draw best practices from the cannabis industry, as well as those published in OSHA, FDA, FTC, CDC, ISO, code of federal regulations and various state-level cannabis regulations.

There are many aspects of creating and implementing GMPs. Here are three to be aware of:

Get the facility design right from the start: It’s much easier to be GMP compliant if the design and construction of the facilities and equipment are right from the start. It is important to embody GMP principles and use GMPs to drive every decision.

Document what you do and do what you document: Having good procedures in place to ensure a controlled and consistent performance is an essential part of GMP. Procedures should be clear, concise, logical, and available to everyone.

Keep good records: Keeping accurate records is an essential part of GMP. It helps convey that you are following procedures and demonstrates that processes are known and under control. If it’s not written down, it did not happen.

Standards and quality programs in any industry are dynamic by nature. Nothing is static. Standards must constantly be updated to reflect ever-changing market conditions. This is why it is so crucial that regulations are based on them.

To be a standard, there are certain core principals that must be present. However, the goal of a standard is to guide an industry without impeding or controlling it. This is why there is so much inherent value in implementing standards. They bring enough structure to help reduce costs and increase efficiency, but not so much control that individual nuances or creativity is affected.

It is much less expensive to be proactive. Recovering from a recall or contaminated product can not only be costly, it is a massive hit to the company’s reputation. It may take years for sales to recover, and for consumers to trust the product again. Where could you and your team enhance your standards and processes?

March 23, 2016

Quality From Canada

Quality Training in a GMP Testing Facility: 8 Steps to Get Employees Compliant

By Tegan Adams

1 Comment

Eurofins-Experchem Laboratories is a Health Canada and FDA-accredited analytical laboratory with a regulatory support division. The laboratory carries out testing for many different sectors including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, natural health products and medical devices. Starting in 2014, cannabis testing was incorporated into the mix. One reason our results so accurate is due to rigorous staff orientation and training method. Diligent staff training and monitoring is very important for success as a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) facility with a Drug Establishment Licence and Narcotics License. So what does that look like on the inside? Saif Al-Dujaili, our quality assurance manager, Sohil Mana, our vice president of operations, and I will provide some guidelines for developing training programs below.

Introductory Session: When any new employee starts an introductory phase, it begins with general admin, a facility tour, policy manual training, govt. legislation overview and health and safety training and orientation (WHIMS and Bill 168) specific to our lab. We record signatures on any pertinent forms for SOPs that the new employee will be using.
Standard Operating Procedures: Any new employee must read all related SOPs and is evaluated on their understanding of them through questionnaires/quizzes. SOPs are written for all equipment, instrumentation or process that is applied in the lab, to ensure consistency across operations.
Laws and Regulations: New employees must be familiar or familiarized with Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Laboratory Practices. Analysts are required to read all sections of the USP pertinent to their role, as decided by the quality manager and/or dept. head and a checklist is recorded on training.
Methods: Different methods are used to test products including Compendium or other published methods with organizations such as the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) and the American Chemical Society (ACS). Client Methods and house-developed methods are also used. If there is a change to any method, a change control form must be filled out and documented.
Documentation: Documentation is very important in a GMP lab. All data is recorded in a hard cover bound book and/or approved worksheets. Quality assurance data reviewers are responsible for ensuring all data is being recorded properly.
Sample Management: Employees are trained on sample management related to sample entry, how samples are distributed to analysts, turn-around time, and where finished projects are placed.
Training Forms: Everything an employee learns must be recorded and filed for records. Analysts must follow a training matrix on qualitative and quantitative testing methods. Recurrent training occurs each 3 years or less depending on the position the analyst holds. Any updates on GMPs, new instruments or equipment is ongoing and recorded. Experchem runs “ghost” samples through its laboratory to ensure compliance by employees at any given time. Employees are evaluated on their abilities to comply.
Ongoing Training: Once employees are up and running they also receive monthly training in the lab and an annual GMP training followed by a comprehensive quiz that must be passed for them to continue work.

Interested in learning more about cannabis testing in Canada and the US? Contact Tegan Adams, business development manager with Eurofins at teganadams@eurofins.com.

Editor’s Note: Eurofins-Experchem has helped submit over 150 MMPR applications to Health Canada and continues to work with 10 of the 27 licensed MMPR producers in Canada. Their regulatory affairs division has started working with companies applying to produce and distribute cannabis in those states, which are new to its sale and distribution. They offer services include writing SOPs, training staff and performing mock inspection audits.

October 19, 2015

Manufacturing Edibles With Integrity

By Aaron G. Biros

No Comments

Without federal guidance on food products containing marijuana (a result of the plant remaining a Schedule I narcotic), state regulators and manufacturers are fighting to keep the market safe for consumers. Manufacturers of marijuana edibles are not only trying to ensure consumer safety, but are also attempting to advance industry and legalization efforts nationwide.

Recent investigations in Colorado revealed that certain marijuana edibles, along with some extracts, tested positive for illegal pesticides. Many cannabis businesses are looking to the industry leaders in edibles manufacturing for advice. Marijuana edibles are a food product, so they must first enlist standard food sanitation procedures and then comply with state regulations for cannabis to ensure safety. Some of the product consumers are patients with weakened immune systems, thus highlighting the need for consistent and accurate dosing in products.

Maureen McNamara, founder of Cannabis Trainers, recently sat on a panel with Bob Eschino, co-founder of incredibles and Krystal Kiathara, CEO of Yummi Karma at the Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo, hosted by the International Cannabis Association in Los Angeles. The panelists discussed the need for integrity in manufacturing edibles.

The regulations are not quite there yet and states are adjusting legislation to help promote safety. “It is our job to educate legislators and make sure that our products are accurate and consistent,” said Bob Eschino, co-founder of incredibles.

Maureen McNamara says there are four criteria for producing edibles with integrity: Compliance, training, research and product testing.

“Starting with the foundation of compliance, utilizing strategies involving HACCP plans and FDA guidance, the first pillar is training,” says McNamara. “Food safety training is essential to ensure your team is aware and making a wholesome product.” She also stressed the importance of shelf-life testing and R&D before the product goes onto shelves.

Because food laboratories often will not test products that contain cannabis, many companies work with food scientists and in-house testing. “Moving forward, we need to ensure that we achieve consistent results from the various testing labs,” said McNamara. “But to make edibles with integrity, laboratory testing is paramount.”