The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) has more support than ever before going into its 10^th annual Hemp History Week. Not only has the 2018 Farm Bill’s hemp legalization provision boosted industry interest in the crop, but consumer-facing businesses around the U.S. will be hosting more than 1,500 events and connecting product manufacturers with a growing marketplace.

The 2019 campaign theme celebrates the “Return of the Plant.” As the HIA states: “Let’s reclaim the virtues of hemp after more than 80 years of prohibition and write a new history of hemp for future generations of farmers, consumers and manufacturers—a righteous, modern narrative of regenerative agriculture, renewable resources, plant-based nutrition and healthy lifestyles.”

While educational events will see consumers learning more about the nascent hemp industry, Hemp History Week will also encourage stakeholders of all stripes to take part in the groundswell of reform. Many state departments of agriculture are working on designing regulatory programs for hemp (which must then be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)), but others are not. And although the USDA will also get around to developing federal guidelines, the 2018 Farm Bill mostly passed the keys to state governments. 

A lot of the state action highlighted by Hemp History Week is pointed at allowing the retail sale of hemp-derived CBD products—as in Ohio or Florida. Newly legal hemp crop production is at odds with other industry forces.  

Indeed, the political significance of hemp reform also lands at a crossroads with the federal banking industry. Financial institutions have been shutting down accounts with hemp businesses, especially those that manufacture hemp-derived CBD products. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) kicked off a series of hearings on CBD policy May 31, the industry is still a long way from any real clarity on the matter. 

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp and its chemical constituents, but hemp-derived CBD has fallen into a regulatory gray area—thanks to its status as an active drug ingredient in Epidiolex. The FDA and many U.S. states have insisted that CBD may not be used as a food ingredient or dietary supplement; those uses, however, are the foundation of industry estimates that the hemp-derived CBD market growth rate will eclipse all other cannabis markets. The Brightfield Group reports that the hemp-derived CBD market will hit $22 billion by 2022. 

To meet the market where it’s headed, the HIA and other industry organizations have gathered to promote a certification program for hemp businesses. The groups awarded their first 13 certification seals in early March, but the new program has earned a fair bit of scrutiny from around the U.S. 

“For people who are participating in the industry, I think it’s important for them to reach out and let these officials know what they think the rules should be,” Kight Law Offices’ Rod Kight told Cannabis Business Times. “Five years from now—even a year from now—you won’t be able to do that.”

As sales increase across the cannabis industry, so too do the challenges of maintaining high-quality customer service. To keep customers coming back, convenience and engagement are two pillars of a positive in-store experience. Frank Mayer and Associates Inc. wants to help with that.

The company, located in Grafton, Wisc., and founded in 1931, is getting into the cannabis retail space with hopes to revitalize the shopping experience.

For decades, the company has transformed ideas into realities across major U.S. industries, implementing large-scale merchandising and interactive kiosk campaigns for well-known national brands and retailers. Frank Mayer’s Approach self-service kiosks were born from long-standing and unique insight into the kiosk industry.

Frank Mayer’s Approach self-service kiosks attend to common “pain points” in the retail environment,” Dave Loyda, Marketing Manager at Frank Mayer and Associates Inc., says. These include issues like long wait times and missed customer service opportunities—hurdles that need to be jumped, no matter the industry. In cannabis, retailers have a chance to course-correct in the early days of this market. Whether you’re running a business in Colorado or newer medical cannabis states like Oklahoma, the same principles drive success.

“As we explored the specific challenges of cannabis dispensaries further,” Loyda says, “we recognized there was a big opportunity for dispensaries to solve familiar problems using interactive self-service kiosks.”

Frank Mayer’s kiosk set-up is straightforward, and the equipment will blend seamlessly into any retail operation. The company’s line of kiosks includes 32-inch and 22-inch freestanding units along with a countertop unit, tablet and wall unit. “The line marries smart design with different sizes, offering an array of customization options, brand personalization and ADA accessibility,” Loyda says. “Good kiosk software is an essential component of the overall solution. Along with our software partner ADUSA Inc., who provides Self-Ordering software, we offer a complete turnkey solution.”

From there, the ADA-accessible Approach kiosks allow repeat customers or patients to quickly place their favorite order (across all product categories), print a ticket and pay at the counter without waiting for an associate to finish with a new buyer. In that way, the kiosks allow budtenders and dispensary staff to focus on the stream of new customers while delivering speedy service to longtime loyal customers who already know what they’re planning to purchase. The kiosks put the customers in charge of the retail experience.

The kiosks can even serve double duty as an educational resource, depending on how a dispensary operator sets them up in-store. In this way, many questions can still be answered at each kiosk.

“Subsequently,” Loyda says, “employees are then free to concentrate on offering impeccable service to those with questions or quickly help someone ready to check out.”

In many ways, Frank Mayer’s techniques borrow from the best practices of quick-service restaurants (QSRs). “Overall, the goal is to enhance or improve the guest experience and increase sales,” Loyda says. “Like QSR, customers do not want to have to wait in line. They want speed and accuracy in placing their orders. Additionally, just like in the restaurant world, redistribution of labor offers a customer service advantage. Kiosks provide that opportunity to free-up budtenders to provide a higher-level of service that will give retailers a significant advantage in a competitive market.”

Across nearly every segment of the U.S. cannabis industry, sales are growing. Dispensaries’ customers bases are expanding, and high-volume days are the norm. With those sales come long lines and a need for agile customer service. As dispensary management teams identify particular goals, Frank Mayer’s team can integrate the Approach self-service kiosks’ interactivity into a shop’s point-of-sale software, loyalty programs, customer order histories and overall sense of in-store traffic flow.

“The market continues to expand exponentially,” Loyda says. “As more states legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use, opportunities for in-store merchandising and interactive kiosks will continue to grow right along with it. As this retail industry moves rapidly forward, competition will increase, thus making it even more important for dispensaries to deliver a superior customer experience to attract new customers and create a loyal following.”

For more information, visit http://www.frankmayer.com/cannabis-dispensary-kiosk or contact info@frankmayer.com or (855) 294-2875.

Illinois is likely to become the 11^th U.S. state to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis after the state's House passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) 66-47 May 31—the last day before adjournment. The legislation has been sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who called for legalization in his gubernatorial campaign and has pledged to sign the law. 

The Senate passed the bill May 29. With Pritzker’s signature, Illinois will become the first state to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis through its legislative process.

“It’s fantastic. It’s the first legislature in the country to pass legalization,” Chris Lindsey, senior legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) told Cannabis Business Times. “It’s got absolutely historic equity provisions. It does an amazing amount to try to reduce the harms caused by the war on cannabis. It just hits so many of the notes. I’m extremely proud of everybody that was working in Illinois to make it possible.”

MPP played a significant role in drafting and advocating for the passage of the CRTA, working closely with the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassidy.

“MPP is proud to have worked hand-in-hand with state lawmakers and Gov. Pritzker to develop this historic legislation,” said MPP Executive Director Steve Hawkins in a public statement. “The Illinois Legislature has set a standard of excellence with this bill that other states seeking to pass similar legislation should follow. Illinois has put in place a set of equity provisions that should serve as a national model for other state legislatures grappling with how to redress the harm caused to communities targeted in the drug war.”

The bill mandates that starting Jan. 1, 2020, individuals 21 and older can legally possess up to 30 grams of flower, five grams of THC concentrate and five grams of THC in a marijuana-infused product. The state must establish a regulatory structure to license and regulate dispensaries, processors, cultivation centers, craft growers and transporters. Registered medical marijuana patients would be able to cultivate up to five plants at home under the bill.

The measure also includes expungement provisions that allow past convictions for possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis to be cleared automatically. For cases involving greater than that—up to 500 grams—individuals and the state’s attorneys would be able to petition a court to vacate the convictions.

“Cannabis criminalization in Illinois is coming to an end,” said Illinois NORML Executive Director Dan Linn in a public statement. “While this bill isn't perfect, it does provide a pathway for adults to legally obtain and consume cannabis. It also expands access and rights for qualified medical patients. Importantly, the bill provides much needed relief to those most harmed by the legacy of prohibition and emphasizes giving those who have been most harmed by cannabis criminalization preference in establishing a foothold in this new industry.”

“We're going to be able to look back five years from now and see that the quality of life in disadvantaged communities has been made better because of this legislation,” added Chicago NORML Executive Director Edie Moore, also in a public statement.