Denver Relief operated six vertically integrated medical and recreational cannabis businesses in Colorado before launching as a consulting firm specializing in merit-based medical marijuana application processes. After selling four of its licenses and turning to consulting full-time, the Denver-based company has helped write licensing applications, design and build more than 1 million square feet of cultivation space and provide post-license advising to its clients.
An industry network is essential to consultants, says Partner and Lead Cultivation Consultant Nick Hice. A good example, says Hice, is Patrick McManamon and his team at Cannasure, an insurance provider for the cannabis industry, who have been instrumental to Denver Relief and its clients.
“Having valuable resources like Patrick and his team that can point our clients in the right direction is definitely a huge benefit,” Hice says.
Cannasure was one of the first insurance companies offering crop insurance, after Lloyd's of London (Denver Relief’s previous provider) stopped working with the cannabis industry. All Denver Relief’s clients use Cannasure’s insurance policies and employ about 80 percent of its products, from general liability to auto insurance. Cannasure is professional, timely, informative and willing to help, Hice says.
“They don’t just sell us the product,” he says. “They’re happy to answer questions. … Everybody’s a custom fit, so it’s not like everybody needs the exact same policies and coverage. They’re happy to work with you to explain what their products are and why you might choose one product, or one coverage, as opposed to another.”
McManamon and his team have also been leaders and activists in the industry, Hice says, supporting groups like the National Cannabis Industry Association and Marijuana Policy Project.
Cannasure has positively impacted Denver Relief and its clients through not only its willingness to serve the industry, but also by its deals on policy bundles and eagerness to do the right thing for its customers.
“They want to do right by us, and they want to help us out,” Hice says. “We’ve definitely saved on insurance policies over the years because Patrick is able to bundle lots of different products together and save on policy premiums.”
