Overview
Your team decides whether the store is compliant at 9 p.m. on a Friday. Regulators expect written dispensary SOPs for everything from ID checks and purchase limits to receiving, waste and incident reporting, and they expect staff to follow them. Customers expect budtenders who know the product and the rules. Both depend on how you hire, train and manage.
Over more than eight years we have hired and trained opening teams for our own stores and written the SOPs and handbooks they run on. We adapt that system to your state, license and store, then help you recruit, train and certify the team before you open.
Who this is for
- Licensees within 90 days of opening
- Owners who need SOPs for an application or inspection
- Operators with high turnover or repeated compliance mistakes
- Stores adding delivery, a lounge or a new location
Problems we solve
Template SOPs
Procedures copied from another state cite the wrong rules and describe steps your store does not take.
Hiring too late
Staff arrive days before opening with no time to train or rehearse.
Untrained budtenders
Gaps in product knowledge, purchase limits and ID checks lead to violations and lost sales.
No accountability
Without role descriptions, checklists and sign-offs, nobody owns each step.
How we build your team
We start with the operating system we use in our own stores: role descriptions, checklists, SOPs and training modules refined over more than eight years. We adapt it to your state's rules, your license type and your store's layout, so every procedure matches what your team will actually do.
Hiring is paced to the opening date. Managers come first so they can help train and choose the team. Every new hire completes training and a short quiz before working the floor, and we run mock shifts with real systems so the first customer is not the first practice.
What is included
SOPs and handbook
- Standard operating procedures for your state, license and store
- Opening, closing, receiving, sales, returns, waste, recalls and incidents
- Employee handbook and policies
- Role checklists and daily, weekly and monthly logs
Hiring
- Org chart and staffing plan by shift
- Job descriptions and pay range research
- Interview guides and scoring
- Background check and badging steps required by the state
Training
- Budtender training on product, customer service and compliance
- Manager training on cash, inventory, scheduling and incident handling
- Required state training tracked and recorded
- Quizzes and sign-offs before staff work the floor
How the engagement runs
Discovery call
We learn your state, license, opening date, store size and staffing goals.
SOP drafting
We adapt our operating system to your store and state and review it with you.
Hiring plan
We set the org chart, schedule and job descriptions and support recruiting.
Training
We train managers first, then the full team, with quizzes and sign-offs.
Rehearse and open
We run mock shifts and keep refining SOPs through the first month.
Typical timeline
| Phase | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| SOPs and handbook | Weeks 1 to 4 |
| Hiring | Weeks 3 to 8 |
| Training and mock shifts | Final 2 to 3 weeks before opening |
Timelines depend on your state, your town and how quickly documents are ready. Anything that waits on a regulator or a local board runs on their schedule.
What you provide
- Opening date and hours
- Budget for payroll and training time
- Final floor plan and systems chosen
- A general manager or lead who will own the SOPs
Frequently asked questions
What SOPs does a dispensary need?
At minimum, procedures for ID and age checks, purchase limits, sales, receiving, inventory, returns, waste, recalls, security, cash handling, opening and closing, and incidents. Your state may require more.
Can I buy your SOPs without the training?
Yes. We license SOPs and handbooks adapted to your state, and recommend at least a short training session so your managers can run them.
How many people does a dispensary need to open?
It depends on hours, volume and layout. A small store may open with around a dozen people; larger stores need more. We size the team from your hours and expected traffic.
Do you provide state-required training?
Where states require specific training courses, we track that staff complete them. Our own training covers the operating side.
Can you train an existing team?
Yes. Refresher training for open stores is common after a failed inspection or a run of mistakes.
How is this priced?
Engagements are scoped and quoted after a discovery call, based on team size and whether you need SOPs, hiring, training or all three.
What makes a good budtender?
Product knowledge matters, but so do accuracy and judgment: checking ID every time, respecting purchase limits, recognizing when a customer needs a manager and following procedures on a busy shift. We hire and train for all of it.