Quantum 9 is a cannabis consulting firm based in Chicago, IL. Specialized in assisting high net worth individuals, private equity, and investment firms with the complicated process of obtaining licenses to cultivate, manufacture and dispense marijuana and marijuana products, Quantum 9 employs over 35 consultants to streamline the license application process.
Quantum 9 employs expert United States Food and Drug Administration grant writers to assist with their Marijuana Application Services. The scope of Governmental knowledge of cannabis business operators has become sophisticated and penetrative, and by using FDA grant writers as part of their Marijuana Application Services Quantum 9 is able to assist applicants in creating a highly detailed story and narrative to present to governing bodies as part of their business plan.
Putting together the best possible team is a pivotal when approaching regulating authorities as a petitioner for a cannabis licence Quantum 9’s Marijuana Application Services begin by creating a detailed, high resolution financial analysis of the target market to assist applicants in understanding the potential costs and return on investment associated with their potential project. In typical markets with high competition, the acquisition phase of securing a license to obtain, cultivate, manufacture or dispense marijuana can cost $500,000-$2,000,000 depending on various market variables and the criteria required for submission of the license.
The day-one cost of obtaining a cannabis licence is typically within the region of $2,000,000 – $10,000,000 once the license has been provisioned. Quantum 9 has one of the highest success rates for any marijuana application consulting firm in the world, having successfully obtained 22 separate marijuana licenses out of 24 license submissions, translating into a 91.6% success rate.
Step No. 1. Research The Law
Knowing the relevant Cannabis Law and Rules in the region you are applying for a marijuana license is the first and most important step in the process of applying for the license. In situations where state legislation regarding the possession, cultivation, manufacture or distribution of marijuana have not yet passed it is important to frequently assess pending legislation and monitor the development of the market to anticipate potential market shifts. Playing an active role in the process of Rule suggestion can bring positive attention to your team.
Maintaining an awareness of the elected officials that support bills that will assist in providing a legislative outcome that can assist your position, and competitive advantages can be gained in the application process by aligning with these officials. If making direct contact with a congressman is not possible, aligning with lobby groups that has a demonstrable and positive history of interaction with elected officials that applicants wish to associate with can produce positive effects on Cannabis Law and Rules that affect Marijuana License Application. Elected officials that vote positively on cannabis regulatory legislation often see the positive effects of cannabis trade within the state or can personally benefit from healthy marijuana markets and the process of identifying and tracking these individuals is important.
Once pro-marijuana legislation has been signed into law by the governor of a state, becoming quickly fluent in the specifics of the law is a key factor in the application process, with the details of the enacted bill providing the most important information to applicants. States that sign pro-cannabis legislation into law will determine which branch of the governmental body will spearhead the law and manage integration, and at this point personnel will be selected to oversee this process.
States such as New York, Massachusetts and Florida utilize the Department of Health to incorporate Marijuana Law, which is the most common arm of the government to shoulder the responsibility. In some outlying cases this process can be controlled by the Department of Health and Hygiene, or the Department of Public Safety followed by the Department of Health such as the rollout of the dispensary model in the state of Hawaii.
Step No. 2. Know the Right People
The ideal scenario in the process of applying for a license to cultivate, manufacture and dispense marijuana and marijuana products is to have a close associate take on the role of Commissioner of the Cannabis Program. If this is not possible, aligning with the Cannabis Program Commissioner can produce invaluable results, either directly or via working with existing lobbyist groups.
Obtaining face-to-face discussion time with the Commissioner of the Cannabis Program is a key factor in obtaining a Marijuana License, as being able to provide expert subject matter knowledge and informational value such as the potential life-saving applications of Cannabis-derived medical technology and its ability to save the lives of children with fatal diseases can provide compelling pro-cannabis arguments.
Bringing this life-saving technology to the attention of the Commissioner of the Cannabis Program and raising awareness of the natural therapeutic properties of the cannabis plant to a legislator can prove to be an exceptionally effective tool in creating a positive outcome in cannabis law creation. Once the voting constituents of a state have become aware of the ability of cannabis to save the lives of children it becomes very difficult for the government to remove the freedom of cannabis treatment.
Step No. 3. Know the Rules
The third element in a successful marijuana license application is gaining a comprehensive understanding of the minutiae that compose the governing rules and regulation of the state’s cannabis program. The Cannabis Commissioner, together with the state, will form a personnel structure for the program and assign the head roles.
Subsequently, draft regulations will be composed and published, or rules and regulations that govern the possession, cultivation, manufacture and distribution of marijuana and marijuana products within the state. These draft regulations often closely resemble regulations imposed in other states and once the program become recreational or “adult use” the Liquor Control Board will likely begin to oversee the program, as has been demonstrated in Washington and Oregon.
States government often take many elements of their cannabis regulations from the Marijuana Policy Project Guidelines, as well as recommendations from the American Herbal Products Association and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Applicants can increase their profile and standing with the regulatory board by submitting frequent pertinent questions to the state website, which helps to make the applicant appear as a more serious petitioner for licensing to the government.
Demonstrating foresight by playing an active role in the construction of a cannabis regulation system lends credibility and gravitas to the position of the applicant. Applicants should construct questions that provide definitive answers on the various elements of their business, such as the legality of cannabis delivery services which is a profitable and popular point of difference in the states in which is it possible.
Step No. 4. Engage Experts
The most important step in the application process is locating and engaging a Cannabis Consulting Company. Many of the most successful Cannabis Consulting Companies charge significant consultancy fees to guide applicants through the lengthy and complicated licensing and permit acquisition process.
Engaging a Cannabis Consulting Company often multiplies the pursuit capital cost associated with obtaining a permit but provides an excellent return on income in measurable effects such as time saved and quantifiable success probability enhancement. Cannabis Consulting Companies maintain a vast network of critical cannabis contracts, industry experts and strategic partnerships.
When selecting a Cannabis Consulting Company it’s important to engage a firm that has no less than twenty submissions, as a Cannabis Consulting Company without a demonstrably successful history of licensing applications can often make the application process more difficult and in some cases hinder the chances of an applicant gaining a permit.
Cannabis Consulting Companies that maintain an active interest in the cannabis industry such as a marijuana production, manufacturing or dispensing facility often have a greater understanding of the best practices for licensing application than firms limited to strictly observing and consulting in the industry.
Step No. 5. Get State Info
Most states make information on Marijuana regulation and legislation changes available on the official state website. Many states will create a dedicated site to collate and serve public information on medical marijuana, and usually offer automatic email notifications which are an excellent resource for license applicants.
The ‘frequently asked questions’ sections of state medical marijuana sites provide comprehensive answers to common questions relevant to the application process, such as outdoor marijuana cultivation legality, marijuana delivery service regulation, and the qualifying criteria for patients seeking medical marijuana approval.
Step No. 6. Know the Advisors
The governing body of the state marijuana program, generally the Department of Health Advisory Board, will appoint a team of advisors. Applicants are encouraged to engage these advisors as they often have an impact in the specific criteria patients must meet to qualify for the medical marijuana registry. Many states limit the amount of illnesses and diseases that allow patients to qualify, and the advisory board to the Department of Health will be consulted to form a list of these conditions.
Working with these advisors to facilitate the inclusion of Chronic Pain and Sleep Disorders vastly increases the range of acceptable conditions for medical marijuana, and is responsible for the success of markets such as the Colorado market, which reported a turnover of $996 million in 2015. These conditions have a wide range of key indicators and symptoms and the inclusion of these disorders will increase the size of the marketable demographic in the applicant’s state.
Step No. 7. Follow the Department Heads
The Department Heads related to the cannabis program of the applicant’s state are highly important in the cannabis regulation process. Over the course of the evolution of cannabis law from drafting, to legislation, to law, these individuals play a key role and are consulted by law firms, conference organizers, special interest groups and more to share their knowledge of the program.
Events such as conferences are an excellent opportunity for applicants to obtain answers to complex questions that aren’t easily answered by resources such as the state medical marijuana website.
Step No. 8. Attend Town Hall Meetings
Once medical marijuana rules have been finalized and published, most states will usually host a town hall meeting to facilitate public comment on the decisions made. Town Hall Meetings provide an excellent opportunity to expose your company and brand to the public when proposing questions of commenting during the meeting. By asking carefully composed, penetrative questions, applicants are able to create a lasting impression on listeners and by stating a concise overview of their intentions before beginning questioning provide the public with a clear view of their company philosophy.
Asking pertinent, answerable questions is an efficient method of gaining traction in the industry, but applicants are advised to avoid framing questions around the provisioning of the first clones and seeds from the state, as the genetics that are used to cultivate the first wave of product are legally ambiguous. One solution to this issue of ‘Immaculate Conception’ is the importing of genetics from another state or university research center by a Schedule 1 Narcotic Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) license holder.
Step No. 8. Write a Good Plan
As with any business venture, constructing and delineating a comprehensive Cannabis Business Plan that outlines a deal structure for potential investors and a Pro Forma is critical. Once an applicant has announced their proposed conditions, market size can be determined. Some states place a limit on production, which can have a negative effect on operations side of the cultivation process.
Many states adhere to the practice of placing a cap on cultivation, such as Hawaii’s plant count limit of 3,000 plants per cultivation center or Michigan’s 12 plants per patient limit. The average population of a state enrolled on medical marijuana registers is 1.5% to 2.4% of the populace.
Step No. 9. Acquire Property and Assets
Historically, many state regulatory bodies have been demonstrated to award licenses for the cultivation, manufacture and distribution of marijuana and marijuana products in favour of applicants who owned physical property in the state as opposed to merely possessing an option on the land. Acquiring the right property is an integral part of the application process, with properties in the correct zoning with access to a minimum of 7,500 kVA ideal.
Engaging an independent testing agency to assess to quality and purity of the water available in the immediate area is recommended before purchasing property. In some cases a lack of purity in the water that is available to a building may require extensive treatment before being suitable for cultivation and could necessitate the installation of expensive filtration systems before beginning the production process.
Purchasing property is recommended to applicants for both the positive effect it has on the probability of being issued a license and the overall net positive effect on the value of the business. Cannabis specific fitouts can require either the retrofit of an existing building or the construction of a new production facility, and are frequently established as a joint venture between two or more companies, split between license holders and asset holders.
Step No. 10. Align with Out of State Operators.
The American cannabis cultivation ecosystem has an existing large-scale network of manufacturers, dispensaries and cultivation operators across many states. Aligning with these operators from neighbouring or cross-country states can assist cannabis production companies with a wide range of benefits such as exclusive deals with other cannabis business operators, lawyers, specialist accountants, bonding companies, experienced extraction operators, formulation experts and marijuana consultants.
