by Jeff Eckenrode, COO

Over the past 10 years, a lot has changed in the cannabis dispensary world.

Back in 2014, you couldn’t even enter a dispensary without prior authorization from a doctor and a medical marijuana card.

Now you, your friends, and even your grandparents can waltz into a dispensary like Hashtag with nothing more than a valid ID and a little bit of curiosity!

Dispensaries like Hashtag are chock full of products, from traditional flower, hash and edibles to cutting-edge capsules, thirst-quenching beverages and even smoking accessories shaped like an octopus!

But what goes on behind the scenes at a dispensary? Washington state’s cannabis laws and regulations are some of the strictest in the US.

Cannabis Dispensary laws and regulations — Photo credit: Dariusz Sankowski

So how do thousands of products from hundreds of different brands make it from the farm to the shop to your hands?

To find out, we sat down with Hashtag’s very own Inventory Manager and expert on how cannabis products move in and out of dispensaries: Sisi Campbell.

Tell us a little about yourself and the work you do at Hashtag.

“I have been the Inventory Manager here at Hashtag for almost two years.

I have spent almost four years in Washington’s cannabis industry.

I began my cannabis career as a budtender at a tribally owned & operated dispensary in Tacoma when I was 21 years old.

Today, I support our product and delivery experts (called Inventory Leads) by ensuring they have all the documentation needed in order to intake products.”

It's fascinating how products make their way from the farmers who grow them to the stores that sell them to customers. Where do products go once they reach a dispensary like Hashtag?

“Once products reach Hashtag, it’s my team’s job to make sure we have everything our customers need.

We accept dozens of deliveries a week, and every single product is counted in and verified against invoices.

On top of that, each product is inspected for quality, added to our online menu for guests to browse, and then moved to the sales floor for our wonderful guests to buy.”

Looking ahead, what are the challenges of getting products quickly and safely to customers at Hashtag Cannabis? How do you see your team and their processes evolving in the next few years?

“Challenges that come to mind when thinking about getting products quickly and safely to guests range from issues we can work on, like troubleshooting obstacles, to issues we cannot control, like weather, inventory systems going down, missing documents needed to intake orders, and missing parts of orders, just to name a few.

Over the next few years, I hope to evolve in the way that we troubleshoot intaking orders by working to verify orders faster and schedule drop-off appointments prior to orders arriving.

I also foresee my team growing in size to ensure we have the capacity to intake a plethora of orders and products!”

Hashtag Certified is a phrase not many people know about! Can you tell us a little bit about what it is and what it means for your customers?

“Hashtag Certified means that we reach out to vendors prior to accepting every order.

Doing so helps us understand the practices of each company we work with, so we can be confident that every product on our shelves has met or exceeded the highest safety and quality standards in the cannabis industry.”

It's interesting to see behind-the-scenes of a dispensary. Can you share some insights into how cannabis inventory management has evolved since you began working at Hashtag and how the company has adapted to regulatory changes?

“Since taking on my role, I have seen the processes and procedures related to inventory management evolve.

We have standardized many procedures, evaluated the efficiency of various processes, and removed unnecessary steps in order to maximize product intake capability.

We are always on the lookout for updates to laws and regulations coming from the LCB (the Liquor and Cannabis Board, Washington’s state regulation agency for the cannabis industry) and Washington state legislators. “

Product safety is crucial to the cannabis industry. How does Hashtag ensure that potentially harmful products don’t make it into a customer’s hands?

“Hashtag ensures potentially harmful products do not make it into customers hands by verifying pesticide testing for every product that we carry.

We also track and verify the expiration dates for products and have them undergo a quality check before hitting the sales floor.

Hashtag begins to verify the safety of products before they even arrive at the shops!”

Have more questions about cannabis products or Hashtag Certified?

Then let us know by commenting here or on our social media accounts!

Behind the Scenes of a Dispensary with Sisi Campbell