If you’ve shopped with CULTA before, you know we offer the best customer service and high-quality products. We work diligently to bring our customers the best flower, vapes, extracts, and CBD products on the market. Although we cultivate, extract, process, and distribute all our own products, it’s not uncommon for dispensaries to partner with other brands and vendors.
When it comes to selecting a cannabis brand to partner with, taking the time to do your due diligence is absolutely essential. After all, it’s your reputation that’s on the line. Whether you’re a brand new dispensary that’s looking to fill its shelves or an established one hoping to expand its product offerings, here are a few tips for choosing the right cannabis brands to partner with.
Ask for Third-Party Testing
When looking for trustworthy cannabis brands, the first thing you should look for is their third-party testing results. A third-party lab will analyze cannabis for potency, terpenes, residual solvents, pesticides, and microbial contamination. By evaluating the results, you’ll be able to determine if the product is something you want to carry in your own dispensary or online store.
Some cannabis companies will claim “in-house quality testing” of their products, but statements like this should be ignored. Always look for test results from reputable third-party labs. Make sure the lab is accredited, and ask for a copy of their certification. Some will even provide a copy of their certification on their website.
Check Out Their Product Labels
Look for companies that are transparent about their sourcing and product ingredients. Any trustworthy cannabis brand should be able to answer the following questions:
- Where is your cannabis sourced from?
- Are you familiar with their safety standards?
- Can you provide third-party testing results?
- Is your manufacturing facility audited? How often?
Look for a company that undergoes a strict review process and works closely with the farmers who are responsible for harvesting their cannabis. Avoid companies that make dubious claims or whose labels make you question their ethics. Again, a good deal is not worth your company’s reputation.
Find Out If They Source Hemp Responsibly
Does a cannabis company source responsibly-grown hemp? Is it free from herbicides and pesticides? Was the hemp grown in the United States in a legal growing operation? These are the types of questions you should ask when vetting a potential partner. If you can’t get a clear answer or the company seems to be dodging your questions, trust your gut and remove them from your consideration set.
A good way to determine if hemp is sourced responsibly is to look into where their hemp is grown. If it’s grown on a pilot program hemp farm, all crops grown on the farm must abide by state agricultural laws. Hemp pilot programs offer high-quality hemp, which is then used to create high-quality hemp products.
Evaluate Their Branding
This is one instance when you should judge a book by its cover. When evaluating a potential partner’s branding, ask yourself if it would attract (or turn off) your existing customer base. For example, if a large chunk of your clientele is high-level executives, partnering with a cannabis company with loud packaging and cartoon imagery wouldn’t be a good move.
It’s important to note that this step isn’t a “one size fits all” suggestion. No packaging is any better or worse than another; it just comes down to your customers and what you think they’d buy. One of the main reasons for partnering with another cannabis company is to increase sales, so be critical about the aesthetics of the company you do partner with. Otherwise, the partnership could hinder sales more than it helps.
How Happy Are Their Current Customers
A quick Google search should be able to provide some insight into how happy their current customers are with the brand. Read through their Google and Yelp reviews for insights into their customer service capabilities and, if you have time, visit their website or brick and mortar store to get a feel for the entire customer experience from start to finish.
Things to take notice of: are they overly focused on pushing a sale, or do they take the time to ask thoughtful questions? Are your emails and phone calls returned promptly? Does the service representative seem knowledgeable, and do they speak to you professionally? If they check all the boxes, great! But if their reviews are overwhelmingly negative and your personal experience isn’t great, move onto the next candidate.
The Right Company Will Help You Grow
By doing your research and partnering with a company that fulfills these requirements, you’ll (hopefully) be on the path for a long-term partnership that will benefit both of your companies. If, at any point, you feel the relationship is no longer beneficial, remember to be open and honest with your partner. Before ending the relationship, be sure to read through any contracts or agreements and, if necessary, speak with your business lawyer about your exit options.
Expanding can be scary, but it’s a step in the right direction towards growth. Check back often for more helpful advice for our wholesale partners.
