The Cannabis Industry Has a Problem With Unorganized and Messy Data

One of the biggest problems with the cannabis industry right now is the sheer amount of paperwork that’s required every single day to stay compliant. This is a necessary struggle that operators must get through to be compliant with both seed to sale track-and-trace and tax requirements.

Unsurprisingly, this gets messy, and fast. There are way too many platforms to navigate between, which means more time wasted, extra data entry and inevitable human error. And since operators are already dealing with high tax rates plus constant uncertainty and change, many simply accept this extra work as part of the industry's territory. But, you don't have to, as there's a better way that won't strain your budget and will often even save you money overall.

Why the cannabis industry is yet to fully embrace technology

Many industries use technology every day to standardize, streamline and control their operations, but cannabis hasn't joined them yet. This is because the industry is still starting up – only about half of all US states allow recreational cannabis. Plus, the federal government still deems it a Class I narcotic, which means many regulations and tax implications affect operators.

Other industries have had many years – even centuries – to slowly shape and evolve. Cannabis operators, on the other hand, is still a comparatively young industry that has a lot to contend with as they build their businesses and pave the industry's future. For example, they must monitor regular legislation updates, navigate constantly changing regulations and routinely manage huge amounts of data.

These things, along with tight profit margins thanks to the 280e tax code, result in an underdeveloped industry with overly complex compliance, regularly changing laws and extremely small budgets. So, it's no surprise that operators resort to rudimentary ways of working on paper, whiteboards and spreadsheets. So many spreadsheets.

It's this continuous struggle and our strong belief in a solid future for the cannabis industry that led us to create a cost-effective solution.

Daily life for most cannabis operators

Most cannabis operators deal with total messes on a daily basis. Between a sea of spreadsheets and sticky notes  on a whiteboard or – worse – getting lost, it can be near impossible to get information when it matters most.

Need your current stock levels, order volumes or realistic ETAs? You're likely looking at three spreadsheets, a couple of phone calls and 20 minutes trying to find the distribution manager (again). Maybe a client needs to change their order. Or, if you've run out of lids for your flower (hey, it happens), your entire team is about to have a very bad day. Or week. They'll be updating Metrc, then Quickbooks followed by a spreadsheet or two. Often, this can be four different interfaces, a lot of wasted time and a lot of potential for error.

If any or all of this sounds familiar, don't worry, it’s not just you. This chaos is pretty normal for most of the industry. But, at least there's some good news – a simple, clean solution to fix all of these and other frustrations.

Distru: A single interface to see everything in real time

Distru’s cannabis ERP gives your whole team a single interface to track and manage everything in real time. This means inventory is always accurate and your sales team can confidently sell what's confirmed in stock, without ever overselling. They can even reserve inventory, so items can be promised in advance without worry of them selling before payment is made.

In Distru, any product changes and sales get updated as they happen across all platforms – Metrc, Quickbooks, Leaflink and inventory management. As well, data and reports can be made available to all staff that need them. This conveniently reduces hundreds of questions every day. You'll have no more searching for previous order volumes or repeatedly hearing, "How much does X client owe?" And, maybe best of all, no more hunting down that poor distribution manager yet again for stock updates and shipment ETAs.

This is all right there in Distru, available anywhere, 24/7. So, go ahead and delete those spreadsheets, remove the mess of paper and chaotic whiteboards and forget about the Metrc interface. All you need is this one platform to handle everything.

This efficiency saves tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year

Typically, even the smallest operators spend at least an hour each day on paperwork to maintain compliance. And when you're potentially talking about multiple locations, hundreds of daily orders or both, chances are you'll need a full-time compliance staff member.

The salary for this person will probably be around $60,000 per year, which adds up quickly. This high cost plus the risk of being fined for any (inevitable) human error can quickly become tens of thousands of dollars annually.

We built a solution that you’ll love (and it’s very cost effective)

Since we've worked for cannabis operators before, we completely understand these struggles. We've been in your shoes and know how draining this all is, not only on your bank balance but on your team's morale.

Distru’s cannabis ERP is specifically designed as a single interface, making it easy for your team to use. Integrations to programs like Metrc, Quickbooks and Leaflink are done in the background in real time. Distru is easy to set up and manages everything right there in one spot.

Here's how it works:

• Receive an order in Distru's interface (via Leaflink integration)
• Receive payment
• Mark order as paid in Distru's interface
• Pick, pack and ship the order
• Live Metrc sync keeps inventory & sales changes up to date

This simple process means zero double-handling, no training needed on multiple platforms and super easy compliance management. Best of all, when you don't have to worry about these things, you'll get more time back to focus on what matters most in your business. Plus, the money saved will increase your profit margin, helping you grow, scale and achieve great things.

Schedule a demo. Talk to an ex-operator, not just a salesperson.

Distru is the platform we all wish was available when we worked for various operators. But, at least we can feel great about the fact that it's here now. And we want you to see it.

Our demo calls aren’t about slick sales pressure. They’re about showing you the product and getting to know what your brand really needs right now to make sure we’re it. There should be a great mutual fit. So, we’ll tell you right away if we're not right for each other and direct you to a more suitable solution.

Ultimately, we want to help build strong, efficient cannabis brands that represent our industry well. We’re just happy to bring some calm and confidence to this chaotic industry, one brand at a time.