Regulatory Access

FOCUS works with the public sector to provide dynamic, customized solutions that meet clients where they are and prepares them for the future. As an unbiased, third-party Cannabis Health and Safety Organization, FOCUS has been defining the role of regulatory leadership in cannabis for years.

Agencies responsible for regulating cannabis are faced with assuring the compliance of an increasing number of entities and products, often without a corresponding growth in agency resources. Standards-based regulations and third-party certification are a proactive approach to regulations that improve the efficiency and resiliency of a regulatory system. They help establish a new regulatory program quickly, lowering costs for developing and enforcing regulations. Inspection and monitoring strain agency budgets. Third-party certification leverages private resources and expertise to improve inspection. Standards-based certification also provides more complete and reliable health, safety, and compliance data collection reducing the regulatory burden. By integrating third-party assessments, regulators can be confident that claims of conformance are legitimate in relation to products, processes, services, management, and personnel.

FOCUS offers services to assist public agencies with cannabis program development, implementation, ongoing management, and program evaluation. FOCUS provides audit training, research, communication, and planning support for agency staff, regulators, legislators, and non-governmental groups.

Among our strengths:

• Program Management – FOCUS partners with government agencies to develop, implement, and manage cannabis safety and quality programs at the federal, state, county, and local levels. Program options range from statewide management of cannabis safety and quality programs or certification programs to specialized workshops, custom research, and third-party inspections. Our solutions include systems, processes, and people to ensure stable, compliant cannabis programs.
• Process Design – Standards enhance license application processes, add value to agency audits, investigations, and corrective action management, build staff skills and knowledge, and keep staff current on regulatory changes. FOCUS designs processes to help manage cannabis requirements and build credibility for agency programs.
• Training Programs – FOCUS provides on-site and electronic training programs to support standards implementation and stakeholder commitment. FOCUS delivers standard programs or will customize a program for your requirement.
• Auditor Training – FOCUS auditor training and certification gives auditors or contractors the required cannabis safety, quality, regulatory, and operations knowledge to conduct effective onsite audits. Our process supports all phases of the audit process including pre-reviews, licensing audits, annual renewal audits, for-cause audits, and corrective action management.
• Risk Assessment – Certified auditors work with your team to develop and conduct an intensive assessment of all risks to your agency, organization, or public constituents. The outcome provides valuable information and direction for planning, response, and prevention.
• First Responder Training – Public safety, paramedic, medical and hazardous materials teams learn how to respond to emergencies involving cannabis operations including cultivation facilities, high-pressure processing equipment, chemicals, security protocols, and property protection.
• Consulting – The FOCUS team includes a range of versatile professionals experienced in all aspects of the cannabis business including management, regulatory, cultivation, production operations, laboratory and testing, product management, packaging and labeling, worker safety, security, and sustainability. We bring immediate value to any project and will customize a work plan that meets your objectives.
• Standards Licensing – Certified standards improve the quality and safety of products and services, and licensing the FOCUS standards demonstrates a commitment to a safe, quality cannabis program. Licensing includes management training, technology systems tools, auditor certification, process implementation, and ongoing support.
• Legislative Briefings – Cannabis laws are changing rapidly, and our extensive network of legislative, agency, legal, medical, lobby, research, and industry experts maintains a database of the latest cannabis legislative action. We provide legislative overviews, conduct focused research, or host forum events to ensure your organization is fully informed of the current and anticipated state of cannabis.
• Facilitated Workshops – In this emerging industry, groups constantly need information, education, planning, and networking to meet increasing legislative, regulatory, and public demand. Our dynamic facilitators design and facilitate seminars, workshops, and other events to meet organization goals and leave lasting value with stakeholders.

The combination of government regulation with standards and third-party certification achieves the needs of both industry and regulators by protecting public health and establishing a strong foundation for industry growth.

Certification in any industry provides stakeholders with information essential to maintain regulatory compliance, ensure manufacturing specifications, effectively apply risk management principles, and objectively assess a company’s products, systems, and processes. Certification is a confirmation from an independent, competent, and accredited agency that an organization meets and adheres to the requirements of an internationally recognized quality management system standard. A management system is a systematic framework designed to manage an organization’s policies, procedures, and processes and promote continuous internal improvement. Management systems enable organizations to meet challenges by implementing standards and validating, through certification, that they are appropriately established and followed throughout all aspects of a business. In other industries, companies like NSF, SQF, and BSI offer management system certification. FOCUS is the first cannabis-specific organization to provide a cannabis-specific management certification.

FOCUS Certification is a partnership designed to build confidence in the competence of a cannabis business to produce safe, high-quality, consistent products. Certification provides all stakeholders – industry, regulators, law enforcement, patients, consumers, and the general public – the assurance that a cannabis business complies with the technical requirements within FOCUS Standards. Certification involves the successful implementation of preventative steps throughout a cannabis organization to help assure operations run as efficiently as possible while minimizing costs and reducing liability. Certification is a proactive way for cannabis businesses to meet legal and regulatory obligations, as well as the needs of customers.

We will be conducting a comprehensive update to FOCUS standards, as well as developing additional standards, beginning Q4 2021. If you are interested in participating in the standards update or development, please email gap@focusstandards.org.  All email inquiries will be contacted as the project launch date gets closer.