I went to a Hemp and Cannabis meeting last night. Everyone there was interested in learning about the industry and their role in it. Interestingly, employee use of medical marijuana never came up and I understand why. Every person there who wanted to get involved in this burgeoning industry was passionate. They generally knew a lot about the industry and had an idea of where they fit in.
What I suspect many of them were missing was how to recognize and address all the legal issues that arise with having employees. So many people love their industry but ultimately fail for not seeing the compliance issues that every employer must face. At this meeting like so many others, our attorneys discussed doing an HR due diligence audit. This is a process where employers quickly learn about their major compliance obligations in one 4 hour sitting. If we could just get more employers to admit they are experts in their field but not in HR, a world of pain and strife could be avoided and more good businesses could succeed rather than fail for an easily avoidable reason. So our quest to educate employers continues. The Hemp and Cannabis industry is growing exponentially. The rulers of this industry will be the ones who understand the business AND all the backroom compliance issues (including HR compliance) that historically derail good ideas.
