Meet Colin Mudd | Cannabis activist, Founder and Principal Consultant for Konopé Compliance

We had the good fortune of connecting with Colin Mudd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Colin, how do you think about risk?
I’ve been in the cannabis industry for almost 13 years. Risk is always at the forefront of everything we do. There would be no industry without risk, whether it’s navigating complex compliance regulations, or betting the farm on the next harvest. Every license holder, employee, and ancillary business owes everything to the pioneers from the ’50s and ’60s that created a culture around this plant. Back then, the stakes were much higher than they are today. We know that cannabis has been utilized by humans for thousands of years in ancient civilizations, from Egypt to China and India, and beyond. We’re certainly not the first, but thankfully we will not be the last.

Over the last decade, I’ve seen companies be incredibly successful after putting everything on the line. I’ve also seen businesses fail because they took the wrong risks and got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, or should I say the “Cookies” jar. Those who know, know, those who don’t, don’t. In cannabis today, it’s all about compliance. If you don’t follow the rules, you don’t get the privilege of owning a license, or working for a licensed facility, at least not for long. Success comes from navigating difficult situations, adapting, and overcoming problems you didn’t know existed. That goes for any industry, but especially ours.

After watching a CNBC special about Richard Lee, founder of Oaksterdam Univesity and Oaksterdam Coffee Shop in Oakland, CA, I decided to take a considerable risk and open a dispensary in Fort Collins, CO, with a business partner who I bartender with at the time. I recited back to my partner everything I had just seen in the special a couple of nights before and convinced him that I could run the shop and never looked back. I had a conversation with my parents and told them what I was thinking of doing, and they thought I was crazy. I remember asking them to keep their phones on during business hours because we didn’t know if we would be raided like so many dispensaries in California were at the time, including Richard Lee’s. Thankfully we never did. The business relationship dissolved after a year or so, right about when the Colorado Department of Revenue created the Marijuana Enforcement Division. I knew that if I wanted to be successful, compliance would be the driving force behind longevity in the business.

It’s been 12 years of taking calculated risks, and thankfully I’ve been able to find my path and now my niche, which is all things cannabis compliance. I want to take my experiences and help others, especially Social Equity applicants and license holders, be successful and achieve their dreams while helping patients and customers alike find relief and improve their quality of life. Cannabis heals in so many ways. I’ve learned everything I know today from this unique plant. I am genuinely grateful for my time in this space, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds with my consulting company, my most significant risk yet, Konopé Compliance.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Most cannabis consulting firms can’t say they have lived the execution as we can. I have 12 years of first-hand experience getting my hands dirty, day in and day out, overseeing a compliance department at one of the biggest manufacturing facilities in Colorado. Yes, most can read and interpret regulations and help their clients prepare for inspections. Still, I like to say we get our clients prepared for inspections and investigations. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure. Konopé Compliance aims to help our clients at cultivation, manufacturing, or dispensary facilities be able to pass a 15 to 20 min target inspection by state or local authorities and be prepared for any investigation from state or local authorities. We also prep our clients for potential insurance claims investigations or banking audits if they are lucky enough to have a “normal” bank account.

Our approach is two-fold; we assess the facility’s risk for any violations from a state or local level, then we provide solutions to the non-compliant issues. If the client would like additional services, we offer employee training on compliance to better prepare their staff for the challenges of staying compliant throughout the year. Other services could include compliance with standard operating procedures, or we offer training for their entire team on those SOPs so they can focus on the essential things that help make their business grow. We provide the safety net while they build the ladder.

We are a state-approved Responsible Vendor Training Provider for Colorado and Illinois clients. This training program covers all things compliance for dispensary employees and staff to help mitigate risk and ensure our client’s coveted licenses are protected from undue compliance violations. You’re only as good as your worst 1/8th or your worst employee. By completing this training, employees and licensees alike have a mitigating factor if a violation or fine is administered by the regulatory authority. By the end of 2022, we will also be approved as a Responsible Vendor Training Provider in Massachusetts.

After 12 years in the industry, I decided to do something that could take advantage of my experience and help people achieve their goals without learning the hard way. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of some great teams. In addition to learning how to the things right, I’ve seen time and time again how not to do things, and I feel as though I am in a unique position to help established companies, as well as brand new ventures, be successful.

It all comes down to compliance. Suppose you have the intent to comply and make a mistake; it’s not catastrophic. If you make a colossal mistake but have the prosses and procedures in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again, you can live to fight another day. The cannabis industry in Colorado is the most regulated industry by far. Close to banking and pharmaceuticals, but neither has a very dynamic and ever-changing regulatory structure. You need a full-time compliance person to be successful. More times than not, you need a compliance department made up of multiple people dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s.

I help my clients establish a culture of compliance that will serve them for years to come. I treat their licenses as though they were my licenses. I ask myself each time what I would do to help me have better peace of mind. That sets Konopé apart from other consulting firms that take a cookie-cutter approach no matter who the client is.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
After their flight arrives at DIA, we make a stop first at Colorado Harvest Company for some 710 labs flower and concentrates. After we buy our legal limit, compliantly, of course, we head over to Sushi Den for lunch then hit up Fox Hollow Golf Course in Lakewood for a quick 18. A Red Rocks concert is also a pretty good bet most summer nights.

Head up to Breckenridge for another round of golf and lunch at Breckenridge Brewery. Mountain biking and fly fishing for a couple of days.

Hike up Mount Bierstadt along with all the other tourists and follow it up with some super car rentals from Mile High Drives for a trip up to Trail Ridge Road and back before the flight home. As a Colorado Native, I don’t think it gets much better than that for a week long trip.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I want to thank my wife, Sarah. She believes in me more than I believe in myself and without her, I would not be where I am today. I want to thank Andy Veron and Randy Good from the Keef Cola days, Ryan Cook and Max Choen from the Clinic, Andrew Boyens from Natty Rems, Bob Eschino, Josh Fink, Derek Cumings, and Greg Phelan from Medically Correct.
Every one of those people gave me a chance and allowed me to learn and grow into the professional I am today.

Website: konopecompliance.com

Instagram: @konopecompliance

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35616170/admin/