Social Equity

In Tech We Trust

Six Nevada Tribes Team up to Create a Compliance Cooperative

By Patricia Miller

Native American tribes across the country are joining the legal cannabis industry. As sovereign nations, each tribe creates laws around the sale and consumption of cannabis. But with every tribe creating independent regulations, finding software to help with compliance can be an expensive challenge.

Tribal cannabis companies must comply with their tribe’s requirements, and they may be asked to prove compliance to the surrounding state to adhere to compacts made with those governments. There’s also the potential the federal government could intervene. The Trump administration revoked the Cole and Wilkinson memos which prohibited the federal government from interfering with states and Native American tribes pursuing cannabis legalization.

This cross-jurisdictional compliance is understandably cumbersome for tribal governments. Further, some tribes appreciate having an independent third party to verify cannabis operators are compliant. There are technologies available to help, but the cost can be prohibitive. Some of Nevada’s tribes are taking an innovative approach to solve this issue.

Abiding the Rules on a Budget

Six tribal nations are members of the InterTribal Cannabis Commission (ITCC), a group created to help Nevada tribes share the cost of seed-to-sale tracking and compliance software. While it may be cost-effective for the state of Nevada to use a large platform like Metrc, tribal governments deal with fewer cannabis operators, less revenue, and more oversight. A solution like cost-sharing can help every tribe access top-tier technology without coming out of pocket for the entire expense.

The ITCC works with Cannabis Compliance Technologies (CCT), a compliance and seedto-sale software company specializing in tribal territories. CCT President Cassandra Dittus said the cost-sharing program is cheaper than each tribe having a paid staff member.

“The ITCC lays out a budget every year and it’s presented to the board, which has a member from each tribe,” Dittus said. “The board is

given a basic budget of what it’s going to take to operate, which includes CCT oversight, the cost of salaries, and basic operations. The total cost is divided by 12 for the monthly budget, then divided again by the six tribes. That’s their membership fee per month that they pay from taxation.” The ITCC is a non-profit organization so if the cost of operations is less than the budget outlined, the excess funds are returned to the tribes.

Dittus said the software was pivotal to creating cannabis agreements with the state of Nevada. “CCT was the first tool we utilized to build tribal sovereignty because it was a key piece to show that tribes are operating in the same sense that the state is — without having to use the state compliance software.”

There are currently six Nevada tribes with membership in ITCC, all of which use CCT for compliance and seed-to-sale product tracking. The tribes share expenses and information, creating more access to the industry. “They have a group that has helped them work through the challenges of regulating cannabis,” Dittus said. “It’s been a huge tool for them to utilize.”

Compliance on the Blockchain

Many legalized states use Metrc or BioTrack for compliance reporting. Tribal governments are free to choose whichever software provider they prefer. CCT is favored in Nevada because of its cost-sharing structure and easy-to-use interface. ITCC Chief Technology Officer Bill Hayes said the easiest and most secure way to provide those services is through a distributed database management system built on blockchain.

Blockchain ensures every action within the database is tracked and transparent. “If I had a record with your name in it, for example, and I deleted the ‘R,’ it would show that I deleted the keystroke and what time the deletion was made,” Hayes said.

He built the system with blockchain to limit the options for data hacking. “The thing about blockchain is the more components you add, the more people that have a piece of that file system, the more the security of the information system itself grows. So if everybody has a copy of the file, and you would have to change every copy of the file in order to change that file, the more devices that have a copy of the file, the more secure you are. So as we grow, we actually become more secure instead of less secure,” Hayes said.

CCT has gone to great lengths to ensure the system is secure and easy to use while still offering robust functionality. “On average, for each member tribe, I took roughly 4,000 pages of legalese and turned it into 20,000 pages of IFTT code,” Hayes said. “It’s literally an ‘if-this, thenthat’ nested formula that works its way through all the legalese so at the end, you’re either compliant, you’re not, or it doesn’t apply to you.”

This allows the tribes to transfer data to different jurisdictions while maintaining the integrity of the data. To further level up the security and transparency for tribal governments, CCT’s software uses GPS monitoring during transportation. It may seem like an obvious protocol, but Metrc and BioTrack do not use GPS monitoring during transportation, instead relying on after-the-fact reporting from business owners.

Increasing Tribal Participation Through Tech

CCT’s software could be a gateway into the industry for many Native American tribes seeking an affordable, efficient way to track products and verify compliance. First Nations tribes in Canada are showing interest in CCT’s software as well, largely due to the strict reporting requirements of Canadian cannabis laws.

Dittus said each region may require different versions of CCT software to fit the regulatory environment in which it’s being used. Wherever the software is deployed, it also serves as a thirdparty oversight system. Its reports are given to the tribal government so they can ensure compliance in their jurisdiction and the state’s jurisdiction if requested. As Dittus said, “It’s really a support piece to help each tribe govern itself.” ❖

Dip Devices Dabbing for a Cause By Rachelle Gordon

Cannabis culture has always been about community. Sharing favorite strains with friends, helping patients access the medicine they need, or even advancing sustainable practices through hemp — all promote the notion of putting people and the planet first.

Dip Devices is one company on a mission to improve our world one dab at a time. Makers of innovative direct-to-extract vaporizers, Dip Devices puts accessibility and social impact at the forefront of everything they do. Intending to make concentrates more approachable while simultaneously giving back to a variety of nonprofits, the brand has been a consistent role model for others in the industry in their quest to repair the world.

This ethos has always been the priority for CEO Mike Bologna and his business partners. After forming cannabis-centric strategic consulting firm Green Lion Partners with longtime friend Jeff Zucker in 2015, the pair immediately set out to make a difference.

“In every venture we have had, social equity and social change are driven into every decision we make,” Bologna told Cannabis & Tech Today.

The mission kicked into high gear when the partners were introduced to the original Dip Devices vape two years later. Previously skeptical about the cannabis hardware space, the portable electronic nectar collector changed how the duo consumed the plant. Finding the method far more convenient than other modalities and recognizing a real need in the market, Bologna and Zucker (along with fellow partner Jeff Dayton) set about bringing the technology to the masses while doing plenty of good along the way.

“This is a tool that can potentially change people’s lives for the better,” Bologna said, noting that traditional dabbing with a blowtorch is both intimidating and physically challenging for many people.

“One of the major goals of our company is to make concentrates more accessible to the average consumer.”

With Bologna at the helm, the team transformed the business, redesigning the OG dipstick vape and the company’s culture. It’s a rebrand that completely changed the trajectory of Dip Devices forever.

“We said, ‘if we’re committing to this mechanism of consumption, we also need to commit to being a better hardware company — period.’”

Controlled and Consistent Concentrate Consumption

When the flagship Dipper hit the scene in 2017, it revolutionized the way people thought about concentrates. The two-in-one honey straw and loadable vape pen allowed consumers to forget the torch and enjoy dabbing in a way that was never possible before.

A button on the side of the device heats an exposed coil. Users then lightly touch it to the surface of their favorite oil and inhale through the mouthpiece on the other end of the Dipper, resulting in a smooth and silky hit that is more predictable and precise than other dabbing methods. An integrated quartz atomizer bucket turns the device into a powerful and portable vaporizer for dabbers on the go.

The team worked meticulously to ensure its debut device was not only functional but built to last. “Five years later, we have people using their first Dippers,” said Bologna proudly. “That generally doesn’t happen in the hardware cycle, so I think folks have been pretty happy with their purchases.”

Wanting to take the convenience factor one step further, designers quickly began working on the next Dip Devices offering. Seeing the industry’s evolution, the brand set out to create a multi-functional tool that could satisfy any desire.

The EVRI is a versatile consumption solution, featuring a 900-mAh battery that connects magnetically to a wide array of attachments. The slick gadget has a vapor tip much like its predecessor, but can also accommodate 510-thread cartridges, e-juice pods, and even flower.

“Cannabis is a beautifully dynamic plant. There are a lot of ways people enjoy consuming, and we wanted to give them a single, super reliable battery platform with a bunch of different options,” Bologna explained.

Rounding out the catalog are the Little Dipper, a miniature version of the flagship device (minus the quartz bucket), and the Lunar, a loadable wax pen that combines the

company’s patented airflow technology with the convenience of a fill-and-go vape. And while all of the products made by Dip Devices have become revered in the space, it’s the chance to make a difference that people truly love.

Dabbing for a Cause

Staying true to its social justice roots, Dip Devices donates a percentage of sales to a variety of non-profits close to the hearts of the internal team as well as fans of the brand. The company lets customers decide how their purchase will impact the world by offering their products in different colors, each one aligning with a specific cause.

So far, Dip Devices has partnered with organizations championing racial justice, drug policy reform, LGBTQIA+ rights, ocean conservation, hunger relief, blood donation, reforestation, and more. The brand hopes to continue adding advocacy groups to their giveback program, encouraging people to reach out with ideas. Their latest SKU, a purple Lunar, saw its cause voted on by social media with followers electing Fireweed Collective mental health education provider as the product’s beneficiary.

For Bologna, the reward is two-fold: worthy non-profits get access to much-needed funds while consumers gain education on important issues.

“It’s really made a difference in how people feel when purchasing devices from us and has positively generated awareness and donations to a range of causes we care about,” he said.

Dip Devices: Stewards of the Industry

With several handy products in its catalog and a growing list of initiatives to support, Dip Devices is showing no signs of slowing down. The company is in the process of adopting more sustainable components and packaging in its supply chain while simultaneously working on the next iteration of its beloved technology.

Dip Devices personifies the phrase “pay it forward” while consistently striving to lead by example, hoping to raise the bar for other hardware companies and the industry as a whole.

“We have a chance to stand out and be a role model in this space, and to educate, even if not through the sale of devices,” Bologna said. “Above all else, that’s what we aim to achieve.” ❖