In college to be a nurse, Kayla Sanchez changed her route by joining a cannabis program, where she discovered her love for cannabis and its science. Today, she is the CEO of the new company Guided Green Solutions, providing education and training in cannabis standard procedures and crop science. “I realized there was a need for standardization, compliance, and education in American cannabis companies. If people start working without the proper knowledge beforehand, there is a lot of room for error,” Kayla says. “Currently, safety for the grower is a missing link in the American cannabis industry.”
Kayla Sanchez
A change of plan
Kayla’s cannabis journey started when she enrolled in a cannabis program. “At such a program, they teach you a little bit of everything, from business to plant science and the effects on your body.” Yet the cultivation aspect of the program was what Kayla enjoyed most. “Therefore, after I graduated from that program, I got my certification and started working at a medical cannabis facility in Missouri. I realized very quickly that they didn´t have any standards in place to follow. With my educational background, the facility’s standardization process started with me writing the SOPs,” Kayla explains.
Around that time, Kayla joined LinkedIn and started connecting with other cannabis professionals. “Through these connections and my SOP posts taking off, I was able to get confidence in my work and left the grow. Having all these people believing in me encouraged me to start my own company. Because I was only in a small grow before, I didn’t have an idea of the opportunities that could lay ahead for me. Soon, I realized that starting my own business could be the right shift for me, as there is an evident need for standardization, compliance, and education in American cannabis facilities.”
From her work at the Missouri cannabis facility, Kayla realized that a lot of new employees were starting their work with no idea how to grow, getting taught on the job. “This way, there is a lot of room for error because not everyone has been taught the same practices. That is how Guided Green Solutions got started. The point of this new company was to provide compliance and education within the cannabis industry.” Kayla offers multiple services, such as SOP writing and training material that educates growers on why they do what they do. Kayla had written a manual specific to the cultivation facility where she had worked. “I leaned on cannabis education books for the training material. For everything else, I worked with the growers directly to implement the best practices. I would love to support any grow facility with whatever training they specifically need.”
Empowering growers
By writing the SOPs, Guided Green Solutions gives facilities not only the steps to follow for their work but also empowers them with education. She has started her focus on cultivation, but she’s already expanding. “I am beginning to broaden my horizon, as I can see the business is not only cultivation but also manufacturing.” The most appreciated topics for education, according to Kayla, are around cannabinoids and terpenes and how they interact with the body. Still, she supports each company according to its needs. “If they ask me about cannabis benefits, I would say it’s a great help for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and sleep issues. Oftentimes, we push for the highest THC levels, but people don’t always tolerate that very well. So CBD is also a great option for people that have insomnia or other mental disorders.” When helping cannabis businesses toward a standardized process, she explains that she will work according to the specific needs of the facility. “If they spray pesticides, for example, I will accommodate to that. Overall, it is concerning that safety for the grower is oftentimes the missing link right now, at least in the American cannabis industry. There are not a lot of safety requirements in place, and many are not aware of how to use equipment properly.”
Europe as an example
As the company just started in December 2022, the current focus is in the United States. But there are already people reaching out from other countries, such as Australia and Europe. “I am really excited to see what Europe is doing with their standardization regulations because I am seeing more compliance than here in America. There are more safety measures in place and a higher level of education. This initiative that Europe is taking for their cannabis industry is something that America hasn’t done at the same level just yet.”
For more information:
Guided Green Solutions
info@guidedgreensolutions.com
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