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Growing a cannabis business beyond the borders of a state can be a daunting proposition. For one, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, and no one really knows how the federal government will treat a national cannabis brand. Beyond that, every state has different laws governing the sale and manufacturing of cannabis products and no two sets of regulations are alike.

In this video, taken at the recent Infused Products and Extraction Symposium, Vicente Sederberg’s Joshua Kappel and O.penVape’s Ralph Morgan spoke with The Cannabis Business Summit to share practical advice for any business looking to expand beyond their home state borders.

As the industry grows, more and more cannabis brands are turning to experts like Vicente Sederberg’s Joshua Kappel to help them navigate the intricate web of state regulation.

In the video, Kappel dishes out some practical advice for any brand with national aspirations. First and foremost, Kappel recommends businesses dig deep into the nuances of each state’s laws and build business plans one state at a time.

As an example, Kappel points out that licensing arrangements are the most common way brands go national, but in states like Oregon, which does not have residency restrictions, it might make more sense to open a subsidiary instead of licensing proprietary technology and processes to another entity.

For Ralph Morgan, it’s all about partnership and building relationships with those partners to incentivize them to stay with the company, instead of competing against O.penVape. One way O.penVape accomplishes that is by taking advantage of their unique corporate structure which allows them to share equity with their partners.

Morgan also cautions against getting caught in the weeds and trying to take advantage of every opportunity. He notes that there so many opportunities in this young industry but the best companies are the ones who focus on being the best at one thing and growing from there.

Watch the whole video and stay tuned for more great tips and advice from the Cannabis Business Summit.