Closing a cannabis dispensary requires more than just locking the doors—it’s about securing your operations and setting up the next day for success.
After a busy sales day, every team member plays a crucial role in wrapping up the day’s activities, from reconciling sales and securing inventory to cleaning and preparing the retail floor. A structured closing routine not only protects your business but also ensures the opening crew arrives to a well-organized, fully stocked dispensary ready for the day ahead.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are essential for maintaining consistency and accountability during the closing shift. By following a clear checklist, your team can efficiently manage end-of-day tasks, reduce errors, and meet regulatory requirements.
This guide outlines essential closing procedures by role, providing your team with a clear roadmap to end the day efficiently and set up your dispensary for continued success.
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Essential Dispensary Closing Tasks for Budtenders and Receptionists
✔️ Secure the Retail Floor
- Organize and Clean Displays: Return products to their designated storage areas, ensuring all display cases and shelves are clean and free of clutter.
- Update Inventory Records: Communicate any discrepancies noted during the day and report them to the inventory manager.
✔️ Power Down Equipment
- Turn Off Devices: Ensure all POS systems, scanners, printers, and in-store tablets are properly shut down.
- Secure Sensitive Equipment: Store devices like iPads and walkie-talkies in their designated charging stations or secure storage areas.
✔️ Close your Shift and Hand in your Drawer
- Close Registers: Conclude the shift on your register. Ensure bills are properly organized.
- Prepare Deposits: Ensure bills are properly organized. Hand your drawer to your manager or shift lead.
Essential Dispensary Closing Tasks for the General Manager
✔️ Lock the Doors!
- Prevent customers from entering the dispensary after close.
- Ensure no sales are being processed after the regulatory defined sales day. For example, in California, sales must conclude at 10pm.
✔️ Conduct a Team Debrief
- Review the Day: Discuss sales performance, customer feedback, and any incidents that occurred.
- Address Concerns: Provide solutions for any challenges faced during the day and gather input from staff for improvements.
- Ensure Dispensary Staff clocks out.
✔️ Cash Reconciliation
- Verify Cash Counts: Ensure all cash drawers have been counted accurately and discrepancies are documented.
- Secure Funds: Confirm that cash is stored securely or prepared for deposit according to company policy.
- Prepare the registers with their starting balances for the morning crew.
- Lock the safe when you're done.
✔️ Ensure Security Protocols
- Lock Up: Verify that all entry points are secured, alarms are activated, and security systems are operational.
- Review Surveillance: Check that surveillance equipment is recording properly and store footage as required by regulations.
- Double check.
Essential Dispensary Closing Tasks for the Head of Security
✔️ Conduct a Security Sweep
- Inspect Premises: Walk through the entire facility to ensure all areas are secure and no unauthorized individuals are present.
- Check Alarm Systems: Test alarms to confirm they are functioning correctly before activation.
✔️ Secure Sensitive Areas
- Restrict Access: Ensure that areas containing sensitive information or cannabis products are locked and access is limited.
- Document Security Measures: Log all security activities and any anomalies detected during the closing process.
- Ensure the Night security crew arrives.
- Ensure Dispensary Staff leaves.
Essential Dispensary Closing Tasks for the Delivery Manager
✔️ Reconcile Delivery Orders
- Verify Completed Deliveries: Ensure all scheduled deliveries have been completed and documented.
- Update Delivery Logs: Record any issues encountered during deliveries and report them for follow-up.
- Close out the Delivery Registers.
✔️ Inspect Delivery Vehicles and Prepare for Next Day
- Organize Delivery Schedule: Plan routes and assign deliveries for the following day to facilitate a smooth start.
- Charge Equipment: Ensure all delivery-related devices are charging and ready for use.
- Inventory Check: Ensure no products or sensitive documents are left in vehicles overnight.
✔️ Essential Dispensary Closing Tasks for the Inventory and Compliance Team
✔️ Conduct Inventory Audit
- Daily Reconciliation: Compare sales records with inventory levels to identify and address discrepancies.
- Complete and finalize pending Cycle Counts if any were started during the sales day.
- Cancel pending orders: If any orders were placed but not fulfilled, cancel them to return inventory into your Point of Sale system.
✔️ Secure Inventory and Prepare for Next Day
- Lock Storage Areas: Confirm that all product storage areas are locked and secured.
- Return any product that is out of place to the proper location.
- Assess Stock Levels: Identify products that need restocking and either prepare transfers as necessary or communicate restocking needs to the AM manager.
- Organize Backstock: Arrange backstock to facilitate efficient restocking during the next opening shift.
Read more: Cannabis Dispensary SOPs: Opening Procedures Checklist
Conclusion
By following this comprehensive closing checklist, your dispensary can maintain operational integrity, ensure compliance, and set the stage for a successful next business day. Clear communication and diligent execution of these tasks by each team member are vital to the ongoing success of your cannabis retail operation.
But security doesn’t stop when you close the doors. Protecting your dispensary from risks, errors, and compliance issues requires the right tools and technology—day and night.
Meadow: Secure Your Dispensary Beyond Closing Time
With Meadow’s all-in-one cannabis POS system, you gain a reliable partner that keeps your dispensary secure and efficient 24/7, protecting your business from the inside out.
Unmatched Reliability and Performance:
- Enjoy 99.99% uptime, even on the busiest days like 4/20, ensuring you never miss a sale.
- Meadow’s intuitive interface is easy to use and quick to train on, preventing costly staff errors before they happen.
- Operate smarter with a single source of truth—real-time inventory, sales, and compliance data all in one system.
Airtight Security with Full Transparency:
- Audit Logs: Track every action your staff takes, from discounts to inventory adjustments, with a complete activity history.
- Strict Admin Permissions: Prevent unauthorized changes to pricing or promotions with customizable staff roles and secure access controls.
- Cycle Counts Feature: Detect discrepancies fast, whether from human error or theft, by performing targeted inventory checks that pinpoint issues early.
Built-In Compliance—Without the Headaches:
- Stay compliant effortlessly with automatic compliance reporting and built-in safeguards that align with state regulations.
- Capture every sale, transfer, and adjustment with precision to maintain audit-ready records.
Meadow isn’t just a tool for closing out the day—it’s your 24/7 security partner, protecting your dispensary from risks and keeping your operations running smoothly.
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