Aaron Lessa

I was enlisted by Aura of Rhode Island in early stages of development based on my extensive and eclectic start up industry experience. I worked as part of the sales and marketing team to bring both medical and recreational cannabis to Central Falls. My work consisted of developing marketing strategies and graphics, as well as facilitating daily sales with quality customer service. Using my knowledge of cannabis consumers and products, I was able to add valuable experience and authenticity to the team at Aura.

At Bountiful farms, I worked with a team of seasoned professionals embedded in cannabis culture who share the common goal of setting and maintaining the highest standard of cannabis cultivation in Massachusetts. We used pride, passion, experience, innovation and teamwork in all stages of growth to produce unique and potent flower from a wide variety of hand selected cultivars. Together we won Best Flower with Pina Grande in the 2021 Massachusetts Cultivators Cup

• Maintaining a high quality of compliant and sanitary cannabis cultivation using METRC seed to sale tracking, with attention to business requirements and state/local standards
• Establishing and executing clear and concise standard operating procedures for all cultivation processes
• Establishing nutrient feeds and crop steering protocols in conjunction with environmental controls and VPD manipulation
• Using Argus control systems to dictate irrigation and climate set points
• Tracking and understanding of EC, pH and volume data from irrigation feeds and waste runoff
• Tracking and understanding of climate control data for vegetative, flower and mother rooms to maintain optimal environmental requirements
• Plant care maintenance from seed to post harvest including germination, clone propagation, pheno hunting, transplants, automated and hand watering, mother stock care, pruning, topping, plant training, trellising, vegetative and flower room scouting, harvests, wet/dry trim and curing
• Application of internal pest management, predatory bugs, organic pesticides, hygiene and workplace safety protocols, and surface sterilization
• Deep cleaning and grow room resets, to ensure optimal sanitization for crop rotation
• Basic maintenance such as fixing or replacing irrigation manifolds and components, patching hose and bench leaks, bulb replacements, and inventory supply replenishment
• Necessary filter changes and air handler upkeep
• Interfacing with the director of cultivation and sales personnel to maintain market and cultural relevance in industry production standards and crop viability

At Green Harbor, my role was to facilitate the sanitary, compliant, and efficient production of cannabis. I was involved and experienced in every process of cannabis cultivation from seed germination, phenohunting and cloning, to harvest and cure. Was also responsible for IPM, fertigation, regulatory compliance, crop scouting, production scheduling and post harvest.

• Maintaining a high quality of compliant and sanitary cannabis cultivation using METRC seed to sale tracking, with attention to business requirements and state/local standards
• Establishing and executing clear and concise standard operating procedures for all cultivation processes
• Establishing nutrient feeds and crop steering protocols in conjunction with environmental controls and VPD manipulation
• Using Argus control systems to dictate irrigation and climate set points
• Tracking and understanding of EC, pH and volume data from irrigation feeds and waste runoff
• Tracking and understanding of climate control data for vegetative, flower and mother rooms to maintain optimal environmental requirements
• Plant care maintenance from seed to post harvest including germination, clone propagation, pheno hunting, transplants, automated and hand watering, mother stock care, pruning, topping, plant training, trellising, vegetative and flower room scouting, harvests, wet/dry trim and curing
• Application of internal pest management, predatory bugs, organic pesticides, hygiene and workplace safety protocols, and surface sterilization
• Deep cleaning and grow room resets, to ensure optimal sanitization for crop rotation
• Basic maintenance such as fixing or replacing irrigation manifolds and components, patching hose and bench leaks, bulb replacements, and inventory supply replenishment
• Necessary filter changes and air handler upkeep
• Interfacing with the director of cultivation and sales personnel to maintain market and cultural relevance in industry production standards and crop viability

As the company’s first employee, I learned to navigate the challenges of start up cannabis businesses in a fast paced, ever changing environment. Part of my role was employee recruiting, development of standard operating procedure, real-time menu updates and in-house advertisements. I was also responsible for orientating, training and supervising over 30 employees in retail, packaging and post harvest departments for both medical and recreational divisions.

• Developing clear and concise standard operating procedures for all sales floor employees
• Providing comprehensive training to 40+ employees on cash handling procedure, security protocol, product knowledge, providing a quality customer experience, company policies and regulatory compliance
• Delegating tasks to employees in a clear, fair and organized way
• Maintaining in-store and online menu accuracy in real time
• Building and maintaining sales floor displays and planograms
• Coordinating with inventory managers to maintain adequate product availability and diversity
• Handling customer returns, product replacements, voids or complaints
• Providing cash change replenishments and cash drawer balancing to point of sale registers
• Interfacing with Store managers and ASMs to make balance deposits or cash change replenishments, to and from cash safe
• Monitoring employee productivity and providing constructive feedback, coaching or retraining
• Providing Store managers and ASMs feedback about employee performance and productivity
• Interfacing with Store manager and inventory personnel to create in store sales and promotions
• Assisting ASMs with facility opening and closing protocols
• Stocking and supplying cash drawers upon opening
• Maintaining product displays with 100% accuracy, using the most recent planograms as reference
• Creating exciting advertisements or signs to promote products within regulatory compliance
• Facilitating the accurate handling of cash by retail staff through cash drawer audits
• Maintaining adequate stock of sales floor inventory
• Ensuring quality customer interactions and experiences
• Providing sales staff with the opportunity to cross train and assist in other departments such as trimming or packaging when necessary
• Maintaining a neat and orderly presentation of the sales facility by delegating tasks such as the sweeping, dusting and sanitizing of customer and employee areas
• Performing end of day POS drawer audits at closing
• Responsible for generating end of day sales revenue reports for upper management review and record keeping
• Trained and assisted in Cannabis cultivation, post-harvest, trimming, packaging, infused edibles kitchen and inventory departments

At The Slater Compassion center, I used my experience and understanding of cannabis to help guide patients toward products suited to their individual needs. I created 2 programs while with Slater center. One on one consultations, for patients who required more in depth counseling, and Monthly support groups with rotating focus topics, centered on fostering a sense of togetherness and community within the local cannabis network.

• Cash drawer auditing for opening and closing
• Setting up product sales displays
• Creating interesting and artistic advertisements on TCS chalkboard and glow boards to promote specific products
• Handling cash sales with 100% accuracy
• Providing quality patient interactions and experiences
• Explaining the importance of understanding individual tolerance and biochemistry
• Educating patients on available methods of ingestion and how they compare to one another
• Using strain specific knowledge and understanding of cannabis products to provide informed recommendations
• Help patients track their tolerance, dosing and effects to ensure proper product usage
• Trained and assisted in: Cultivation department, drying, trimming and curing departments, packaging and labeling department, infused edibles kitchen
• One on One Consultations: I created this program for the dispensary as a resource for providing a foundation of clarity and understanding for patients who have specialized needs or concerns relative to their use of cannabis. In these weekly scheduled private meetings, we would spend up to an hour discussing the patient's unique needs and concerns. I also developed an informational packet and medicine tracking sheet to provide a data point of reference for patients to use post consults to track results
• Pier Based Support Groups: This program was conceived as a monthly meetup available for patients experiencing similar issues to form a network of support and have an outlet for self-expression. These meetings took place after normal business hours, with rotating focus topics such as, 'Conquering Cancer', 'Living with PTSD' and 'Anxiety and Depression'. The goal was to provide safe healthy coping methods, along with a sense of togetherness and community through pier-based communication. These sessions were tailored to remind us that we are united in our struggles through strength, empathy and compassion