Blazing a New Path: 5 Ways to Leverage Cannabis Software in Your Dispensary

Are you curious about how the cannabis industry is evolving in response to groundbreaking technology and how this can propel your business?

Tune into Episode 25 of the Kaya Cast podcast to hear our conversation with Christopher Violas, CEO and Founder of Blaze - cannabis software that simplifies the technology behind the cannabis business.

During our conversation with Chris, he talks about Blaze's cutting-edge technology and security solutions, along with how he is helping to blaze a new path forward in the cannabis industry.

Get ready to be inspired by Chris' incredible knowledge and story!

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How Chris found his place in the cannabis software industry

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“I started a delivery service going into my junior year and realized there are a lot of missing pieces from a technology perspective to make this business work seamlessly.”

It all began during the winter break of his sophomore year of college when he sustained an injury playing D1 soccer and had extra time on his hands. He was curious about what his father had been doing in the business since 2005, so he asked to tour the dispensaries and cultivation facilities. It was then that he knew this was something he wanted to learn more about as an entrepreneur.

That summer, Violas decided to open up a delivery service on the Central Coast of California.

He ran that business for two and a half years before eventually founding Blaze in January 2016.

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What Makes Blaze Cannabis Software Stand Out?

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“We're not just technologists trying to solve a problem in cannabis, no, we are cannabis focused people solving technology problems.”

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What sets Blaze apart is an executive team with cannabis experience, giving them an intimate understanding of the workflows and store needs of dispensaries. 

Blaze has taken an ‘open ecosystem’ approach since day one, and they are currently integrated with over 60 technology operators and integrators. 

The feedback loop with their customers plays a significant role in their ability to provide a seamless experience alongside these integrations. 

Chris Violas explains:

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 “New problems come up, new regulations come up. A lot of it's just coming through the feedback loop of customers saying, ‘Hey, we're using this solution over here. It works extremely well." 

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By partnering with different tools, Blaze seeks to make sure data is transparent and flowing seamlessly across all solutions to provide a meaningful experience for dispensary operators.

How Blaze Cannabis Software is Resolving Problems

The cannabis industry has faced many challenges, particularly when it comes to staying compliant with regulations and making payments. But Chris is confident that Blaze has risen to the challenges in many ways:

Blaze Delivery app

Making delivery services more efficient and compliant is the mission of Blaze Delivery. Their industry-specific app simplifies the delivery process by providing a single platform for managing all steps, including taking payments online, ensuring that customers provide a signature upon delivery, and tracking payment transactions. 

An omnichannel experience

At Blaze, they're focused on streamlining the process of omnichannel retailing to make it less of a burden for merchants and retailers. With the help of Blaze's system, retailers only need to manage one catalog, which will be automatically updated through each channel. This helps customers meet retailers with the least amount of friction. 

Blaze Pay

“We're always trying to find ways forward and trying to find solutions to make the shopping experience for the consumer that much better.”

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Cannabis banking and payment options remain a major challenge in North America. Blaze Pay provides innovative solutions such as the Automatic Clearing House system for customers to connect their bank accounts and enjoy one-tap payments. Additionally, their platform also supports selling directly to consumers via text message payment links. 

Blaze Insights business intelligence tool

As Violas emphasizes, the tool is designed to provide compliance-layer data to Blaze's customers. Violas points out that what sets Blaze Insights apart from the competition is its exclusive ability to generate transactional reports, operational reports, and visualizations such as delivery performance, sell through, order times, and more. Furthermore, customers can customize the kinds of reports they generate.

Inventory management

Blaze software helps dispensaries and retail operations stay compliant and track inventory with advanced reconciliation tools. It allows users to create multiple inventory sets in different areas. The software is also compatible with all track and trace systems across states, making transitions easy. Operators can transfer inventory, detect discrepancies between compliant and POS systems, and manage kits for tracking.

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Bright spots in the Canadian market

Chris Violas sees many opportunities in the cannabis software market in spite of current supply issues. According to Violas, businesses are looking to make more with less, and they are encouraging tools to keep customers coming back. Violas advocates for seamless payment experiences, similar to Apple or Google Pay, both online and in-store, to reduce friction and make the customer journey smoother. He believes that these types of difficult markets can push innovation forward and allow operators to become more efficient with their businesses.

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The next big thing for Blaze

Chris mentions that Blaze is striving to provide a holistic approach to retail, building on all aspects of the industry, from hardware to software. They plan to take the lessons they have learned over the past few years and apply them in 2023. 

This includes updates from their insights and payments teams, as well as deeper and better partnerships. Overall, they want customers to have a turnkey solution so they don’t need to find additional tech for their stack.

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Paying back the community

Through their program dubbed “Blaze Cares,” they have been able to do various activities such as toy drives, beach cleanups, and social equity initiatives. Chris explains that the program was first established when an employee asked: "What can we do to help?"

Since then, the program has blossomed.

Violas believes that giving back is rewarding, but more importantly, we must have a "one team, one vision mentality" within the cannabis industry. He believes that businesses should give back to their communities to thank everyone who worked hard to get them where they are now.

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Important things to consider when starting a cannabis business

Chris Violas believes location and community are crucial when launching a dispensary; the licensing process may vary, but getting the location right is vital. He highlights the significance of building a community to retain customers, by organizing enjoyable activities & events (e.g. Taco Truck Wednesdays) or displaying local artwork.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, Blaze is revolutionizing the cannabis industry with its groundbreaking technology. Led by Christopher Violas, their team is making the technology behind the cannabis business a breeze by taking an 'open ecosystem' approach and integrating with over 60 technology operators. 

‍Tune in to the episode to get the full scoop on Chris' story and learn more about how Blaze's features set them apart. With their unique offering and dedication to customer satisfaction, you won't want to miss out!