CANNAINVESTOR Magazine October / November 2016 | Page 118

The New Frontier: Cannabis

By CANNAINVESTOR Magazine

What does escorting convoys through territory held by the Lord’s Resistance Army in Africa and operating a publicly traded cannabis company in Colorado have in common? Lots of things, according to the CEO of Helix TCS, Inc. (“Helix”), Zachary L. Venegas.

“At Helix, we have a strong focus on the replicability of procedures and services because every market is unique. You need an integrated system of leadership and management that allows you to move into markets quickly, without having to reinvent the wheel. My experience with frontier markets taught me that you have to be able to adjust quickly to different markets while producing consistent, positive outcomes, and the same principle applies to cannabis,” says Venegas.

Venegas is somewhat of a fish out of water in the industry compared to his peers and other cannabis business operators. As a self-described “teetotaler,” he has never consumed an alcoholic beverage or cannabis product. Venegas requires regular and random drug testing for all of his security guards.

This important distinction separates Helix from its competitors and is further strengthened by employee training requirements: Helix has the longest and most extensive training program for its security staff in the cannabis industry.

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