How the Cannabis and Telecom Industry is Similar – Part 1

Written By Laura Kyle

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On October 17th, 2018, Cannabis became legal in Canada. Out of the 50 states in the USA, 12 have legalized recreational weed and 22 have legalized medical marijuana. The controversy on the legalization, and cannabis itself, has made it a popular topic. So popular, I was able to find similarities between the cannabis industry and the telco industry. 

You may be wondering, how is a plant-based substance related to hosted cloud solutions? Keep reading to find out! 

👩‍⚖️Regulations👮

Both Cannabis and Telecommunications are regulated industries. As mentioned earlier, recreational and medical marijuana are only legal in individual states. Within those states, there are different rules on the amount a person is allowed to possess, grow, and transport. On top of that, there are various punishments like fines and felony charges per state. 

Just like cannabis, there are different rules and regulations for telecom providers. Up until the 1980’s, AT&T controlled nearly all aspects of the telephone business. Between the government and FCC regulations, independent companies were unable to compete in the market. Thanks to the telecommunications act of 1996, it allowed competitors to join the market and it reduced regulation. The act secured lower prices and higher quality services for telco consumers.  And allowing many new suppliers into the market was fought as controversial. Learn more here. 

Today, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulates communications, as well as the phone industry in the USA. Providers have processing and regulatory fees that must be paid, forms that must be filled out, and rules that must be followed. Failure to comply can result in hefty fines or even jail time. 

🔢Options to Fit Your Needs🔀

Options are great. With both Cannabis and Telecommunications, you have lots of options! But it is essential to be educated on the options you have and make a decision that fits your (or your business) needs best. 

With Cannabis, it is important to know what strain is best for you. There are many options to choose from, but it usually comes down to a Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid strain. Each strain has its own benefits, as per healthline

Indica 

📍 Often has higher levels of CBD and less of THC
📍 Commonly-known for its intense relaxing effects, reducing nausea and pain
📍 Recommended to be consumed at night for its deep relaxation effects

Sativa 

📍 Regularly has lower levels of CBD and more of THC
📍
Commonly-known as a “mind-high,” energizing, anxiety-reducing
📍
Recommended to be consumed in the day as you may feel more productive and creative (the opposite of relaxed) 

Hybrid

📍 Each type has its own unique ratio of CBD and THC
📍
Commonly-known for its distinctive relievers like anxiety or stress to easing symptoms of chemotherapy 

Now only should you know what strain is best for you, but what method of consumption you’d prefer. Consumers can choose between a joint, edible, bong, pipe, oil, vape and more! 

It can be overwhelming to find an option that suits you best. What is even more overwhelming, is finding a solution that fits your needs as well as your customers! Ask yourself:

What do I need to grow my business?

What Kind of features do my customers need?

Do you want to do it yourself, or do you want us to do it for you?

On-Premise or Hosted?

Since the beginning of time the cloud, there is a constant debate on what option is best, on-premise, or hosted. But, just like cannabis, each option has benefits. 

On-Premise

📍 Your data is in house
📍 Total control over your servers and data
📍
Easier customization
📍
May be cheaper in the long run 

Hosted 

📍 No up-front costs
📍
Convenience
📍
Saves you time
📍
Security 

Once you choose a solution, then comes the fun part of how you prefer to communicate! On top of choosing between on-premise or hosted, you can opt for additional add-ons like unified communications. Implementing UC will give you more options to communicate like video chat, softphone, or messaging. 

Take the Bicom Systems quiz, and we will guess your preferred way to take a phone call. 

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