The key to any association is the people who make up the network. From lawyers and banking professionals to commercial cannabis business owners and all who fall in between, we are proud of the diverse and expanding network of professionals and experts who are our members. To show our appreciation for the exceptional individuals in our community, we are highlighting Sarah Balboa this week. Please reach out and connect with her on LinkedIn!
Sarah is the lab director, educator, and compliance officer for Hemplucid, a leader in the Hemp CBD Market providing certified organic CBD products throughout the United States and various countries. Sarah received a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology from the University of Colorado, is ServSafe Manager Certified, OSHA General Industry Certified, and is training in Hazardous Waste Regulations for both Utah and Colorado. Sarah started out as a pre-med major but began working in the commercial cannabis industry before going to medical school and never looked back.
After Sarah earned her bachelors, she took a year off before starting medical school to look for any type of lab job that would help boost her résumé and school applications and found an advertisement on Craigslist for a hemp company looking for someone with a science degree and administrative experience. Though she had no idea what hemp was at the time, she had taken courses with Dr. Melameade, a cannabis expert and professor at UCCS, so she was aware of the medical benefits of cannabis. Sarah was offered the job and immediately fell in love with the industry. She felt she was able to fulfill her goal in life of wanting to “change someone’s life forever” without having to go to medical school. After a while, Sarah was offered the position of lab director to set up the entire production side of the business. Since Sarah accepted this position, she has thrown herself into learning more about the industry through continuing her professional education through earning certifications and attending events and conferences. In her day-to-day responsibilities, Sarah works to make sure that all products made at Hemplucid are produced under best practices and comply with current regulations, establishes full compliance initiatives for SOPs, policies, and documentation, and keeps all licenses and certifications up to date. ACCCE has given Sarah extra knowledge about creating a risk management program within her company, allowing her to help create better policies, procedures, and structures. To say the least, Hemplucid is fortunate to have Sarah as a part of its team!
Sarah first heard about the Association of Certified Commercial Cannabis Experts through LinkedIn posts and is Certified Commercial Cannabis Expert (CCCE) serving on the ACCCE Education Advisory Board. “I became a CCCE because I want to further grow my career and knowledge within the industry to not only help my current company, but the entire cannabis industry.” Being in an industry with high risk, Sarah says that the more risk can be managed, the easier it is to handle. She believes the ACCCE Cannabis Risk Management Framework has given her better ways to create and adopt procedures that suit her company.
Sarah has lived in Colorado since she was seven years old but is now starting to make the move to Utah. While she and her two dogs, Indy and Sativo, love Colorado, they are excited to move to another beautiful state. Sarah has played volleyball since she was 14 and still plays and coaches today. In her free time, Sarah loves to travel and be outdoors, but to wind down after a long day, she enjoys a good workout, a good meal, and some reading. Sarah’s dream is to start a non-profit helping families with children who are affected with coronary heart disease because, in 2018, her best friend passed away at the age of 29 due to coronary heart disease. Sarah loves mission work and putting time and effort into making the world a better place.
We are proud to have an esteemed member like Sarah in our network. As our community continues to grow, we find it important to thank our members for their commitment to professionalizing the commercial cannabis industry. Thank you, Sarah, for being such an important part of the cannabis community. Together, we are a part of something great.
