Summary
New to the cannabis edibles industry? Start here. This beginner-friendly checklist covers all the foundational elements needed to plan, build, and operate a compliant cannabis production kitchen. Whether you’re making gummies, chocolates, baked edibles, beverages, or multiproduct SKUs, this list ensures you’re not missing crucial facility, equipment, safety, or compliance requirements.
FACILITY REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST
Building & Room Requirements
☐ Food-grade, non-porous floors, walls, and ceilings
☐ Adequate lighting (ideally LED, shatter-resistant)
☐ Smooth, cleanable surfaces in production areas
☐ Dedicated zones for receiving, infusion, cooking, cooling, packaging, and sanitation
☐ Enough space for carts, racks, equipment clearances, and staff movement
☐ ADA accessibility where required
☐ Handwashing sinks placed within easy reach of production lines
☐ 3-compartment sink or commercial dishmachine
☐ Proper number of floor drains for sanitation and washdown areas
Utilities & Mechanical Systems
☐ Electrical panel sized to support commercial equipment
☐ Correct voltage/phase for ovens, kettles, refrigeration
☐ HVAC system sized for heat load from equipment
☐ Dedicated ventilation or hoods per cooking processes
☐ Make-up air system to balance hood exhaust
☐ Hot and cold water lines where needed
☐ Backflow prevention installed on required fixtures
☐ Adequate gas service (if using gas equipment)
☐ Internet access for seed-to-sale tracking and QA systems
Security
☐ 24/7 video surveillance on storage, processing, and packaging areas
☐ Restricted access to cannabis-active ingredient areas
☐ Secure vault or lockable cannabis storage
☐ Controlled keys or badge access
EQUIPMENT STARTER CHECKLIST
Core Production Equipment
☐ Commercial convection or combi oven
☐ Steam-jacketed kettle or heavy-duty induction range
☐ High-shear mixer or emulsifier
☐ Planetary mixer (tabletop or floor model)
☐ Chocolate melter or tempering machine
☐ Depositor for gummies, chocolate, or batters
☐ Blast chiller or reach-in cooler with fast recovery
☐ Walk-in cooler or freezer
☐ Sheet pans, racks, carts, and storage bins
☐ NSF-certified stainless steel tables
Packaging Equipment
☐ Heat sealer, pouch sealer, or tabletop FFS machine
☐ Label printer for THC mg/serving, batch ID, and date coding
☐ Induction sealer (for bottles or beverages)
☐ Child-resistant packaging supplies
☐ Checkweigher for accuracy
QA & Lab Equipment
☐ Bench scale (grams to kilos)
☐ Floor scale (for bulk production)
☐ Thermometers and probes
☐ pH meter (if applicable)
☐ Retained sample containers
☐ Batch and COA logging workstation
SANITATION CHECKLIST (FOOD SAFETY)
Cleaning & Sanitizing
☐ 3-compartment sink or commercial dishmachine
☐ Dedicated sanitation chemicals (food-grade)
☐ Tools: brushes, squeegees, scrapers, color-coded cleaning tools
☐ Drying racks and shelving
☐ Daily cleaning SOP
☐ Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS) for weekly/monthly/annual tasks
Facility Hygiene
☐ Handwashing sinks with soap, towels, and signage
☐ Handwash logs or digital monitoring
☐ Pest control program and log
☐ Trash management plan
☐ Allergen control procedures
☐ Separate cleaning tools for THC-active vs non-active zones
SAFETY CHECKLIST
Chemical & Physical Safety
☐ MSDS/SDS sheets for all chemicals
☐ PPE (gloves, aprons, hairnets, beard nets)
☐ Lockout/tagout procedures for equipment
☐ No glass in production areas
☐ Metal-detectable scrapers and tools (optional but recommended)
Fire & Mechanical Safety
☐ Fire suppression system (UL 300 if hood required)
☐ Class K fire extinguishers
☐ Proper hood and duct maintenance
☐ Clearances around equipment as per manufacturer specs
Product Safety
☐ Batch coding and traceability
☐ Temperature logs for cooking/cooling
☐ HACCP plan for high-risk items
☐ Allergen labeling compliance
LICENSING & COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST
Cannabis Licensing
☐ Local approval (city/county)
☐ State cannabis processor/manufacturer license
☐ Cannabis-specific facility requirements review
☐ Waste destruction procedures (two-person rule, video documentation where required)
Food Safety Licensing
☐ Retail or processing license (varies by state)
☐ Facility plan review (if required)
☐ Inspection-ready floors, walls, ceilings, and equipment
☐ HACCP plan if producing shelf-stable, vacuum-sealed, low-acid foods, etc.
Regulatory Systems
☐ Seed-to-sale integration (Metrc, BioTrack, or state equivalent)
☐ Documented batch records
☐ COAs from licensed labs
☐ Recall plan and mock recall procedure
☐ Security plan and video retention compliance
TRAINING CHECKLIST
Required Training
☐ Food safety basics (Food Handler or higher)
☐ GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)
☐ Allergen awareness
☐ HACCP (for supervisors or lead operators)
☐ Sanitation & chemical handling
☐ Equipment safety (mixers, kettles, ovens)
☐ Cannabis compliance training (Metrc/BioTrack)
☐ Inventory handling and security
☐ SOP training for each task
Documentation
☐ Training logs with instructor, date, and topic
☐ Competency checklists for each role
☐ Annual refresher training program
☐ Performance review tied to SOP compliance
