Last fall, ALM introduced the insurance industry's first designation for companies serving cannabis-touching businesses, the Cannabis Insurance Coverage Specialist (CICS). The designation comprises six courses:  a general overview of the cannabis industry, a review of the issues involving risk management, real estate, and claims, workers' comp and legal employment questions, and a look at factors for business advisors to consider when working with companies operating in the cannabis space.

ALM recently launched the real estate module, which addresses the different types of real estate needed for cannabis entities, zoning regulations, leasing, pollution coverage issues and more. Danielle Hernandez, a commercial and risk insurance specialist with 18 years of experience in manufacturing, commercial real estate, construction and franchising is the author and subject matter expert for the course. She has been working in the cannabis insurance space for six years, focusing on cannabis Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), cultivation operators, dispensaries and extraction facilities.