Audit
The systematic, independent, and documented examination (through observation, investigation, records review, discussions with employees of the audited entity, and, as appropriate, sampling and laboratory analysis) to assess a supplier’s food safety processes and procedures.

Seed-To-Sale
When an edibles company is vertically integrated,  means that the cultivation of cannabis and through all processing stages ending at a sales dispensary are ALL within the company's control. That is called “seed-to-sale”.

HACCP
Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP, is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe and designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level. 

Current Good Manufacturing Practices, cGMPs
Procedures and policies in support of a HACCP, food or edible safety plan.

Preventive Controls
Risk-based, reasonably appropriate procedures, practices, and processes that one would employ to significantly minimize or prevent the hazards identified under the hazard analysis that are consistent with the current scientific understanding of safe food manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding at the time of the analysis.

Edible safety plan
Facility-specific. Product or line specific. Written GMPs and GCPs, associated SOPs, hazard analysis, preventive controls, associated monitoring and verification records, and recall plan. Implementation of the written plan. Corrections, corrective action and root cause investigations of deviation from the plan. Analogous to food safety plan in the food industry.

Preventive Controls Qualified Individual
or (PCQI) means a qualified individual who has successfully completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls at least equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by FDA or is otherwise qualified through job experience to develop and apply a food safety system.

Standard Operating Procedure, SOP
Written directions for who is responsible, the frequency, supplies and steps to follow in a procedure. There is an associated record for documentation of the procedure.