Estrella Sena, Compliance & E-Commerce Operations Manager for Pecos Valley Production – Interview Series

While known for its natural beauty and rich Native culture and history, New Mexico has also built a remarkably robust cannabis industry. Five years after Governor Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 2, the state’s cannabis sector has generated a staggering $2.2 billion in sales. Yet even with such impressive figures, the market continues to balance significant growth opportunities with persistent challenges years after legalization.

To get a closer look at the current state of New Mexico’s cannabis industry and explore how to navigate its heavily regulated landscape, MyCannabis.com spoke with Estrella Sena, the Compliance & E-Commerce Operations Manager for Pecos Valley Production.

What subjects did you mainly study at Central New Mexico Community College? How did those courses provide you with a better understanding of successful marketing strategies?

I studied Psychology at Central New Mexico Community College, which is what I earned my associate’s degree in. That ended up being really valuable for marketing because it gave me an understanding of how people think, what influences their decisions, and how they respond to different messages.

A lot of effective marketing comes down to understanding behavior, what motivates someone to engage, click, or buy, and studying psychology really helped me approach that more intentionally. For example, if I’m building a campaign or writing content, I think about things like what emotional trigger will resonate, how to create a sense of urgency, or how social proof might influence someone’s decision. Those are all rooted in psychology, and they make a big difference in how well a campaign performs.
Overall, my background in psychology helps me create marketing that actually connects with people and drives action, instead of just focusing on surface-level messaging.

Prior to joining the Pecos Valley production team, what roles in marketing and event management did you hold? What became the most transferable or otherwise useful skills from those non-cannabis jobs you held?

Before joining Pecos Valley Production, I worked with The Roadrunner Star, where I managed pop-ups and handled vendor and market relationships at markets and events across New Mexico.

In that role, I was responsible for setup, product presentation, inventory, and overall booth execution. I focused a lot on how products were displayed, what caught people’s attention, and how to create an experience that pulled customers in. I was also handling direct customer interactions and sales, so I got really comfortable talking to people, answering questions, and adapting my approach depending on the customer.

The most transferable skill I brought into the cannabis space is definitely customer experience. In both environments, you’re not just selling a product, you’re helping guide someone’s decision. Being able to read customers, understand what they’re looking for, and create a positive, informative experience translates directly to cannabis retail and marketing. It’s about building trust, making people feel comfortable, and making sure they walk away confident in their purchase.

When did you first join the Pecos Valley Production team? What, professionally, interested you in joining the New Mexico cannabis industry?

I joined the Pecos Valley Production team in April 2022. Around that time, I had just temporarily moved from Albuquerque to Edgewood, and I was already a patient in New Mexico’s medical cannabis program, which really influenced my decision to get into the industry.

I actually hadn’t heard of Pecos Valley Production before I came across the Edgewood location one day while I was looking for quality medicine in the East Mountains. After visiting, I was immediately impressed by the product quality, the overall vibe, and the level of customer service. It stood out to me right away.

At that point, I didn’t know much about the industry from a professional side, I only knew it from a patient POV. But what really drew me in was how welcoming the cannabis community is and how comfortable I felt in that environment. I liked the idea of being part of something like that.

More than anything, I was interested in being able to help people in the same way budtenders had helped me: by guiding them, making them feel comfortable, and helping them find the right product for their needs. That experience is what made me want to turn it into a career.

While serving in the inventory management-related roles you held, what were the most effective ways that you guaranteed total inventory accuracy with METRC and compliance with the New Mexico Cannabis Control Division?

In my inventory management roles at PVP, the most effective way I ensured accuracy with BioTrack and maintained compliance with the New Mexico Cannabis Control Division was through consistent, hands-on inventory practices and strong daily routines.

One of the biggest factors was physically handling and verifying inventory every day. By regularly touching and counting products, I built a very clear understanding of what was actually in the store at all times. That made it much easier to catch discrepancies early and keep

BioTrack aligned with physical inventory instead of letting issues build up.

PVP also had strong internal controls in place, like requiring daily inventory counts, which go beyond basic compliance requirements. That level of consistency created accountability and helped maintain real-time accuracy, which is critical in a regulated environment where even small discrepancies can become compliance issues.

In terms of audit readiness, staying organized and keeping inventory clean, labeled, and easy to track was key. I always made sure inventory was audit-ready on a daily basis, not just when an inspection was coming. That included ensuring tags were accurate, product was in the correct location, and documentation matched what was in BioTrack.

For discrepancy resolution, my approach was to address issues immediately. If something didn’t match, I would double-check the physical count, review recent transactions, and identify where the breakdown happened, whether it was a receiving error, a data entry issue, or a misplaced product. The goal was not just to fix the number, but to understand the root cause and prevent it from happening again.
Overall, it was a combination of disciplined daily counts, strong organizational habits, and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving discrepancies that allowed me to consistently maintain inventory accuracy and stay fully compliant.

What are your regular duties as Compliance and E-Commerce Operations Manager? What all goes into ensuring that 17 stores across New Mexico are as compliant as possible?

Honestly, it’s a lot, but at a high level my role is owning compliance and e-commerce operations across all 17 locations in New Mexico.

On the compliance side, I serve as the primary point of authority for CCD requirements, QA and QC standards, and audit readiness. That includes managing our full QA/QC program, leading internal and state audits, and making sure every location is consistently operating within regulatory expectations. If there’s an issue, whether it’s inventory discrepancies, labeling problems, or process gaps, I’m responsible for identifying it, communicating it out, and ensuring there’s a clear corrective action that actually gets implemented.

A big part of keeping that many locations aligned is SOP governance. I develop, update, and enforce our compliance procedures, and make sure they evolve with regulatory changes and audit findings. That structure is what allows us to stay consistent and inspection-ready at all times, even when I’m not physically in every store.

I also act as the main point of contact during inspections, audits, and any regulatory inquiries, which means overseeing responses, documentation, and making sure we’re fully prepared and protected from a compliance standpoint.

On the operations side, I oversee inventory controls, transfers, vendor intake, and discrepancy resolution across all locations, making sure everything is accurate from both a regulatory and reporting perspective.

Then there’s the e-commerce side, which is another major piece of my role. I manage our full e-commerce ecosystem, including Dutchie, our website, and our mobile app. That includes product catalog governance, pricing accuracy, system integrations, and making sure what customers see online is always aligned with what’s physically in-store and compliant with state regulations.

I also work cross-functionally with manufacturing/production, retail, marketing, finance, and IT to make sure compliance and operational priorities stay aligned across the company.

Overall, my job is really about maintaining regulatory integrity and operational consistency at scale. It comes down to staying proactive, building strong systems, and making sure every location is always audit-ready and operating the way it should be.

What are some notable ways that the New Mexico cannabis industry and regulations have changed since recreational sales first began? How have you and the Pecos Valley team had to adjust to those changes?

Since recreational sales started in New Mexico in April 2022, one of the biggest changes has been how quickly the industry has grown and evolved. At the beginning, it felt more like a startup phase, there were a lot of new businesses entering the market and processes were still being built out. Over time, the industry has become much more structured, but also much more competitive due to how many licenses were issued and how quickly the market became saturated.

Because of that oversaturation, there’s been a lot more pressure around pricing and customer experience. Stores are competing more aggressively, so it’s not just about having product, you have to be priced competitively and provide a strong, consistent experience to keep customers coming back.

We’ve also seen a lot of changes in regulations themselves. The CCD has continued to refine rules around things like packaging, labeling, testing, and product tracking, and enforcement has become more defined over time. There’s also been a bigger emphasis on traceability through BioTrack and making sure everything from intake to sale is documented and accounted for.

Because of all of this, the way we’ve had to adjust at PVP is by becoming much more proactive and structured. We’ve had to continuously update SOPs, tighten our internal processes, and stay on top of regulatory updates as they come out.

What are some of the most problematic or otherwise difficult regulations that Pecos Valley and other New Mexico cannabis businesses have to adhere to?

I wouldn’t say problematic, at least for us, but there are definitely areas of regulation that are more complex and require a lot of attention to detail, packaging and labeling is one of the biggest ones. Navigating inspector opinions vs written regulations can also be a bit challenging, I think other licensees in the state would agree. There are very specific requirements around what needs to be included on packaging, how products are presented, and making sure nothing is appealing to minors. It’s not just about having a label, it has be completely accurate and meet very detailed standards.

One area that can be especially challenging is when you’re outsourcing products. As a licensee, you’re still fully responsible for anything you’re selling, even if you didn’t manufacture it. So, it requires a lot of oversight, verification, and trust, but also double-checking everything before it ever hits the sales floor.

Since PVP is vertically integrated, that’s actually been a big advantage for us. We’re able to make compliance decisions directly at the cultivation and production level, which allows us to control things like packaging, labeling, and overall quality from the start instead of trying to correct issues later. At the end of the day, the regulations are there for a reason, especially around consumer safety and preventing youth appeal, so it’s really about building strong internal processes to stay ahead of them.

What are some easy but effective ways that New Mexico cannabis businesses can ensure they’re compliant? What are the most common errors in compliance that those businesses can unknowingly make?

In New Mexico specifically, some of the easiest but most effective ways businesses can stay compliant really come down to consistency and having strong, repeatable processes in place.

The biggest one is having clear SOPs and actually enforcing them. With how detailed CCD regulations are, having a step-by-step process for things like inventory, intake, labeling and documentation takes a lot of guesswork out and keeps every location operating the same way.

Regular inventory counts and internal audits are also huge in NM. Since everything is tracked through BioTrack, making sure your physical inventory matches what’s in the system every day is one of the simplest ways to avoid compliance issues. If you’re checking things consistently, you catch problems early instead of letting them build up.

Training is another big one. At PVP, that’s something we put a lot of focus on. We’re constantly feeding compliance information down to our managers, so they stay just as up to date as I am. That way, compliance isn’t just centralized, it’s being reinforced at every location day-to-day.

Another important piece that often gets overlooked is staying compliant not only on the state level but local as well. In New Mexico, every city operates a little differently when it comes to certifications and how they’re issued, and those processes can change pretty frequently. If you’re not staying ahead of those changes, you can easily end up without the proper documentation, which then puts you out of compliance at the state level. Understanding licensing on a local level has truly helped me to manage compliance efficiently for all 17 locations.

As far as the most common errors, a lot of them are small things that add up.

Inventory discrepancies are probably the biggest one, even small mismatches between what’s physically in the store and what’s in BioTrack can create issues if they’re not caught quickly.

Packaging and labeling mistakes are also very common, things like missing required information, incorrect labels, or products that don’t meet NM standards can lead to product holds or compliance issues.

Data entry errors are another big one, especially in BioTrack! Wrong weights, incorrect tags, or miscategorized products. Since everything is tracked closely, even small mistakes can throw things off if they’re not fixed right away.

So overall, staying compliant really comes down to being consistent, and strong SOPs that are actually enfored, daily checks, trained staff, and making sure you’re aligned at both the state and local level. Most issues aren’t major failures, it’s the small things that weren’t caught early.

When it comes to the Southwest markets, what advantages does the New Mexico market have over the Arizona or Nevada markets? Are there certain factors that play to New Mexico’s benefit when it comes to product sales and continued success?

I think the biggest advantage New Mexico has is LOCATION. New Mexico benefits from a lot of out-of-state traffic, especially from Texas, where cannabis laws are still very limited. That creates steady demand and brings in customers that continue to drive sales, particularly in certain areas of the state.

Because of the combination of opportunity and competition, it really pushes businesses to operate at a higher level. Companies have to stay competitive with pricing, maintain strong product quality, and provide a consistent customer experience to keep people coming back.

From what I’ve seen, New Mexico is a market where you can grow and be successful, but only if you’re consistent and disciplined in how you operate. The advantage is that there’s demand and room to establish yourself, but the success comes from being able to adapt, stay competitive, and maintain strong operations long-term.

As someone whose specialty is compliance, how do you envision the federal rescheduling of cannabis changing New Mexico cannabis operations and regulations?

From a compliance perspective, federal rescheduling is going to have a significant impact on how cannabis operations are structured in New Mexico.

One of the most important things to understand is that this change primarily affects medical cannabis. Medical cannabis is moving toward Schedule III recognition, while recreational cannabis remains a Schedule I substance at the federal level. That creates a clear separation in how the two are treated and regulated. Because of that, I think we’re going to see a stronger shift toward medical programs. At PVP, we’re already adapting to that by encouraging customers to become medical patients or stay within the medical system when it makes sense. It really comes down to aligning with where the regulatory and financial advantages are.

In New Mexico, medical patients already have meaningful benefits. They’re exempt from excise taxes and can purchase higher amounts than recreational consumers, which makes a noticeable difference in cost and accessibility over time.

On the business side, rescheduling also has financial implications. One of the biggest is the potential relief from Section 280E, but that relief applies to medical cannabis, not recreational. So companies that have a strong medical program are likely going to be in a much better position moving forward.

Overall, I see this shift pushing the industry toward a more medical-focused framework, where compliance, patient care, and well-structured programs are going to play a much bigger role in long-term success.

Thank you for joining us, Estrella! For more information on Pecos Valley Production, please visit its website.