Thanks to the rapidly growing cannabis culture, it seems like everyone wants a piece of the marijuana industry. Be it entrepreneurs, retailers, cultivators, or consumers, this industry is tempting to a wide range of people. Due to the high-value cash, crops, and commodities, the marijuana industry has become more vulnerable to theft from both inside and outside the business itself.
Just like any other business, cultivators also deal with incidents like smash and grab robberies in growing facilities. To prevent such occurrences, security practices should be heavily monitored as compared to other sectors. Moreover, having an effective cultivation security plan is a must thing as it carries the highest point values and plays a significant role in the license application process.
In this post, we’re going to discuss what needs to be part of your marijuana cultivation security plan to prevent theft and stealing incidents.
Security Guards
Marijuana businesses are heavily regulated on state and local levels of laws which means growing facilities require effective security measures to ensure business assets are protected at all times. Having responsible security guards will protect the premises, assets and also provide protection to staff and customers/visitors during hours of operation and at night.
They can verify the identification of customers, caregivers, patients, and visitors and ensure no one without an ID enters the premises. Security guards can also check the age of people who are entering the store.
Locking Down Storage Space
Having essential security measures adds an extra layer of security to ensure there is no intrusion happening at your workplace. Locking down storage space not only keeps marijuana crops and marijuana products safe but is also an essential element as per cannabis law and regulations. According to the cannabis regulations, from the security point of view, it is important to store the cannabis in the storage room which is not visible to consumers even to those who are walking into the stores.
Camera Surveillance
Almost all state regulations explicitly mention camera surveillance requirements on marijuana-growing sites. Now, Let’s focus on a couple of other vital perspectives of monitoring.
All the dispensaries and growing facilities must have 24×7 video surveillance inside and outside of all entry and exit points. Cameras must be permanently fixed at a distance from where they can capture clear and highest-quality pictures & video. It is the best monitoring option to ensure all the crops are watched at all times. Remote monitoring is very significant to find out who intruded on the facilities to get visual reports for any incidents.
- Get 24×7 surveillance
- Minimum of 15 frames per second.
- Minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
- Ensure time & date are stamped on the footage
- Minimum backup of 45 days
Fencing
Cannabis regulations are very strict about having fencing in open areas where cultivators are growing crops outdoors, greenhouse, or in fully enclosed ground. As per the regulations, it is important to have fencing which is at least eight feet high and obstructs the public view of the premises.
Cultivators can adopt any method to fulfill the requirements, but the most popular way is a standard chain link fence which is equipped with razor wire spirals. The benefits of fencing are unlimited such as fences are cheap, easy to install, easily available, reusable, and permeable. But the most important is it offers ventilation to the crops which helps keep them fresh and helps in their growth.
Lighting
Lighting is another important security requirement of the cultivation security plan. It is mandatory for all retail stores, dispensaries, and growing facilities to have at least 10 feet of visibility at each entry and exit point. Adequate lighting is required for security cameras to record activities with high resolutions. To ensure you’ve clear visibility at the gates, you can use motion-sensor lighting to fulfill the government regulation’s requirements.
Intrusion Detection
Cannabis regulation requires your cultivation facilities to be secure from any kind of intrusion (robbery, stealing, burglar) alarms at entrances, exits, and around the perimeter. According to the law guidelines, It is compulsory to install alarms at doors, windows and fencing areas, glass-break detectors, and motion detectors. It is recommended to install an audible alarm system for the outdoor areas.
Most states have different requirements when it comes to alarm systems, however, these systems must be monitored by a licensed security company that is a certified operator that is aware of cannabis law requirements.
When you’re growing marijuana crops in rural areas or on the outskirts, there are chances that wildlife can set off your alarms. Handling these false alarms can be a bit expensive for your business. So, it is important to monitor your alarms in real-time to ensure whether some wild animals are wandering in the restricted area or someone purposely getting into the premises.
Wrap Up:
Undoubtedly, the marijuana industry draws a lot of attention as it generates a ton of revenue mostly in the form of hard cash. However, nowadays growing facilities are also targeted by robbers due to their high demand & easy selling methods. To prevent such incidents, it is highly recommended to invest in the best security services to ensure your marijuana crops and commodities are protected against theft and stealing.