Creating a 710 Security Plan

Today is 710, a holiday for cannabis enthusiasts who enjoy consuming cannabis oils, dabs, and concentrates. While 420 may still be the most universally celebrated cannabis holiday, 710 is quickly growing in popularity as cannabis access spreads throughout the U.S. The date 710 was chosen because when the numbers are flipped upside down they spell OIL. Cannabis oil products have a high percentage of THC and include resins, waxes, shatters, and other highly potent products.

While the U.S. may be becoming more 710 friendly, or accepting of the consumption of cannabis oil products, their use is still less common than cannabis flower. Even though the first reported celebration of 710 was only in 2012, the use of cannabis oil products and the celebration of 710 are becoming widespread. Today will likely be a busy day for dispensaries in areas where cannabis oil products are legal for recreational use.

Managing an Increase in Sales

Dispensary management should ensure that the facility is well-staffed to accommodate the increase in sales. More employees and security personnel should be scheduled to conduct sales, assist customers, and enforce occupancy limits. Increasing the number of employees in the store not only produces better customer service, but also improves the dispensary’s security. Excellent customer service forces potential criminals to think twice before they decide to commit a crime.

Potential criminals look for opportunities that are fast, easy, and low risk. It is much more difficult for a customer to successfully shoplift if an employee is in the sales area greeting and assisting customers. Additionally, a fully-staffed sales area also deters employees from attempting to steal or discount products and increases the likelihood that such an attempt would be caught.

Ensuring the business is fully-staffed to prepare for the increase in sales should be an important part of any dispensary’s 710 security plan. Since 710 falls on a Friday in 2021, dispensary management should expect higher sales through the weekend and should staff accordingly.

Managing an Increase in Customers

With the increase in sales comes an increase in customers – and a greater risk of becoming the victim of theft or diversion. The dispensary faces some of the greatest risks during busy shopping times when potential criminals take advantage of the chaos in the store. Dispensaries are at risk from both external theft from customers and internal theft from the dispensary’s own employees.

When the dispensary is at its busiest, customers may take advantage of all the activity and use it as an opportunity to shoplift. Similarly, employees may attempt to steal or discount cannabis for themselves or others. The best way to deter theft and diversion is to remove the opportunity. To prevent potential criminals from exploiting the business, dispensary managements should set occupancy limits for the facility as part of their 710 security plan.

Occupancy limits for the dispensary may already be required by state/local regulations and should always be enforced. For dispensaries that typically do not impose limits, it is important to prevent the dispensary from becoming more crowded than management can control. When an occupancy limit is in effect, an employee or security guard should be placed at the entrance informing customers of the limit and allowing only the number of customers that can be handled by employees at one time into the dispensary.

In addition to employee schedules and occupancy limits, dispensary management should test all security and alarm devices to ensure they are in proper working order. Management should also review the security plan and signs of internal and external theft with employees. 710 security measures aim to better protect the business and its employees and can be used on other holidays or whenever the dispensary is faced with increases in sales and customers.

Successful plans take a proactive approach to security. Proactive security seeks to prevent and deter crime by removing the opportunity for potential criminals. Dispensary management should ensure that they have established an occupancy limit and scheduled a sufficient number of employees for 710 and the weekend following it. By preparing for and responding to increases in sales together, dispensary management and employees can prevent theft on one of the busiest sales days of the year

How Can Sapphire Risk Help?

Tony Gallo and the team at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group has over 30 years of security experience and expertise. Schedule a risk assessment with our security experts to ensure your cannabis security is efficient and effective. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with current cannabis security news and trends!