Prioritizing Physical and Installed Security for Cannabis Businesses

Prioritizing Physical and Installed Security During Cannabis Business Build Outs

During the construction and buildout phase of opening a cannabis operation, it is important to prioritize physical and installed security measures. Often, security system installation (i.e. cameras, alarms) and the focus on security takes place after the buildout of the operation. Physical, or installed security can include: doors, barriers, walls, or any other physically installed feature, that plays a part in securing the operation. If these features are not properly prioritized, the operation will likely face hindrances to security and potentially operating altogether. Once these features are appropriately prepared, it is then important to ensure that they work with the security technology that will be installed later.  

Compliance

Likely, before you received approval to build out your cannabis operation, you had to submit floor plans, and or security plans of some sort. This may be a “box to check” in the application phase of the process for you, and likely your regulating authority is looking to see that you have a plan that follows regulations, not necessarily a plan that  is “best” for your operation. Making sure that your designs are appropriately secure may require hiring outside consultants, but it is paramount that your security features, as well as security technology are both sufficient for your operation, and as detailed as possible, during the planning and application phase. Every operation is different, and has various potential security weak points that need to be identified, planned for, and adequately secured during this phase. Prioritizing these items now, will make the rest of the process a lot easier. 

Installed security features are almost certainly part of your compliance standards for operating a cannabis business. Simply, if these features do not function properly, you will be out of compliance when operating. You could face fines and potentially suspension/revocation of your license, depending on severity and number of compliance violations. For instance, a door that separates a limited access area, and a restricted access area that is likely used often, needs to be built with that in mind. Using higher grade hinges, an advanced locking mechanism, as well as access control technology, will ensure that you do not have to stop operating, or risk being out of compliance for the sake of an installed security feature. Whatever the installed feature is, it is paramount that it is built to last, with little to no maintenance, and is functional under repeated use and stress. 

Integration

Your installed security features are only part of the equation. Once you have identified the most important security features that are necessary to your compliance standards, as well as your operational security, you need to ensure that the technology (cameras, alarms, access control, etc.) works seamlessly with the installed security feature. After all, what good is a sturdy door, without a lock or access panel that is also built to last? This is a crux for you and your business, and if you have a weakness here, it means a threat to you operating compliantly down the road.

Lastly, the monitoring of the entire security system needs to be easy, constant, and easily referenced (video recordings, security logs, passwords etc). You need to be able to monitor every part of the system for functionality purposes as well as for immediate threats, if you do not, you will likely miss when a feature or piece of technology fails. 

By prioritizing the physical and installed security of your operation during the application process, during buildout, as well as during the installation of security technology, you will ensure that you are within compliance standards, as well as being able to operate effectively long term. Failure to recognize the importance of security features, their integration with technology, and monitoring their ongoing functionality will likely cause you to either fall out of compliance, or will jeopardize your ability to operate at your highest capacity.

How Can Sapphire Risk Help?

Tony Gallo and the team at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group are prepared to help with ensuring installed security is compliant and cost-efficient. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with cannabis industry updates!

Author

Tyler Stratford

If you are a current operator (or want to be) Tyler Stratford can help!

When Tyler got out of the Army as a 23 year-old, he witnessed cannabis save the life of his grandmother, who was unable to treat her back pain with opioids. He then began working for one of the first licensed vertically integrated cannabis companies in Boulder, Colorado, Boulder Kind Care. He helped them relocate and build their cultivation facility, including equipment selection and installation. For a few years he worked his way through almost every one of the positions across the cannabis vertical. He has held cultivation management positions, dispensary positions, and eventually was the director of compliance for Boulder Kind Care. After helping a couple other local vertically integrated companies transition from Medical to Dual/Medical & Recreational companies in the Colorado market, he then went to work for MJ Freeway as an Operational Implementation Specialist. Having been a beta user of MJ Freeway and the only one with perspective on “both sides” of the software, he was responsible for the implementation and “go live” of well over 400 operations in the cannabis industry, across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Spain, including the first 4 dispensaries in 4 states (NV, MN, AK, FL). He has spoken at countless conferences and events, trained thousands of operators on both cannabis plant/product knowledge, compliance, tools/software, and helped create a lot of their educational content and SOP documentation. After 3 years, he then went to work for Canna Advisors (one of the most prestigious, professional, and successful consulting companies in the industry) as their Director of Client operations, advising both pre-license and post-license clients on operational set-up and efficiencies. He also created their Strategic Partner Program, negotiating deals for their high-quality clients with vendors of ancillary cannabis products. He even represented a client as an expert witness in an appeals case where he spent over an hour taking questions from the State AG, and they got the license. Since then, he has helped multiple start-ups as Director of Operations and Chief Strategy Officer, primarily in the California Market.