The Application for Medical Marijuana Compassion Center License was released on Friday, July 17, 2020, for the compassion centers (dispensaries) by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation Office of Cannabis Regulation. All applications must be submitted by December 15, 2020.
Rhode Island currently has 3 operating compassion centers and now is seeking to add one each to 6 different zones of the state, bringing the total up to 9 compassion centers. These compassion centers will have plenty of cultivators to get supply from as they are barred from growing for at least one year. The discussion to add more dispensaries goes back as far as 2018, but in 2020 new marijuana regulations were finally issued and the long application period should attract more interested parties than usual (especially helpful to offset the impact of the pandemic).
The state will issue licenses per a lottery system. Applicants must submit a “qualified” application to be entered into the lottery. Despite not following the traditional “merit-based” process, the application itself is quite involved and requires a $10,000 fee.
Exhibit D requires the following: The security and safety plan must demonstrate Applicant’s understanding of, and ability to, comply with the requirements under the Act and the Regulations and shall include without limitation a description of:
- Security equipment including hardware, software applications, and compliance with industry standards and specifications;
- Applicant’s security and safety plan with regard to third-party vendors;
- Applicant’s security and safety plan with regard to Standard Operating Procedures;
- Applicant’s security and safety plan with regard to cash management and/or electronic payment processing, as applicable;
- Applicant’s security and safety plan with regard to confirmation of a secured deposit banking account or proposed plan to obtain such account prior to beginning the proposed licensed activities;
- How Applicant would train all employees and registered Compassion center agents on security procedures;
- How Applicant would train all employees and registered Compassion Center agents on safety procedures, including but not limited to responding to a (1) medical emergency, (2) a fire, and (3) a chemical spill;
- How Applicant would secure the licensed premises and facility to prevent unauthorized entry in accordance with the Regulations;
- How the premises and facility will be equipped with a security alarm system that:
- secures and monitors the entire perimeter;
- is continuously monitored; and
- is capable of detecting power loss/interruption in accordance with the Regulations;
- How the premises and facility will be protected by a video surveillance recording system to ensure surveillance of the entire licensed premises and adherence to the video surveillance requirements in accordance with the Regulations;
- How a video surveillance system will be supported by adequate security lighting in accordance with the Regulations;
- How Applicant would maintain a security alarm system that covers all perimeter entry points and portals at all premises;
- How the security system will be:
- Continuously monitored,
- Capable of detecting smoke and fire, and
- Accessible via remote feed to the Department of Business Regulation in accordance with the Regulations.
- How security footage and equipment will be stored and secured in accordance with the Regulations.
- How Applicant will maintain a video surveillance recording system at all premises that:
- Records all activity in images of high quality and high resolution capable of clearly revealing facial detail;
- Operates 24-hours a day, 365 days a year without interruption; and
- Provides a date and time stamp for every recorded frame.
- How the surveillance camera(s) will be located and operated to capture each exit from the premises;
- How the surveillance camera(s) will capture activity at each entrance to an area where medical marijuana and medical marijuana products are located;
- How the recording of security video surveillance shall be made available to the Department of Business Regulation or law enforcement in accordance with the Regulations;
- How Applicant will, when visitors are admitted to a non-public area of the licensed premises:
- Log the visitor in and out;
- Continuously visually supervise the visitor while on the premises; and
- Ensure that the visitor does not touch any medical marijuana or medical marijuana products.
- Applicant’s policies and procedures for maintenance of a log of all visitors;
- The process Applicant will follow in reporting a theft or diversion to:
- the Department of Business Regulation; and
- Rhode Island State Police in accordance with the Regulations.
- How Applicant will ensure that it, or a registered agent thereof, will not distribute any medical marijuana or medical marijuana products to any person if the licensee or registered agent knows, or may have reason to know, that the distribution does not comply with the Act or the Regulations;
- How Applicant will record and execute the transfer of medical marijuana from licensed medical marijuana cultivators in accordance with the Regulations; and
- How Applicant will record and execute the transfer of medical marijuana to a patient cardholder, caregiver cardholder, or authorized purchaser cardholder in accordance with the Regulations.
Additionally, for Exhibit F, Applicants will need to submit a draft diagram identifying the location of security alarms, cameras, and surveillance recording equipment locations as well as which areas are restricted-access and limited-access.
The thoroughness and quality of these sections could allow you to open your business – or prevent you from opening at all if you’re unprepared.
Not sure what to do or unsure on where to start? Hire an expert consultant with experience in the cannabis industry!
Sapphire Risk Advisory Group has written over 300 city/state applications for dispensaries and cultivation facilities in 24 states. Our professionally written security sections have received an average score of 94%. Additionally, we have managed the build outs of over 60 successful cannabis businesses and trained several staffs on security awareness and protocols. Let our success be your success! How can we help you open your business?
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