Author: SFP Admin

Missouri Security Measures for Medicinal Marijuana Facilities

Planning for Medical Marijuana & Potential Recreational Cannabis Requirements

Security is a facet of consideration of any new business, especially those within the cannabis industry. Marijuana is currently purchased almost exclusively with cash, and has a high resale market value through illegal means. For these reasons, significant safeguards must be established to protect product and profit.

Key Considerations for Missouri Cannabis Facilities & Retail Dispensaries

  • Develop Protocols to Deter Diversion & Crime
  • Maintain Compliance with reporting sales, diversion & evidence for law enforcement
  • CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design)
  • Exterior Security Protocols
  • Interior Security Protocols
  • Plans for Security Cameras, Intelligent Video Surveillance
  • Prevention of Theft of Product & Cash
  • And many more.

This would lead an entrepreneur to infer that state regulations regarding security provisions for marijuana facilities would be explicit and detailed, but the contrary is true for Missouri. The legislation is vague in regards to physical security, and there is no detailed protocol for construction or building security requirements. It could be inferred that this is due to the illegal status of the product at the federal level. If (when) cannabis is legalized at a national level, states would need to revise legislation, guidelines, forms, administrative materials, protocols for diversion, etc. to meet these federal demands upon implementation. If a state does not address these provisions specifically, the legislation will be easier to amend when the time comes.

Facilities shall install and maintain security equipment designed to prevent unauthorized entrance into limited access areas and to prevent diversion and inversion of medical marijuana: 2019 MO Regulation Text 25597

Within the facility application, a business must describe verbally what measures to be implemented. At the schematic planning and architectural programming phases, this plan is vital to long term business success. Attachments/visuals are not accepted. The assistance of a security expert is incredibly beneficial within the preparation of this portion of the application. The cannabis facility security plan developed within the application MUST be adhered to after the issuance of a license (unless otherwise authorized by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services). Veering from the original plan would cause numerous delays and potentially incur fines and or financial consequences.

Luckily, there are industry experts that have experience with securing product on par with federal regulations. If stringent guidelines are imposed at the point of planning, the likelihood of changes needed afterwards is much lower. By using federal guidelines in place for the storage and handling of highly regulated products, a business owner can rest assured that they will meet or exceed federal guidelines when they are established.

4 Factors to Success for Marijuana Business in Missouri

  1. Proper Planning – Business Strategy & Security Plans / Safety Plans
  2. Maintain Compliance with State Laws & Regulations
  3. Optimize Business Operations for growing revenue
  4. Continual Improvement

Consulting and Planning for Missouri Cannabis Facilities

At KL Security we utilize the Total Harvest Coverage™ methodology for security plans as well as cannabis business operation improvements. With successful projects in facilities in multiple states we help leaders in the cannabis industry drive revenue and stay compliant with state laws.

  •             Developing Protocols for Business Operations
  •             Integration of Video Surveillance, SSPOS and Cannabis Software
  •             Cash Management Process
  •             Monitoring and tracking of plants, products and closing the loop at point of sale
  •             Schematic Design & Development from Architectural Planning through Construction

We work with leading architects, interior designers and construction management firms to ensure projects are completed from start to finish. With an established track record of completed facility designs, we set the standard for growing, cultivation and retail dispensary for medical and recreational marijuana plans, layouts and project management.

 

Information has been gathered from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. Legislation referenced within this article: 19 CSR 30-95.040

 

How Leading Cannabis companies leverage RFID & Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA)

To understand the full benefits of RFID and IVA (intelligent video analytics) one must consider the five (5) key drivers of cannabis facilities and retail dispensaries

  1. Compliance
  2. Improving Operations (labor, processes, etc.)
  3. Reducing Out of Stock Product
  4. Improving Conversation Rates
  5. Increasing Sales

What the research shows

Inventory Accuracy without RFID is around 60%* –  translating to missed sales opportunities and putting customer loyalty at risk.

RFID can increase inventory accuracy by up to 99.5%

One of the first steps that leading brands of marijuana growers, cultivation

Get unprecedented visibility of cannabis plants, and retail products while maintaining compliance with state laws for video surveillance.

facilities and retail dispensaries take is the pilot program. This will help you discover new insights into your business operations and unlock new opportunities for growth and sales. Starting with an existing grow house or retail location is a great way to determine the way forward. In the examples below we demonstrate the process that has been dubbed “Total Harvest Coverage™” by thought leaders in the cannabis sector.

Pilot Programs to Measure benefits & ROI of RFID & Intelligent Video Analytics

At the Cultivation Facility

Starting with business goals, we create a list of metrics that will result in accurate benefits to the growing operation. How long is the drying time at location A vs. location B?  How long do plants sit before processing? Reduce inventory carrying costs by X.

  • Tracking automation and a visual record of each plant’s location results in a 360 degree compliant operation
  • How a plant may have been removed or misplaced and who was involved
  • Discover where more staff training is required or where processes could be improved or sped up (saving labor)
  • Seamlessly share video and RFID data evidence with law enforcement as needed or required – quickly and efficiently.

At the Retail Dispensary

Managing multiple product types (flower, edibles, oils, concentrates, shatter and consumables) is a challenge for specialty retail stores. How does RFID track inventory to meet the demand in-store pickup & online orders? How do we create a seamless shopping experience that increases customer loyalty?  What can we learn from RFID / IVA / SSPOS that could integrate into Weedmaps or Leafly promotions?

Keeping business goals and compliance with state laws for security cameras and video retention (40 days, 55 days, etc.) in mind, a 360 degree view of the cannabis business will fully emerge – and items moving from vault rooms to retail display cases, back to storage rooms and ultimately at the point of sale (SSPOS) can help you unlock new insights for sales, marketing as well as loss prevention and inventory management – all in one platform.

Identify Hiccups or Pain Points by:

  • Retail Dispensary Location
  • Department
  • Item / Products

Which products is the store consistently low on inventory?

Do you have merchandising standards / branding guidelines to adhere to?

Optimize the “Order Online & In-Store Pickup” Process

What’s the dwell time from the secure vault. storage cage or ArmorStor room to the retail display case?

Accurate stock availability – if the website says the product is in stock and customers find it’s not available… your store could suffer a negative online review. In today’s day and age, reputation and customer loyalty is everything. With RFID / IVA/ SSPOS you get real-time cannabis product level visibility.

 

Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) and SSPOS help with:

  • Video integrated with POS data can help dispensary operators cut losses by setting up alerts triggered by suspect transactions, such as voids, refunds or returns
  • Run searches across multiple dispensary locations simultaneously
  • Using video and analytics like people counting, queue length or dwell time, dispensaries can see how long customers waited in line, of they spent more time in front of a certain promotional display, or if they left the dispensary without making a purchase – and use this data to drive promotions via POS integrations with Weedmaps, Leafly, baker, and more.

The Key Stakeholders | Get them on board

The concept of Total Harvest Coverage™ spans the grow operation (supply chain) processing, IT, Security teams, C-Suite executives as well as loss prevention and the protocols for compliance with state laws & law enforcement.

4 Vital Messages for Stakeholders

  1. Clear Value of inventory accuracy
  2. Inventory tracking is vital to state law compliance
  3. Diversion of cannabis product must be reported promptly
  4. Quickly getting inventory to customers is key to growth & success

 

The RFID and IVA components of the business operation are building blocks to a complete platform that is transforming leading cannabis brands today. The complete integration of RFID, Intelligent IP Video Surveillance, Smart Safe Point of Sale (SSPOS) and 3D Sensors is the next wave of smart retail in the specialty cannabis sector. Costs of deployments from the onset of security planning, architectural programming vs. retrofit later should be taken into consideration.

For existing operations, a modular and scalable approach can help you improve business operations incrementally without major capital investments. For new business operations, seasoned and experienced security integrators will understand the end to end benefits of more than compliance, but of loss prevention and helping you drive profits to further distinguish your brand.

 

 

Information gather from the following sources, deemed reliable but not guaranteed:

*Auburn University RFID Lab, Key Considerations for RFID Pilots and Deployments

Top Brands & Manufacturers of Smart Cash Safes

Compare and review the Best features, Pros and Cons of the top rated cash safes for retail cash counting and cash management of deposits.

Retailers that are preventing loss and driving up profit margins choose to buy a smart safe that will simplify and optimize the details of cash transactions. The true cost of managing cash payments can be steep and is often unknown – but when broken down into segments, the cost of accepting cash typically proves to be worth an investment into SmartSafes.

When a business begins to analyze the time and labor that a store manager uses to count and reconcile cash drawers, as well as the time it takes away from actually being a “Manager” to monitor and reconcile cash accounting errors, the costs can be enormous – especially if a retail business has more than one location. Add to this the time it takes to make daily deposits and your manager ends up running errands more than managing the store & employees.

Compare Cash safes and get prices on a top rated brand names

It’s been said that a $10 reconciliation error can cost as much as $100 in wages to find, reconcile and update – over time, retail cash management pays for itself and improves business operations, cash flow and ultimately profit margins.

 

Below is a comprehensive list of the best brand names and features.

Learn more about each brand name, FAQs

American Security Products Co. aka AMESEC

https://www.amsecusa.com/about-cashwizard/

AMSEC CashWizard Smart Safes are top rated cash management Solutions for retail business. The CashWizard Smart Safe empowers your business and employees to streamline cash management.

Centralized management connecting safes via cloud-based platform accessible from any Internet capable device provides easy to use customer managed, remote administration of users and reports. Users can also set defined email alerts for exception-based management. Fully Push-based API for cash transactions integrating with POS systems and reconciliation software

Armor Safe Technologies

https://www.armorsafe.com/

Armor Safe Technologies specializes in the development, deployment, and servicing of the industry’s most innovative cash-management systems. Armor Safes validate, count and secure cash in cassettes ready for delivery to your bank, establishing an effective closed-loop solution.

Effective closed-loop solution for many of your toughest challenges such as  loss prevention, employee accountability and financial transparency.

 Fireking

https://safes.fireking.com/products/cash-management-safes/bill-validating-safes

Bill Validating Safes from the FireKing Security Group is a top rated choice for cash accepting environments like specialty retail, convenience stores, and quick-serve restaurants are bill-validating safes.

Gunnebo

https://www.gunnebo.com/Cash-Management

Gunnebo Cash Management safes and Software improve efficiency and cash flow. Smart cash management solutions improve cash process efficiency and reduce the cost of cash. Gunnebo also offers UL 291 Rated Safes for the highest cash vault security.

Calculate Which Gunnebo Smart Cash Safe is Best for your business and Get Pricing in 3 steps

  1. Cash Only or Cash & Coin
  2. Enter Daily Deposit in Dollars
  3. Select Number of Days 5,6,7

Try the Calculator here >

_____________________________________________

TIDEL Quality Cash Solutions

www.tidel.com/smart-safes/

Tidel smart safes provide advanced technological features that enable the automation of cash management functions within a busy retail environment. From automated bill counting and deposit functions along with reporting capability, Tidel smart cash safes enable retailers to gain tremendous efficiencies and optimization of cash management processes and in-store labor.  Tidel smart safes connect to the widest range of cash management peripherals in the industry, allowing them to be deployed across a wide spectrum of industries.

Triton VersaSafe

www.versasafe.com

https://www.triton.com/

Versasafe By Triton (makers of ATMs) offer a color display, a simple interface and speech feedback. VersaSafe makes it easy for you to customize its functions to fit your business and can track and timestamps every transaction, increasing both effectiveness and efficiency. A high-capacity electronic journal even stores thousands of individual transactions and user histories for easy reference.

Triton is a smart safe manufacturer offering cash management safes that are tested to the UL 291 Level 1 attack test.  This requirement covers the construction and security of the VersaSafe and provides for a degree of protection against unauthorized removal of currency within the VersaSafe.  Triton’s UL 291 Level 1 certified vault is constructed of ½ inch thick steel on all six sides and features a patented anti-theft door design, making it one of the highest security cash safes on the market.

_____________________________

Smart Safes protect your cash and coins from retail POS transactions and can enable the retail store to deposit credit at their bank from the point of sale. Large retailers can monitor and manage all cash deposits at all store locations from a single dashboard with customized Cash Management Software. Smart Safes improve cash management processes, reduce shrinkage, and can secure checks in a safe that is networked and accessible from central IS and IT work environments. IT teams can set permissions and allow corporate management to see daily, hourly and or weekly transactions.

Furthermore, fully integrated cash safes and point of sale software can be dovetailed with video cameras and software such as SearchLight from March Networks to determine which retail locations are performing best and gain new insights into walk in foot traffic to sales conversions. Known as Smart Safe Point-of-Sale or SSPOS, this new wave of smart retail is highly adopted by leading cannabis retailers and cultivation facilities.

Once a Smart Cash safe is installed at a retail store (either bolted to the floor or mounted under counter), users (employees and retail store managers) feed currency into the bill acceptor at the point of sale and the notes are verified (counterfeit bills are rejected) by denomination, counted and immediately deposited in the high security safe (AKA cash cassette). All transaction data from each day of deposits is electronically saved and can be transmitted across the secured network for enterprise-wide financial reporting and improved transparency to the CFO or finance department.

Once deposited,  the cash cassettes can be accessed by either key locks, bio-metric locks or digital combination keypad locks. Additional processes for two-person authentication or dual authentication are available such as a key locks with Personal Identification Numbers (PIN), enabling a dual control security protocols to be used in tangent with an armored car service such as Brinks, Dunbar, Loomis, Garda or Rochester or Axiom.

Retail cash management safes combined with armored car services help businesses with Cash, Coin and Check Processing and optimize security. Smart Cash safes can also be integrated with video cameras to identify false transactions at the point of sale and identified faster and more efficiently

 

All brand names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information has been gathered from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice.

 

 

Pesticides & Cannabis | PSA

The safe cultivation of marijuana for consumption is a murky pool to wade through. Marijuana is illegal at the federal level, and thus the EPA is unable to issue guidelines or regulations regarding pesticides and fertilizers that are safe to use.

It would be assumed that marijuana farmers would utilize pesticides deemed safe for food crops. This would be a logical association, but we are forgetting that these pesticides were deemed safe for ingestion, not inhalation.

“…nobody is smoking zinnias, so the safety hasn’t been established for those uses.” – Janna Beckerman, professor of botany and plant pathology at Purdue University [1]

If you were to google ‘pesticides and marijuana’, you would find a plethora of articles and websites. The information is endless, but it’s hard to verify and substantiate.

The disconnect of federal government and the legalization of marijuana is not only inconvenient, but dangerous.

Consumers living in states where marijuana is legal are purchasing and using the plant under the assurance and assumption that it’s safe. It’s legal so it must be regulated…right?

“…the federal government still considers cannabis an illegal drug, the EPA has not approved any pesticides for use on the plant, nor has the agency provided any indication of the level of residues on cannabis products—if any—that could be considered safe…” [2]

Many states have compiled their own lists of pesticides that are safe to use, but without the ‘green light’ from federal government the funding and extensive studies have yet to be performed. For example: Colorado has a list and even offers a sign-up function to be notified of modifications to the list:

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agplants/pesticide-use-cannabis-production-information.

The documentation of pesticide use is addressed through the states that have legalized marijuana for sale. Marijuana must be tracked from seed to sale, and stringent records must be kept. This will only assist the process of validating and approving pesticides when they finally do go legal nationwide.

ioSafe data storage products are the best brand manufacturer of virtual cloud data to physical endpoint files and complete systems that process, store and archive data and electronic records for Illinois Dispensary and retail marijuana shops.

 

When you’re ready to begin the process of securing your business (cannabis or otherwise), the consultants at KL Security are available to assist. Well versed in government regulations and recent legal mandates, we are prepared to ensure your business will pass requirements.

TOLL FREE 1-866-867-0306

[email protected]

DEA Rules, security requirements, and regulations per the Code of Federal Regulations 21CFR1301.72https://www.klsecurity.com/products/medical-marijuana-dea-storage.html

Information has been gathered from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice.

 

Sources & Links

 

[1] Schiller, Melissa. (2019, January 9). Cannabis Business Times. Purdue Researchers Tackle Cannabis Industry’s Pesticide Problem. Retrieved from:

https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/purdue-researchers-cannabis-pesticide-problem/

[2]

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP5265

EPA Pesticide Worker Safety

https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/requirements-pesticide-storage

National Pesticide Information Center

http://npic.orst.edu/health/storage.html

 

How High-End Dispensaries & Large-Scale Growers Drive Profits & Gain Competitive Advantages

Integrating Security Requirements, Video Surveillance & Data

As competition in the cannabis and marijuana markets increases, the keys to long term success for any cannabusiness point to operational efficiency, quality assurance, customer service, regulatory compliance and market penetration. With proper planning, the consultants and advisors at KL Security are setting the new standards for cannabis facility design and security by integrating security standards, data and video that results in greater business success. Leading cannabis facilities start with this end goal during security planning.

Track product at your cultivation facility – RFID combined with video can tell you the last time a plant or cannabis product was seen

Top 4 Challenges a Cannabusiness faces to meet state-mandated requirements for surveillance:

  • – Camera types and placements
  • – Resolution and frame rates
  • – Retention periods and off-site storage
  • – RFID tag verification

 

How Video & Data Help Cannabusinesses at any level:

 In Cultivation Facilities

  • Tracking automation and a visual record of each plant’s location
  • How a plant may have been removed or misplaced and who was involved
  • Reveal where more staff training is required (improve operations & success)
  • Seamlessly share video and RFID data evidence with law enforcement

    Reduce your security risk, keep drivers safe, and maintain regulatory compliance for your state or municipality
  • Combined with access control systems, modular vaults, restricted access areas and storage rooms or cages, automated reports with video snapshots can show operators when shifts aren’t starting as scheduled, or find out why one product is taking longer to dry in one cultivation facility compared to the rest

Cannabis In Transit & Secure Transportation Services

  • View marijuana inventory as it’s loaded at the cultivation facility, as it is being transported, and as it is being unloaded at the retail dispensary locations
  • Integrate video with vehicle data, such as a GPS location or speed, to see information on the transport route from start to finish. This can provide proof that a vehicle has not accidentally crossed into a U.S. state where cannabis sale is still illegal

 At the Retail Dispensary

  • Video integrated with POS data can help dispensary operators cut losses by setting up alerts triggered by suspect transactions, such as voids over a set amount
  • Run searches across multiple dispensary locations simultaneously
  • Using video and analytics like people counting, queue length or dwell time, operators can see how long customers waited in line, of they spent more time in front of a certain promotional display, or if they left the dispensary without making a purchase

    Gather valuable metrics on operations and customer service

 

 

Tracking and Security of Cannabis Plants and Products through the Supply Chain to Retail Dispensary

 

How Business Analytics become Competitive Advantages

With a full view of the retail dispensary, it’s easier for companies to discover  customer trends that can be turned into higher profits, repeat business and brand loyalty.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

  • See how many customers are in your store at any given time.
  • Determine conversion rates of walk-in traffic.
  • Identify the average number of people waiting in a line or queue, and average amount of time they waited.
  • Learn how long people dwell in a particular area of your dispensary such as display counters or in-store online order systems.
  • Establish KPIs, based on factors like:

— Which store turns more shoppers into buyers if you have multiple retail dispensaries

— The time or day that most people are waiting in line, and for how long (to measure customer service and implement staffing changes). Such as happy hours, Friday afternoon or evening, payday, start of the weekend and other key times of the week.

— The success of a particular end-cap or promotion that may be in effect through advertising campaigns or POS integrations with Weedmaps, Leafly, Wikileaf, Baker, springbig and others.

  • Export business analytics data to an Excel file to incorporate into your own charts and reports or CRM systems.

To learn more about standards for cannabis facility design and security, call 866-867-0306 today

 

 

 

Dispensary Security Cameras, State Compliance & Green Bits POS Integration

March Networks Cameras can integrate with Green Bits POS and other flavors of retail dispensary POS systems.

When it comes to marijuana dispensary security cameras and video surveillance requirements, every state has its own set of rules & regulations that must be met. Retail marijuana rules are stringent and a robust security plan and integration across platforms results in the best in class compliance, loss prevention and seed-to-sale tracking.

Dispensary Challenges

Video surveillance cameras & recorders to be fully compliant with state laws for monitoring, video retention requirements and any ingress/egress recording requirements for “no blind spots.” Additionally, the ability to review Green Bits POS transactions to ensure loss prevention.

  • Be Fully Compliant with State Marijuana Laws for Retail
  • Green Bits POS Integration, a leader in Cannabis Retail, for improved Loss Prevention
  • RFID Tracking of Cannabis Flower, Edibles, Shatter, Concentrates and CBD Products

Solutions

Retail Cannabis POS & Marijuana Dispensary POS Software Integration with video surveillance is a best choice when considering state laws for compliance requirements.

Full end-to-end security with March Networks dispensary camera systems based on square footage of the retail dispensary floor and back of house secure vault room.

  • High Capacity Recorder for 40+ Days of Video Data Retention
  • Multiple High-Resolution HD Cameras at ingress/egress, secured & limited access areas and parking lots for employee and customer safety.
  • SearchLight RFID Tracking for monitoring of all cannabis and marijuana products
  • Green Bits POS integration to cross reference all cash deposits and transactions
  • Door traffic counting system to measure walk in traffic to sales conversion rates with Green Bits POS

We can assist you with the complete security plan for your retail dispensary, growing facility, cultivation, processing or manufacturing of cannabis flowers and products. Robust security systems from March Networks are the best in class when you compare the pros and cons, prices and benefits for security cameras, surveillance and POS integration for the retail marijuana dispensary.

Dispensary POS Software | Retail Cannabis POS & Marijuana Dispensary POS Software Integration with video surveillance of entry and exit doors, the product floor and in some states face recognition capabilities.

Marijuana Regulatory Agencies by State

List of Marijuana Regulatory Agencies by State

July 26, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

State of Alaska: Recreational & Medicinal

Marijuana Control Office

Anchorage
Mailing/Physical Address

550 W 7th AVE, STE 1600
Anchorage, AK 99501

Phone: (907) 269-0350

https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/amco

Arizona: Medicinal

Arizona Department of Health Services
150 North 18th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

(602) 542-1025
Fax: (602) 542-0883

https://azdhs.gov/licensing/medical-marijuana/index.php

 

Arkansas: Medicinal

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission

4815 W. Markham

Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
1-800-462-0599

https://www.mmc.arkansas.gov/

 

California: Recreational & Medicinal

Bureau of Cannabis Control
Address:

2920 Kilgore Road
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Mailing Address:
PO Box 419106
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9106

Phone: (833) 768-5880

[email protected]

https://bcc.ca.gov/

 

Colorado: Recreational & Medicinal

Department of Revenue: Marijuana Enforcement
1707 Cole Blvd., Suite 300
Lakewood, CO  80401
303-866-3330

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/enforcement/marijuanaenforcement

 

Connecticut: Medicinal

Department of Consumer Protection: Medical Marijuana Program

450 Columbus Blvd.
Suite 901
Hartford CT 06103
860-713-6100

https://portal.ct.gov/DCP/Medical-Marijuana-Program/Medical-Marijuana-Program

 

Delaware: Medicinal

Department of Public Health: Medical Marijuana Program

258 Chapman Rd, Newark, DE 19702

(302) 283-7100

https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/hsp/medmarhome.html

 

Florida: Medicinal

Department of Health
Office of Medical Marijuana Use
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin M-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399

800-808-9580

[email protected]

 

Hawaii: Recreational

Department of Health

Medical Cannabis Program

1250 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
(808) 586-4400
Fax: (808) 586-4444

https://health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabis/

 

Illinois: Recreational & Medicinal

Illinois Cannabis Programs

Chicago:

100 West Randolph, 9th Floor

Chicago, IL 60601
Springfield

320 West Washington, 3rd Floor

Springfield, IL 62786

1 (888) 473-4858

https://www.idfpr.com/ILCannabis.asp

 

Louisiana: Medicinal

Department of Agriculture & Forestry: Medical Marijuana Program

5825 Florida Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

1.866.927.2476

http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/medical-marijuana/

 

Maryland: Medicinal

Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission

849 International Drive, 4th Floor

Linthicum, MD 21090

1-844-421-2571

https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Pages/law.aspx

 

Massachusetts: Recreational & Medicinal

Cannabis Control Commission

101 Federal St, 13th floor

Boston, MA 02110

617-701-8400
[email protected]

 

Michigan: Recreational & Medicinal

Ottawa Building
611 W. Ottawa
P.O. Box 30004
Lansing, MI 48909

517-335-9700

https://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-89334_79571—,00.html

 

Minnesota: Medicinal

Department of Health

P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975

888-345-0823

https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/index.html

 

Montana: Medicinal

Montana Medical Marijuana Program

PO Box 202926
Helena MT 59620
(406) 444-0596
(406) 444-4110 (Fax)
[email protected]

https://dphhs.mt.gov/marijuana

 

Nevada: Recreational & Medicinal

Department of Taxation

Grant Sawyer Office Building

555 E. Washington Ave, Suite 1300

Las Vegas, NV 89101

(702) 486-2300 (Phone)

(702) 486-2373 (Fax)

[email protected].

http://marijuana.nv.gov/

 

New Hampshire: Medicinal & Decriminalized (not legal for recreational sale)

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
129 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301-3852
(603) 271-9333

https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/oos/tcp/

 

New Jersey: Medicinal

Medical Marijuana Program

Department of Health
P. O. Box 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360

https://www.nj.gov/health/medicalmarijuana/program-rules/

 

New Mexico: Medicinal

Mailing Address
Department of Health
Medical Cannabis Program
PO Box 26110
Santa Fe, NM, 87502-6110
[email protected]

Physical Address
Medical Cannabis Program
1474 Rodeo Rd., Suite 200
Santa Fe, NM 87505

505-827-2321 (Phone)
505-476-3025 (Fax)

https://nmhealth.org/about/mcp/svcs/info/

 

New York: Medicinal

Department of Health

Medical Marijuana Program

90 Church St

New York, NY 10007

844-863-9312

[email protected]

https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/medical_marijuana/regulations.htm

 

North Dakota: Medicinal & Decriminalized (not legal for recreational sale)

Department of Health

Division of Medical Marijuana

600 East Boulevard Ave., Dept. 301
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200

701.328.1311

Fax 701.328.1333

[email protected]

https://www.ndhealth.gov/mm/

 

Ohio: Medicinal

Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program

Department of Commerce77 South High Street, 23rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6123

614-466-3636

https://www.medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/

 

Oklahoma: Medicinal

Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority
PO Box 262266
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-2600

http://omma.ok.gov/rules-regulations

 

Oregon: Medicinal & Recreational

Recreational Marijuana Program

https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Pages/default.aspx

Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP)
PO Box 14450
Portland, OR 97293-0450

971-673-1234

[email protected]

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/DiseasesConditions/ChronicDisease/MedicalMarijuanaProgram/Pages/index.aspx

 

Pennsylvania: Medicinal

Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program

625 Forster Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120

717-787-8015

[email protected]

https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/Medical%20Marijuana/Pages/Medical%20Marijuana.aspx

 

Vermont: Medicinal & Recreational

Vermont Marijuana Registry
45 State Drive
Waterbury,  VT  05671-1300
Tel: (802) 241-5115
Fax: (802) 241-5230
[email protected]

https://medicalmarijuana.vermont.gov/

 

Washington: Recreational & Medicinal

Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

1025 Union Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98504

(360) 664-1600

https://lcb.wa.gov/

 

West Virginia

Bureau for Publlic Health

Office of Medical Cannabis
Room 702
350 Capitol Street
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone:(304) 558-2971
Fax:(304) 558-1035

https://dhhr.wv.gov/bph/Pages/Medical-Cannabis-Program.aspx

In order to stay compliance with state laws and ensure that you pass marijuana facility inspections, start with security plans that utilize Federal DEA regulatory standards of design.

Learn more about the standards for cannabis facility design security and planning here:

 

Marijuana Business Licensing in Illinois

On January 1, 2020, marijuana will be legal for adult use in Illinois. While residents and neighbors of Illinois may be counting the days, dispensaries and growers are trying to plan for demand.

“…55 existing stores will have to meet the demands of a 13 million-person state with a massive tourist population.” [1]

The current medical cannabis structure serves roughly 70,000 residents. Even if only a quarter of the population decides to partake in the newly legal activity, that’s an additional 3.18 million people. That number doesn’t consider tourists (and/or neighbors to Illinois).

“…our tourism industry welcomes more than 110 million visitors per year, who spend billions of dollars annually.” – Illinois Office of Tourism [2]

What does this mean for entrepreneurs looking to open their own

As a premier partner of Total Harvest Coverage (THC360) we help leading cannabis entrepreneurs and businesses with security plans and integration to stay compliant.

marijuana growing, cultivation, processing or Illinois dispensary business?

Businesses currently operating under a medical marijuana license are going to be able to remain in operation and sell recreational cannabis. These existing businesses are also granted an additional location under their current license.

 

Security Plans & Architectural Planning –

Success in the cannabis market depends on a solid business plan & security plan that is designed to maintain compliance, meet regulatory standards and optimize business operations. Leading cannabis companies utilize the Total Harvest Coverage method to plan, grow and scale their business security.


Applications for new dispensaries are due no later than January 1, 2020. Illinois has until May 1, 2020 to either approve or deny an application. The license awarded from this round is conditional or a pre-license. An establishment must then pass inspection and pay all fees to receive their final licensing to sell marijuana product.

“Non-Social Equity Applicants will pay a $5,000 application fee. Should they be awarded a license, the fee for an Adult Use Dispensing Organization License is $60,000 for a two-year license. Social Equity Applicants will pay a $2,500 application fee. Should they be awarded a license, the fee for an Adult Use Dispensing Organization License is $30,000 for a two-year license.” [3]

Applicants should begin collaborating with industry consultants now to ensure construction of the dispensary occurs quickly and efficiently. Detailed plans for every facet of the business are required within the conditional application, and must be adhered to during implementation. This is where industry experts come into play.

KL Security has successfully developed and implemented security measures for multiple marijuana dispensaries and secure cannabis facilities in multiple states. Our security experts are knowledgeable and eager to assist your business in developing a one of a kind plan to best suit your needs, learn more about Security Plans and cannabis facility design 

ArmorStor™ MJ7840D Controlled Substance Vault Door with Day Gate   Our Vault Doors are manufactured to meet GSA Approved Class 5 Ratings and in their native form are used by the US Government for the storage of Classified Information as well as items such as weapons, ammunition, narcotics, etc.  The sale of the standard doors is restricted however, to only the US Government and Military.  GSA now allows us to market the exact same door, without the GSA Approved Label, to the private sector. 

Restricted Access Approved Vaults

Prevent diversion, theft or loss of medical marijuana at a dispensary with UL Class 1 rated vaults. Our modular vaults are a fraction of the cost of a poured concrete vault and are fully scalable to your business growth. These vaults are in place in multiple states for DEA or pharmacy board approved applications.

Access Control & Entry Doors

BR Glass for retail dispensary locations and safety, we have you covered.

Locking entry door barriers for secure rooms and limited access for key employees that can be monitored with video surveillance to meet any potential codes for cannabis dispensaries and retail marijuana locations.

 

TOLL FREE 1-866-867-0306 OR [email protected]

SOURCES

[1] Krane, Kris. (2019, June 25). Forbes Magazine. Illinois Legalization Is Historic, But Good Luck Finding Cannabis To Buy. Retrieved from:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kriskrane/2019/06/25/illinois-legalization-is-historic-but-good-luck-finding-cannabis-to-buy/#4d59bb65e253

[2] https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/AboutDCEO/Pages/Tourism.aspx

[3] https://www.idfpr.com/FAQ/AUC/FAQ%20-%20Adult%20use%20license%20for%20new%20dispensing%20organizations_.pdf

DEA Rules, security requirements and regulations per the Code of Federal Regulations 21CFR1301.72

Information has been gathered from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice.

All license information found at the website for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: https://www.idfpr.com/profs/adultusecan.asp

 

 

The Oklahoma Obstacle: Cash Management and Marijuana Sales

“Oklahoma is the fastest-growing medical marijuana market in the average number of daily patient increases, and MMJ patients represent 4.1% of the state’s total population – one of the highest rates in the nation.” [1]

Image Source from: https://mjbizdaily.com/medical-marijuana-market-growth-with-oklahoma-and-florida-leading/ 

Who would have thought? Oklahoma is the fastest growing market for medical marijuana sales. Their legislation, whether consciously or not, is set up to do primarily just this. The barriers to entry for cannabis businesses are fairly easy and obtainable (as far as marijuana establishment regulations go). The license application is a mere $2,500 for medical marijuana dispensaries, commercial growers, and processors (Okl. Title 63, Ch. 15, Medical Marijuana). This should make it possible for smaller mom and pop retail dispensary, grower or cash in transit (Oklahoma legislation also dictates that a separate ‘transportation’ license must be obtained to “to transport marijuana from an Oklahoma licensed medical marijuana retailer, licensed growing Facility, or licensed processor Facility to an Oklahoma licensed medical marijuana retailer, licensed growing Facility, or licensed processing Facility.” Okla Stat tit. 63, 424) establishments to do business in the marketplace.  Also, there’s no list of required medical conditions for patients to suffer from prior to obtaining their medical license; it would appear that if an Oklahoman ‘patient’ applies for a medical marijuana license for use, they will probably be approved.  

This is all great news for Oklahoman entrepreneurs planning to set up shop and open legal cannabis establishments. Millions of dollars will be pouring in to these establishments from card carrying patients, but these patients will be paying in cash. Marijuana is still considered an illegal drug as per Federal law. Most credit card companies will not allow transactions at marijuana establishments, Visa has explicitly stated they will not permit any transactions involving marijuana on their credit network [2]. This means Oklahoman businesses are going to be faced with the challenge of handling mass amounts of cash.  

SSPOS Smart Safe point-of-sale-– The SecureCash smart safes are a state-of-the-art solution designed specifically for cannabis dispensary cash management. Focused on simplicity and security, the unit is ideal for cannabis point-of-sale and under-counter installations. Retail businesses experience up to 55% savings in time spent on cash counting, tills & daily cash deposits with Smart Cash Safes

The marijuana industry is estimated at nearly $9 billion in sales, and “…expected to grow to $50 billion in just a few years…” [3] most of those sales being completed in cash. The amount of cash exchanging hands presents abundant opportunities for security issues. A standard old-fashioned till is not going to suffice in a successful Oklahoma cannabis dispensary. 

In addition to security concerns, business owners must adhere to state regulations. The state of Oklahoma requires all marijuana establishments to keep business records (including those pertaining to cash transactions) for seven years for auditing purposes (2018 OK Regulation Text 19159). Cash management software will be the easiest way to meet this requirement. 

When properly implemented, a cannabis security plan utilizing SSPOS and intelligent video surveillance can help drive revenue and create opportunities for a cannabis dispensary to become more profitable. As a premier partner of Total Harvest Coverage, we help cannabis growers, processors, transportation and dispensaries with integrated security that maintains compliance.

Cash Management Software for Retail Cash Management Safes  Dispensary

Cash levels can be monitored in real time and end-of-day accounting is performed automatically without the need for employees to manually count cash. Retailers can even monitor the amount of cash collected by CIT across a chain of stores. CashControl’s reporting tools help optimize performance and ensure that in-store security routines are being followed. In addition, technicians can use the application to remotely maintain, update and service SafeCash Retail machines, which means increased uptime and a more reliable closed cash handling process. 

Setting the Standards for Cannabis Facility Design Security & Operational Protocols

When you’re ready to begin the process of securing your facility, the consultants at KL Security are available to assist. Well versed in government regulations and recent legal mandates, we are prepared to ensure your business will pass requirements for DEA federal guidelines for Vaults, Safes and retail cash management.

 

TOLL FREE 1-866-867-0306

[email protected]

Information has been gathered from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. All license information and security measures taken directly from Oklahoma legislation: OAC 310:681 & Okl. Title 63, Ch. 15, Medical Marijuana & Okla Stat tit. 63, 424.

Sources: 

[1] Cowee, Maggie. (2019, August 13). Marijuana Business Daily. Medical marijuana markets expanding at varying rates, with Oklahoma, Florida setting the pace.

Retrieved from: https://mjbizdaily.com/medical-marijuana-market-growth-with-oklahoma-and-florida-leading/

[2] Sommer, Constance & Mims Caitlin. (2019, June 18) Paying with cards at marijuana dispensaries? It’s complicated.

Retrieved from: https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/marijuana-dispensaries-pay-with-credit-cards.php

[3] Murphy, Kevin. (2018, September 6). Forbes. Legal Marijuana: The $9 Billion Industry That Most Banks Won’t Touch.  Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurphy/2018/09/06/legal-marijuana-the-9-billion-industry-that-most-banks-wont-touch/#6a3d49013c68

Helpful Links:
Code of Federal Regulations: Title 21

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfCFR/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=205.50

OMMA: Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority

http://omma.ok.gov/

Legislation: 

http://omma.ok.gov/rules-regulations

 

Legalizing Marijuana for Medicinal Use in Kentucky

UPDATE:

February 13, 2020–In August 2019, State Representative Jason Nemes was optimistic about the potential success of a bill he co-sponsored. This bill, House Bill 136, would legalize marijuana for medicinal use in Kentucky.

 

Yesterday (Wednesday, February 12, 2020), HB 136 passed the House Judiciary Committee 17-1. The bill now moves on to the House of Representatives, where Nemes expects it to pass.

 

“We won the battle in the House committee,” Nemes said. “It’s almost, pretty much over in the House of Representatives. Now we’ve got to let our senators understand where you are and educate them on the bill.”  – Jason Nemes1

 

Sources & Helpful Links

  1. Desroches, Daniel. February 12, 2020. Medical Marijuana bill clears KY House panel, gains momentum heading into House vote. Lexington Heard Leader. Retrieved from: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article240232736.html

Kentucky House Bill 136

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/20rs/hb136.html

___________________________________

August 16, 2019 –Kentucky politicians are and have been optimistic about the legal status of marijuana within their state. “State Rep. Jason Nemes of Louisville predicts medical marijuana will be legal in Kentucky within the next year. The Louisville Republican has co-sponsored a bill that he believes addresses most of the past concerns about medical marijuana…’ Fundamentally, we’re going to have, I believe, medical marijuana in Kentucky within the next year,’ said Nemes. ‘I strongly believe that.’”  [1]

as a premier partner of Total Harvest Coverage, we help businesses with security plans, architectural planning and programming and design of compliant solutions for cannabis facilities.

Mr. Nemes was a little off on his prediction. We are fast approaching the one-year mark from when Mr. Nemes made this prediction. Kentucky has moved closer, and many are sure the legislation will pass in the upcoming session. The community of Louisville has agreed that possession of small quantities of marijuana shouldn’t be a priority for law enforcement. [2]

Jason Nemes is co-sponsor of House Bill 136, legislation to legalize and regulate marijuana for medicinal use in Kentucky. In March of 2019, the House Judiciary Committee approved this bill almost unanimously [3].

This bill proposes that a new organization be formed within the powers of state government to regulate the medicinal marijuana industry, ‘The Department for Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Control’. While there is no legislation to review as of yet, it would appear that their requirements and guidelines for facilities will mirror those of Michigan and Illinois. Why not mirror your midwestern neighbors if their system is working efficiently?

A recent story posted by High Times, indicates that even though cannabis remains illegal in Kentucky, the state has the highest per capita rate of plants destroyed by the DEA. Approximately 80 percent of voters in the State of Kentucky favor reform or legalization of cannabis and marijuana plants and products. Kentucky house bill HB 136 would provide for improved access for medicinal marijuana. Security plans and requirements have yet to be released or published as of this article.

In other news, Hempwood and hemp processing facilities are up and running in Murray, Kentucky

 

KL Security is able to help at all levels of the supply chain:

Deter Diversion & Theft with Security Planning and Cannabis Facility Design Standards

Reinforced Vault Rooms & Custom Vaults of All Sizes

Smart Cash Management Safes & CashControl Software

  • Ideal for Retail Dispensaries in Kentucky, Growers & Cash Businesses

Bulletproof Glass, Doors and Retail Dispensary Design & Build

Security Cameras, Recorders and Software for Surveillance and Cash in Transit

 

[1] Lawmaker says medical marijuana will be legal in Ky. ‘within the next year’. (2018, August 24). Retrieved from: https://www.wdrb.com/news/lawmaker-says-medical-marijuana-will-be-legal-in-ky-within/article_62e82cd3-ef4a-5491-a7de-f5dd13a6ac82.html

[2] Costello, Darcy. (2019, June 19) “Louisville is moving closer to telling police not to prioritize marijuana possession”. Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/metro-government/2019/06/19/louisville-moves-closer-effectively-decriminalizing-pot/1499214001/

[3] Cheves, John. (2019, March 6) Medical marijuana approved by Kentucky House panel. More legislative hurdles remain. Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved from: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article227177759.html

 

Helpful Links:
Code of Federal Regulations: Title 21

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfCFR/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=205.50

 

Kentucky House Bill 136

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/19rs/hb136.html

 

When you’re ready to begin the process of securing your facility, the consultants at KL Security are available to assist. Well versed in government regulations and recent legal mandates, we are prepared to ensure your business will pass requirements.

TOLL FREE 1-866-867-0306

[email protected]

Information has been gathered from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. All license information and security measures taken directly from the Code of Federal Regulations: 21CFR205.50

Image source: http://thesource.com/2018/10/30/weed-marijuana-2018-midterm-elections/