Tag: medical marijuana

By: Colene King

After several years of back and forth, it has finally become a reality for New York: on March 31, 2021, the Empire State became the 15^th state in the nation to legalize the adult use of marijuana. The state will now begin the process of building the cannabis market.

New York has had a slow start with the roll out of the new market, but they are hopeful the new governor will get the process back on track. The Cannabis Control Board finally has its members in place and will now begin issuing the regulations that will control the licensing process. Recently, the head of New York’s cannabis control board said she does not anticipate any licenses being issued until the spring of 2023 at the earliest. (Branfalt, 2021)

 

Though the security requirements are yet to be determined, we have a good idea of what to expect. Medical use of marijuana became legal for New York in 2014. Currently, New York’s security requirements for medical manufacturing and dispensing facilities are similar to what you would find elsewhere. 

When seeking approval for licensure, any quality physical security plan will include specific details about each individual component the State of New York will ultimately require.  Examples include, modular cannabis vaults, high security safes with TL15 or TL30 ratings, DEA approved cages for processing facilities, security camera systems and cash management safes (trust us, you don’t want to hand count all of that cash).

 

 

 

 

Below is an outline of the known security requirements for the State of New York Medical Use Regulations :

 

 

1. Alarms and motion detectors
   • Perimeter alarm
   • Duress Alarm – silent security alarm system signal
   • Panic Alarm – audible security alarm system signal requiring law enforcement response
   • Hold up alarm – a silent security alarm system signaling a robbery in progress
   • Motion detectors
   • Back up alarm system to detect entry when no employees are present at facility
   • Failure notification system notifying of any failures within 5 minutes
   • Automatic voice dialer or digital dialer that, when activated, sends a prerecorded message to law enforcement, public safety, or emergency services, requesting dispatch
2. Video Surveillance
   • All areas containing marijuana, all entry and exit points, all safes and vaults, and all areas where marijuana sales take place
   • Cameras are able to capture clear and certain identification of any person entering or exiting the facility
   • 24 hour recording for all video cameras and must be retained for at least 90 days
   • Recordings available for immediate viewing at any time
   • The ability to produce a clear still photo at a minimum of 9600 dpi from any camera
   • Accurate date and time stamp on all recordings
   • Ability to remain operational through a power outage
   • Video recordings are able to be exported to an industry standard image format
   • Surveillance rooms must not be used for any other purpose
   • Keep a current list of authorized employees who have access to surveillance room
3. Exterior of premises must be kept illuminated
   • Securely locked at all times, protected from unauthorized entry
4. Visitor log kept of all persons that access any secured areas
   • Must include name, date, time, and purpose of the visit
   • Log must be available to the department at all times upon request
5. Security system and equipment must be kept in a secure location.
   • System must be tested twice a year, retaining results for a minimum of 5 years
6. Storage
   • Safes, vaults, or other approved equipment must be securely locked at all times
   • Keys, combination numbers, passwords, etc. only accessible to authorized individuals
   • Marijuana stored in a secure area at all times, accessible only to authorized employees.
7. Transportation
   • Before transporting, a shipping manifest must be completed and transmitted to receiving destination 2 days prior to transport
     • Copy of manifest kept in vehicle during transport
     • Manifests must be retained for 5 years
   • Marijuana and products transported in a locked storage compartment not visible from outside the vehicle
   • No unnecessary stops taken along the way
   • Delivery times are randomized
   • Minimum of two employees staffing the transport vehicle, with one of them remaining in vehicle at all times while the vehicle contains marijuana.

 

There are high hopes for the marijuana market in New York. Not only is it believed to have a potential to create $350 million in annual tax revenue, but also bring along 30,000-60,000 new jobs for New Yorkers. (Bort, 2021) There is still much work to be done before the New York market is operational, but once it does, it is sure to be profitable for all cannabis licensees and other stakeholders.

The security experts here at KL Security are excited to begin the new year at CannaCon in New York City January 7^th-8^th at the Javits Center in downtown Manhattan.  If you’re interested in opening a cannabis facility in New York and becoming part of what is projected to be a very lucrative market, now is the perfect time to start doing research and formulating a physical security plan.  Allow us to be the experts you rely on for your security needs, so you can focus on your overall business plan.  Please take a moment to stop by booth 445 at CannaCon and start a conversation with us about your cannabis facility plans.

Sources:

https://regs.health.ny.gov/content/section-100413-security-requirements-manufacturing-and-dispensing-facilities

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/new-york-weed-marijuana-legalization-1148949/

https://www.ganjapreneur.com/new-york-will-not-issue-adult-use-licenses-until-2023/