Tag: safes

Cannabis Facility Security | Protection Against Looters

By Shelley Swearingen | June 4, 2020

The United States is embroiled in civil unrest. “There have been demonstrations in at least 430 cities and towns so far, large and small, across all 50 states.1”

These demonstrations are in response to the deaths of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement. American citizens of all races, ethnicities, genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, and ages have gathered to voice their disdain on the excessive use of force by law enforcement. The majority of these protests have culminated & concluded peacefully, but looting has occurred in several US cities.

There are many different theories as to why people loot2, but from a business owner’s standpoint – the ‘why’ is not concerning as ‘if’. In America, civil unrest wasn’t a recent concern when developing security standards for procedure, just as pandemic protocols weren’t included a few months ago either. For those businesses operating in densely populated areas, this will be something to consider going forward. This is especially true for cannabis dispensaries, pharmacies, secure transporters, cultivators, craft growers, testing facilities, and large-scale growers.

In states where cannabis is legal and where looting has occurred, marijuana dispensaries and pharmacies were targeted. Luckily, those businesses that worked with KL Security found their products and profits unscathed. This is a clear example of when investing in physical security pays off.

Successful Security Measures

These businesses were able to successfully protect product and cash due to the installation of vaults & vault doors. Class 5-V vault doors protect contents against unauthorized entry, covert entry, and forced entry. Even though breaching one of these doors is nearly impossible, it is recommended the highest value product (cash) is stored inside a UL TL-15 rated safe placed inside the vault room. 

A representative of a Cannabis company effected by looting reached out to KL Security on the morning of June 4th. This representative oversees multiple locations in one of America’s fastest growing cannabis markets; he was able to witness the capabilities of vault doors & vault rooms firsthand. Stakeholders were ecstatic to have taken the appropriate measures ahead of time and can rest easy knowing their highly profitable product is safe and sound. In exemplifying their satisfaction, this company expressed intent to acquire more vault doors.

Where Security Plans Fall Short

Some States are allowing waivers to allow cannabis dispensaries to store product on the sales floor, in lightly secured undercounter cabinets.  We cannot stress enough, given the stories we have heard recently, that this is not a sound storage method when defending against smash-and-grab attacks.

Whether or not you agree with the protests, all business owners can agree on the importance of protecting their investment. KL Security is here to assist in the security needs of Cannabis craft growers, secure transporters, testing facilities, dispensaries, pharmacies, and commercial growers. We can help review current standards of procedures to identify areas for improvement that will expand peace of mind and drive revenue. To discuss additional security implementations or compliance at your facility, please reach out. 

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

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

  1. Haseman, Janie; Zaiets, Karina; & Thorson, Mitchell. June 4, 2020. Tracking protests across the USA in the wake of George Floyd’s death. USA Today. Retrieved from: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2020/06/03/map-protests-wake-george-floyds-death/5310149002/
  2. Khazan, Olga. June 2, 2020. Why people loot. The Atlantic. Retrieved from: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/06/why-people-loot/612577/
  3. https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/Door__Vault__Security.PDF

Marijuana Licensing in Missouri: An Abundance of Applicants

Protocols for Security Planning & Architectural Programming

The state of Missouri is in the process of establishing a system to regulate the sale of marijuana for medicinal use. And, it would appear Missourians are eager to cash in.

The state is offering an initial 348 licenses for marijuana businesses. These licenses include: cultivation, dispensaries, manufacturing, testing labs, and transporters. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received over 2,000 applications. [1]

The lucky winners will be announced December 31, 2019. It is estimated that cannabis facilities will open mid 2020 in Missouri.

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All cultivation, dispensing, and manufacturing facilities are required to utilize security cameras as per 2019 MO Regulation Text 25597

Proper planning to ensure compliance with state regulations is vital to ensure protocols for diversion and reporting are met.

3 Key Components to Designing Intelligent Video Surveillance Systems

Assessment, Planning & Design – Work with experts to evaluate compliance with state laws and meeting business goals. This will help to identify gaps or challenges and put a plan in place for strategic initiatives that will improve cannabis business success.

Architectural Planning & Programming – Working closing with a surveillance system expert and your architect is vital to ensuring that both the compliance requirements are met as well as the schematic designs are planned, implemented and deployed correctly. Seasoned consultants and camera experts will be able to integrate intelligent video analytics (IVA) Intelligent IP video cameras and searchlight software into existing buildings and new construction environments.

Operate & Optimize – the Total Harvest Coverage methodology is implemented by leading cannabis businesses to ensure seed-to-sale compliance, reporting and to improve operations. Using a scalable platform, cannabis businesses can start with security cameras, data storage and smart-safe point of sale (SSPOS) systems to create a 360 degree view of the operation to meet compliance requirements.

According to the 2019 MO Regulation Text 25597 -, the following security equipment requirements must be met for safes, vaults and surveillance systems

(H)  All cultivation, infused products manufacturing, and dispensary facilities shall ensure the security of medical marijuana and facility employees by taking at least the following measures:

  1. 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 including:
  2. Devices or a series of devices to detect unauthorized intrusion, which may include a signal system interconnected with a radio frequency method, such as cellular or private radio signals, or other mechanical or electronic devices;
  3. Except in the case of outdoor cultivation, exterior lighting to facilitate surveillance, which shall cover the exterior and perimeter of the facility;
  4. Electronic video monitoring, including

(I)  At least one (1) call-up monitor that is nineteen inches (19″) or more;

(II)  A printer capable of immediately producing a clear still photo from any video camera image;

(III)  Video cameras with a recording resolution of at least 1920 x 1080, or the equivalent, at a rate of at least fifteen (15) frames per second, that operate in such a way as to allow identification of people and activities in the monitored space, in all lighting levels, that are capable of being accessed remotely by the department or a law enforcement agency in real-time upon request, and that provide coverage of

(a)  All entrances and exits of the facility, including windows, and all entrances and exits from limited access areas;

(b)  The perimeter and exterior areas of the facility, including at least twenty feet (20′) of space around the perimeter of an outdoor grow area;

(c)  Each point-of-sale location;

(d)  All vaults or safes; and

(e)  All medical marijuana, from at least two (2) angles, where it is cultivated, cured, trimmed, processed, rendered unusable, and disposed;

(IV)  A method for storing recordings from the video cameras for at sixty (60) days in a secure on-site or off-site location or through a service or network that provides on-demand access to the recordings and that allows for providing copies of the recordings to the department upon request and at the expense of the facility;

(V)  A failure notification system that provides an audible and visual notification of any failure in the electronic monitoring system; and

(VI)  Sufficient battery backup for video cameras and recording equipment to support at least sixty (60) minutes of recording in the event of a power outage;

 

When you’re ready to begin the process of security planning for your cannabis business operation, the consultants at KL Security are available to assist with plans, security equipment, ArmorStor vaults, THC360 and more. Well versed in government regulations and recent legal mandates, we are prepared to help your business plan and pass requirements for Cannabis facility design and security programming.

 

*information not available as to how many transporter licenses will be awarded

[1] Schiller, Melissa. (2019, September 5). Cannabis Business Times. Missouri Receives More Than 2,000 Medical Cannabis Business License Applications. Retrieved from:  https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/missouri-receives-more-than-2000-medical-cannabis-business-license-applications/

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