Based on the recent string of cannabis thefts in Portland, Oregon, the spotlight is shining even brighter on the need for enhanced security measures at cannabis dispensaries throughout the country. According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the Portland metro area alone has experienced more than 120 cannabis shop burglaries since March 2020, resulting in a reported total loss of more than $500,000 in cash and products.
Robbing a cannabis dispensary is as lucrative as robbing a bank. Cash is king in the shops until the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act is passed to prohibit federal banking regulators from penalizing depository institutions that provide banking services to legitimate cannabis businesses. Until the Act is passed, it is widely known that all transactions must be done in cash—which makes cannabis dispensaries a prime target for thieves.
Dispensaries are prime targets for burglary. Defending your storefront requires a comprehensive security plan.
While many security protocols—such as product traceability systems and security cameras—are mandated by each individual state, dispensary owners should take measures to actively secure their product, protect their employees and preserve their businesses as theft increases.
One of the quickest and most cost-effective ways to fortify shop security is by implementing rolling security doors. After determining what level of security is needed, consider these four tips to help deter criminal activity and ensure the safety of both employees and products.
Tip 1 – Defend The Storefront
Designed to prevent against looting events and burglaries, heavy-duty rolling steel doors offer cannabis business owners robust security. They can be retrofitted into existing buildings, are exterior mounted and are ideal for storefront defense—including protecting glass windows, which can be expensive to replace. Unlike more common rolling grilles, thieves can’t see merchandise when the rolling door is lowered. In addition to the door giving the building a secure look, blocking sight access is key to deterring criminals.
Heavy-duty steel doors must also be lift- and pry-resistant. Manufacturers put the doors through rigorous testing, and some security doors even meet Department of Defense forced entry standards, which can provide up to an hour of protection against violent attacks against the door to gain entry. Look for rolling security doors that can withstand heavy impact and resist pry attempts with common tools, as well as doors that are lift resistant. Some manufacturers offer doors with robust slide locks and rigid heavy-duty bottom bars, enabling the doors to withstand up to 4,500 lbs of lifting effort.
Tip 2 – Protect While Allowing Visibility and Airflow
If product visibility is desired, but more robust security is needed at the storefront—beyond a security measure such as impact glass—a heavy-duty security grille is an excellent choice. Security grilles are easy to custom order and don’t require structural modifications to fit individual spaces. They are easily installed behind storefront glass, are compact enough to remain out of sight when not in use and require little maintenance.
Strong rolling service doors can protect delivery entrances well
It’s important to work with a manufacturer to select a rolling grille that provides dependable, increased security. Choose grille curtains with rods that are spaced closer together and have heavier links. Security grilles with these features are harder to lift and pry than standard rolling grilles.
Rolling security grilles are also an ideal solution to protect counters inside the dispensary. They can be easily concealed in small headspaces where there is limited ceiling room.
Tip 3 – Fortify A Store Within A Store
For cannabis dispensaries located within high-end retail shops, it is important to consider additional security measures to separate the dispensary from the rest of the store.
A metal grille can be a good barrier for a store within store
A store within a store may be subject to different hours of operation as states often dictate specific operating hours for cannabis dispensaries. Altered operating hours necessitate an easy way to secure only a small section of a larger store.
If aesthetics are of concern inside retail shops, a woven metal mesh grille will provide both beauty and security without imposing looks while securing cannabis products as customers browse throughout the store. Manufacturers offer a variety of patterns and even logo designs as a way to bring more creativity to a grille’s aesthetics—making them rolling pieces of art.
Tip 4 – Secure Deliverables
Dispensary owners sometimes overlook the fact that thieves target deliveries. Deliveries that are made at the back of the store or in receiving areas may be the most at risk. It is of utmost importance to be aware of how deliveries are timed, who is present during them, and how the product is handed off.
Robust rolling service doors provide the best security for delivery entrances and are more secure than traditional rolling sectional doors. Made from slats of formed galvanized steel, aluminum or stainless steel, these rolling doors are completely customizable to meet existing building designs and are ideal for areas with limited overhead room.
Robust Protection
By closely evaluating the levels of security needed, the layout of the building and where deliveries take place, security updates and enhancements are easily implemented with the right rolling doors. Every door is made for a specific opening, so each one is custom-made for its application. Choose a knowledgeable manufacturer that will help determine which rolling closure suits the dispensary’s needs.
The cannabis industry is growing so quickly that even COVID-19 can’t slow it down. Before the pandemic, the industry amassed $13.6 billion in U.S. legal cannabis sales in 2019 – a figure that is expected to more than double to $30 billion in the next five years, according to New Frontier Data. In states where cannabis is legal for medical or recreational use, dispensaries have been deemed necessary, essential businesses – especially when it comes to calming stress and anxiety in our ever-changing times.
Cannabis legalization and newly budding dispensaries have expanded across the U.S., which may come with an unfortunate counterpart – a higher incidence of crime. Despite lower prices in states that have legalized cannabis, as compared to states where it is still illegal, theft has run rampant across grow operations, warehouses and, most often, dispensaries.
Heavy-duty security doors at the front of the dispensary block sight access and provide a visual deterrent.
Dispensaries can be targeted more frequently. Robbers may perceive them as an easy target, because they are businesses that have larger amounts of cash on hand. Many dispensaries only accept cash because payment processors and financial institutions aren’t willing to work with them. This is primarily because cannabis is still deemed an illegal substance under federal law, and the actions of financial institutions are governed by federal, not state, laws. Once the Secure And Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act is approved, cannabis businesses will be able to work more easily with banks, in turn reducing the amount of cash on site and erasing the dollar signs in opportunistic thieves’ eyes.
However, cash isn’t the only high thieves seek when they break into dispensaries. There’s also the product itself. Protecting it – and providing peace of mind to the facilities’ owners and occupants – is a concern for dispensaries, grow operations and warehouses. Robbers are motivated by the opportunity to make even more fast cash through reselling the product found onsite.
To eliminate such easy targets, security requirements for the cannabis industry are a necessity. They are also involved, complicated, and vary from state to state. A number of security specifications apply between state laws and local ordinances. Inventory must be properly surveilled and managed at all stages of transportation and storage. Any discrepancies in inventory can result in large fines and other penalties. To aid in understanding security compliances, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), a national trade association, recommends that start-ups obtain attorneys to guide businesses through their state’s laws and regulations.
This is why, especially for new business owners, it is critical to consider the best, most advanced security solutions – especially when it comes to doors and points of egress – that are easily integrated into buildings during the design phase. These solutions protect the products, properties, and people throughout the cannabis supply chain.
Understanding State Security Regulations While there are no federally recognized security requirements for the cannabis industry, there are similar requirements across all states that have legalized cannabis, including:
Maintaining strict access control throughout the facility – this is especially important for grow operations and warehouses
Functional alarm systems
Documented standard operating procedures
Video surveillance systems – many states mandate very precise requirements, such as length of storage time and even video resolution specifications
Notifying appropriate regulatory agencies immediately or within a strict timeframe after a security incident or theft
Securing all records and record storage
While these are common, state-mandated security requirements, it is critically important to know and understand all rules, regulations, and laws concerning the industry within the business’s specific state. Making sure the business is compliant with all aspects of state laws for security and preventing violations, including the hefty financial penalties that can accompany them, is key.
States require cannabis facilities to implement sophisticated security features for several reasons. One of the most obvious is the fact that the industry supplies a high-value product and is a cash-intensive business. Integrating security features into the building can be a challenging task for architects and designers. To help tackle these challenges, manufacturers have introduced products to the cannabis industry, creating easier, more effective and aesthetically pleasing security solutions.
Integrated Designs For High Level Security Security shouldn’t be a constraint when considering design aesthetics. Certain elements can be discretely tucked away, including cameras and security doors by way of specifying a concealed rolling door, conveniently disguised in the ceiling during operating hours. These doors can even close under alarm eliminating the need for manual intervention. Other security measures, such as bullet resistant glass, are hidden in plain sight.
Rolling doors like this one can be conveniently disguised in the ceiling during operating hours.
Untrustworthy employees, smash-and-grab thefts or meticulously planned heists mean secure building design is of the utmost importance. In order to have the most effective security, there needs to be design vision – a clear intent for incorporating advanced security into the facility, whether visible or not.
Suggested security measures include video surveillance around the outdoor perimeter of the property as well as inside the facility. Physical barriers, such as specialized entrance locking systems – including fingerprint-scanning biometric technology – and security doors that may also include intrusion detection and automatic closure systems are recommended. All systems may be paired with 24/7 visual monitoring by security personnel.
Many state regulations also require restricted access to specific areas within dispensaries, grow operations and warehouses, with employee names and activities logged for reference. These necessary measures aid in inventory monitoring and control, further reducing the likelihood of internal theft.
When specifying building security, it’s important for architects to consider what type of building they are designing. There are differences in providing security for dispensaries versus warehouses and grow operations. Dispensaries and storefronts are frequently out in the open and in locations that are well-known to consumers. Warehouses and grow operations are usually tucked out of the way, rarely publicized, and less noticeable.
Rolling Grilles And Doors Deter Dispensary Theft With a high-value product and cash on hand, dispensaries in particular have unique security challenges. And because they are retail businesses, egress and fire codes must be strictly adhered to, in addition to special security regulations.
Rolling grilles can be an effective deterrent against dispensary theft
In light of this, security doors require special consideration. They are necessary to provide secure protection against theft but shouldn’t distract from the architectural vision of the building or interior design.
Rolling security grilles are the ideal solution to protect the counter inside the dispensary and may also be ideal for the front of the store. They fit in small headspaces where there is limited ceiling room and can be easily concealed when not in use.
Even heavy-duty rolling doors used to protect the glass storefront of the dispensary and prevent intruders from entering the building’s dock area can be hidden when not in use. If building code allows, architects may specify a rolling door that coils up into the door’s header, residing behind an exterior soffit. These robust security doors’ lift-resistant bottom bars also can be obscured from sight.
Heavy-duty security doors at the front of the dispensary block sight access and provide a visual deterrent. They give the building a secured look when in use, but heavy-duty rolling doors don’t need to be imposing to customers during the dispensary’s operating hours.
Robust Visible Protection For Grow Operations And Warehouses
Grow operations and warehouses usually opt for more visible security doors to deter criminal activity. They also have different design considerations because of building layout and production needs. For instance, larger grow operations house plants and supplies which require heavy equipment to move throughout the facilities.
A heavy duty steel rolling grille
Heavy duty rolling security doors can be made with up to 12-gauge steel with interlocking slats and tamper resistant fasteners – making them stronger than standard garage doors. They provide high-end security at loading docks and limit access to restricted areas inside.
Rolling doors can also be used to block employee access to off-limits areas common in grow operations and warehouses. Because they are heavily reliant on utilities and infrastructure, such as water mains and humidity and temperature controls, warehouses and grow operations are ideal applications for rolling doors. If unauthorized personnel with ill intentions access these utility areas, it could spell disaster with ruined crops and damaged or unsafe products – turning into substantial financial losses. From a design standpoint, these doors do not need to be concealed. In fact, their visibility signals restricted access areas and hints at the security measures taken to protect these facilities.
Enhanced Security Features
Whether designing a dispensary, a grow operation facility, or a warehouse, rolling doors may be paired with automatic protection features to enhance the building’s security and help workers feel safe. These automatic closing systems allow the security doors to be immediately activated by a building alarm or the push of a panic button in emergency situations. The doors also feature advanced locking systems – some of which are hidden in non-traditional locations – providing further tamper resistance.
Some rolling door manufacturers offer in-house architectural design groups to guide architects and designers in choosing the ideal security doors. These groups can address and solve any design dilemmas that arise during the project. Every rolling door is built to a specific opening, making each product unique to that area of the project. Because of this customization, manufacturers can meet virtually any specification.
Meeting Insurance Requirements
Selecting the correct rolling door along with other advanced security features aids in meeting insurance requirements. Each insurance company has individual minimum-security conditions in its policy. Many insurance companies will not provide theft insurance if cannabis businesses do not have adequate security or cannot demonstrate they have it.
Planning Leads To Integrated Protection The technical and legal aspects of securing dispensaries, grow operations, and warehouses can be overwhelming and, at times, confusing. Legal counsel, state agencies, industry associations, and manufacturers encourage new cannabis businesses to use them as resources as they unravel the nuances of the industry’s security regulations.
By combining robust security features such as video surveillance, proper access controls, rolling doors or grilles and automatic closure systems, cannabis facilities can meet state and insurance requirements and deter theft. With thoughtful design consideration and planning, these security features also have the capabilities to seamlessly blend with interior and exterior design aesthetics.
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