With the decriminalization of cannabis over the last decade, advocates from all over the country believed that the days of dying over the plant might finally be over. As time has borne out, they were unfortunately too optimistic.
Last week alone, three people in Washington state were killed during or directly after a robbery involving a cannabis dispensary. Employees for the dispensaries, growing operations, and logistics operators for these businesses are constantly harassed, assaulted, and robbed during the commission of their duties.
Owners and employees of businesses in the cannabis industry face near-constant robberies – the owner of one dispensary in Seattle mentioned to the Seattle Times that he had been robbed over a dozen times since his shop had opened. The product they sell not only has a high value on a still-extant black market, but also has to be traded for cash thanks to banks preferring not to work with the industry thanks to its quasi-legal status.
This questionable legality is largely to thank for the spate of crimes targeting the cannabis industry. While individual states flounder in trying to pass bills that would assist in police efforts to reduce crime in general, the federal government has remained mostly steadfast in its opposition to allowing banks to work with growers and distributors.
The police themselves also hold some share of the blame – many victims have noted the incredibly slow response rates for police officers responding to calls from dispensaries. Some California business owners have even claimed that the slow response time is deliberate, stemming from an instance where police officers stood by and watched as unarmed criminals robbed a dispensary and took off running.
Whether or not the government relents in legalizing cannabis-linked bank accounts or the police begin cracking down on criminal activity targeting the industry, for now those businesses have nothing to rely on but themselves. That means creating air-tight security systems and procedures that can deter criminal activity and, if they are targeted, provide the greatest possible chance of receiving insurance payouts.
This can be a difficult hurdle to overcome, since cannabis sellers typically don’t come from a background in security, which in itself comes with a heavy bag filled with laws and regulations. In short, these security systems must:
- Comply with all local and state regulations,
- Comply with every stipulation made by their insurance policy,
- Actually work in deterring crime
Each of these comes with dozens, if not hundreds of additional subtasks, which is a nearly impossible ask for inexperienced business owners. This is where cannabis industry security consultants like Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions come in to play.
With decades of experience in law enforcement and security, CCSS provides an in-depth and expansive security audit that highlights the weaknesses of your current system and shows you how you can improve it while staying within budget parameters. CCSS can also look into the policies that cover your business and pinpoint what parts of the security system may invalidate the coverage, which is a much more significant risk than many give credit to.
Whether or not your business has been targeted by criminal groups, with the way crime rates are ramping up, it may just be a matter of time. If you want to protect your customers, employees, and your business, invest in a proper security plan made by the professionals over at CCSS.
Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions
+19259221067