In the early days of the legalization of the cultivation and sale of cannabis, long-time advocates breathed a sigh of relief. A common refrain to be heard was that, finally, the days of people getting incarcerated, injured, and killed over cannabis are behind us.

Unfortunately, as time has passed, this sentiment proved to be premature. Organized and opportunistic criminal activity targeting legal cannabis businesses has picked up significantly in recent years.

Criminality targeting these businesses has been unfortunately marked by its violence. Many employees and security personnel have been injured and even killed during the near-constant robberies and burglaries that have targeted dispensaries and growing operations over the past four years.

While the legal cannabis crime wave peaked in 2022-2023, it remains a significant problem and one that shows no sign of going away any time soon. As recently as September 30th, 2024, a security guard was shot and killed during a late night robbery of a Montebello dispensary.

The reasons for why cannabis remains such a popular target for the criminal element is a mixture of governmental disfunction and consumer preference. The federal government’s refusal to relabel cannabis and the state government’s burdensome regulatory and tax structure for the industry work together to ensure legal marijuana is significantly more expensive than illicit goods.

This creates a significant black market for high quality cannabis sold at bargain prices. This market is usually supplied by illegal operations or through the resale of stolen goods.

Many metro police forces are either overwhelmed from staffing shortages or are simply unwilling to provide support for legal cannabis sellers. This means, for the time being, legal cannabis operators have limited options in terms of how to protect themselves.

One of the only reliably effective means at their disposal is the creation of an effective security system. Creating one of these systems is harder than it seems, as they need to be compliant with both local regulations and the often labyrinthine insurance policies required for licensing.

This is why many operators are turning to specialist security contractors like Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions to craft an executable dispensary security plan that covers all of their bases. CCSS uses a holistic approach to drafting their security plans, using top-quality local vendors to supply security equipment that is in-line with both regulators and insurers.

One of CCSS’s top priorities is removing as much of the human element from the security system as possible to avoid tragedies like those found in the aforementioned Montebello robbery. Using cutting edge technology like security drone patrols, the company is working to create a fully secure system that reduces the incident of death or injury for security personnel and limiting the liability for property owners and managers.

These measures are capable of deterring most opportunistic criminals, but there is little to stop a highly motivated and organized group from targeting an establishment. The system then becomes key to securing a quick and easy method of submitting a claim to insurers to cover your losses.

While the day cannabis ceases to be a focal point of crime and violence still seems far off, you do have means of protecting yourself in the meantime. For an effective security system that will protect your business from losses caused by criminal activity, get in contact with CCSS today:

Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions

+19259221067

After a few initial stumbles, the cannabis industry is starting to boom in the way most advocates and early rollers knew it would. Billions of dollars are being funneled into the pockets of dispensary owners, logistics and delivery services, and growing operations, and the future only looks brighter.

That isn’t to say that the industry doesn’t have quite a few stumbling blocks left to hurdle before it reaches cruising altitude. The federal government’s extreme reluctance to unschedule cannabis from its list of banned narcotics means all those billions rolling in come primarily in the form of cash, which makes the cannabis industry an appealing target for both organized and opportunistic crime.

The state of California is also putting its immense pressure on the industry through both arduous regulations and an enormous tax burden. Seriously – tax rates for legal businesses in the cannabis category can top 30%, which has hurt business and contributed to the fairly lackluster start the industry has had since legalization.

A part of the previously mentioned arduous regulations here in California is in relation to security and what elements a business’s security plan and system need to include. While the need for businesses to provide some security for themselves is self-evident, like any government-mandated system, it can get confusing and convoluted depending on the size and scope of the individual establishment.

Thanks to the high level of crime targeting the sector, comprehensive insurance policies are an absolute must-have for anyone doing business with cannabis. Unfortunately, this adds to the already confusing morass of different elements required to comply with state regulations, as insurance policies are often highly selective of vendors and technology they allow to be incorporated into a venue’s security systems. Deviating even a little can void the entire policy and lead to a whole lot of lost money.

As a cannabis grower or seller, this is far beyond what you signed up for when you started your company. That’s why it’s heavily recommended that you contract out your growing operation or dispensary security needs to experts in creating security plans and systems that comply with state law and insurance policy stipulations.

Experts like Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions, or CCSS. The guys at CCSS have decades of experience working in the security field and as undercover police officers, giving them unique insights into how organized crime selects targets and executes robberies on stores like yours.

The best aspect of working with security contractors like CCSS is their in-depth knowledge of local and state laws, what insurance policies will best protect your company, and what vendors provide the best products and services at the best prices. CCSS can tie all of this information into an air-tight security plan and system that will provide optimal protection for your business and, if you are targeted, give you the best chance of recovering and getting back on your feet.

The cannabis industry is a bit like the wild west right now – there is gold to be found, but it sure is not for the faint of heart. If you’re prepared to strike your claim and take your security system to the next level, get in contact with CCSS today:

Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions

+19259221067