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