Creating a 420 Security Plan

420 is widely regarded as the biggest holiday in the cannabis industry with people throughout the world celebrating their appreciation of the industry. Most events have gone virtual due to the pandemic, and events such as the Couchlocked 420 Comedy Special hosted by Berner from Cookies and the “World’s Biggest Virtual 420 Celebration,” Higher Together, presented by Weedmaps are each attracting large audiences.

Dispensaries are planning their own in-store events or sales in preparation of customers stocking up on their favorite cannabis products for 420. In 2018, cannabis sales in Colorado reached $9.1 million for 420, a 128% increase compared to a typical day’s sales. This year, dispensary management should expect their own boosts in sales and prepare a 420 security plan.

Managing an Increase in Sales

Dispensary management should ensure that the facility is well-staffed to accommodate the increase in sales. More employees and security personnel should be scheduled to conduct sales, assist customers, and enforce occupancy limits. Increasing the number of employees in the store not only produces better customer service, but also improves the dispensary’s security. Excellent customer service forces potential criminals to think twice before they decide to commit a crime.

Potential criminals look for opportunities that are fast, easy, and low risk. It is much more difficult for a customer to successfully shoplift if an employee is in the sales area greeting and assisting customers. Additionally, a fully-staffed sales area also deters employees from attempting to steal or discount products and increases the likelihood that such an attempt would be caught.

Ensuring the business is fully-staffed to prepare for the increase in sales should be an important part of any dispensary’s 420 security plan. Since 420 falls on a Tuesday in 2021, dispensary management should expect higher sales in the preceding weekend and should staff accordingly.

Managing an Increase in Customers

With the increase in sales comes an increase in customers – and a greater risk of becoming the victim of theft or diversion. The dispensary faces some of the greatest risks during busy shopping times when potential criminals take advantage of the chaos in the store. Dispensaries are at risk from both external theft from customers and internal theft from the dispensary’s own employees.

When the dispensary is at its busiest, customers may take advantage of all the activity and use it as an opportunity to shoplift. Similarly, employees may attempt to steal or discount cannabis for themselves or others. The best way to deter theft and diversion is to remove the opportunity. To prevent potential criminals from exploiting the business, dispensary managements should set occupancy limits for the facility as part of their 420 security plan.

Occupancy limits for the dispensary may already be required by state/local regulations and should always be enforced. For dispensaries that typically do not impose limits, it is important to prevent the dispensary from becoming more crowded than management can control. When an occupancy limit is in effect, an employee or security guard should be placed at the entrance informing customers of the limit and allowing only the number of customers that can be handled by employees at one time into the dispensary.

In addition to employee schedules and occupancy limits, dispensary management should test all security and alarm devices to ensure they are in proper working order. Management should also review the security plan and signs of internal and external theft with employees. 420 security measures aim to better protect the business and its employees and can be used on other holidays or whenever the dispensary is faced with increases in sales and customers.

Successful plans take a proactive approach to security. Proactive security seeks to prevent and deter crime by removing the opportunity for potential criminals. Dispensary management should ensure that they have established an occupancy limit and scheduled a sufficient number of employees for 420 and the days leading up to it. By preparing for increases in sales together, dispensary management and employees can prevent theft on one of the busiest sales days of the year.

How Can Sapphire Risk Help?

Tony Gallo and the team at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group has over 30 years of security experience and expertise. Schedule a risk assessment with our security experts to ensure your cannabis security is efficient and effective. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with current cannabis security news and trends!