Creating a Halloween Security Plan

Creating a Halloween Security Plan

Sunday is Halloween, and while this holiday isn’t weed specific, Halloween conjures up a large increase in cannabis sales across the country. Halloween now has the third highest cannabis sales of any American holiday. As cannabis legalization continues to spread, cannabis sales and use during Halloween, or “Halloweed,” are increasing. In 2016, the state of Washington generated $2.11 million in …

Science and Security Combine in Tamper-Evident Packaging

Science and Security Combine in Tamper-Evident Packaging

Industries from cannabis to food delivery have begun implementing tamper-evident packaging to demonstrate to customers (and regulators) that products have not been manipulated. The key to tamper-evident packaging is that the material is plastic. That statement may not seem revolutionary, as most packaging is indeed plastic as noted by one of the seven recycling symbols, or by simple look and feel. …

Expanding Legalization

Expanding Legalization: Which State is Next? Pt I

Since the early days of legalization in states like California, Colorado, and Washington, the landscape of the cannabis industry has changed dramatically. In fact, the United States cannabis market of today hardly resembles what it did just 8 short years ago. Now, recreational legalization efforts may be expanding to include states like Arkansas, Florida, and Oklahoma. Each year, new states that …

Delta-8 in the United States

Delta-8 in the United States

Over the past few years, Delta-8 THC has made headlines as a form of “THC-lite.” Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the production of hemp as long as the Delta-9 content stays below 0.3%, Delta-8 manufacturers and retailers have found themselves in a legal gray zone. Now, states must decide for themselves whether to allow the sale and possession of …

Opportunities in the Connecticut Cannabis Market

Opportunities in the Connecticut Cannabis Market

Joining the domino of cannabis legalization in the United States, Connecticut is one of the most recent states to enact legislation that legalizes cannabis use recreationally. Connecticut previously only permitted the use of medical marijuana, but will soon allow retail sales. The state released guidelines last week that provided some answers for those interested in entering this developing market. Current Status …

Preventing Catalytic Converter Theft

Preventing Catalytic Converter Theft in Your Parking Lot

Perhaps you have heard theft of catalytic converters is on the rise. While Sapphire Risk focuses mostly on retail and cannabis security, we try to stay adept of all loss prevention issues. Legislators and police departments are attempting to tackle the issue’s status as a rising type of property crime. The catalytic converter converts toxic exhaust molecules into environmentally safe …

3 Ways Video Monitoring Can Keep Cannabis Retail in Business

3 Ways Video Monitoring Can Keep Cannabis Retail in Business

The business of growing and selling marijuana shows some of the fastest growth of any new industry today. Current valuations show the U.S cannabis industry to be worth $61 billion. Analysts are now predicting that the industry will be worth $100 billion by 2030.  This explosive growth has brought with it an array of challenges for dispensary owners. While many …

Integrating Security Personnel with Installed Security

Integrating Personnel with Installed Security

There are a million ways to secure your dispensary operation adequately. There are just as many ways to over-engineer security, as well as to have security features/personnel that are not being used efficiently. I first want to differentiate between “installed security measures” and “static” or “ongoing” security measures. Installed security would be any piece of technology, equipment, or physical barrier …

Arizona's Booming Adult-Use Marijuana Market and How to Get Involved

Arizona’s Booming Adult-Use Marijuana Market and How to get Involved

This article was originally featured on the CB Advisors blog. Just three months after voters approved recreational marijuana in November 2020, the Arizona adult-use program was up and running, making it one of the fastest implementations in the country. Recreational marijuana sales in Arizona have been strong. MJBizDaily projects that the state’s recreational market could be worth $350-400 million in its …

Differences in Secure Storage for Cannabis

Differences in Secure Storage for Cannabis Businesses

Choosing a method of secure storage is an important part of designing a cannabis facility, but not every facility has the same needs when it comes to secure storage. Small and large cannabis businesses have different requirements when it comes to secure storage and, depending on the location of the business, regulations may dictate which method of secure storage should …