When it comes to designing the security for a cannabis facility it is very important to strictly follow your state and city security rules and regulations in order to ensure you are in full compliance. Finding a security consulting company within the cannabis arena with proven experience like Sapphire Risk Advisory Group, to say the least can be a challenge. So, when the time comes to choose a cannabis security consultant, it is important to do your research in learning about their experience with previous cannabis facility designs.
Get Help From An Expert
The cannabis industry is a new market within the United States that has been estimated at $7.06 billion in 2016, medical marijuana emerged as the largest marijuana type segment in 2016 and is estimated to be valued at USD 100.03 billion by 2025. With these type of projections the industry seems very attractive to investors of all kinds, making the licensing competition very fierce. With this high demand it creates a large possibility of hiring a security company that has very little if any experience in the cannabis industry.
Ask Before Designing
Tony Gallo, Managing Partner at Sapphire Risk, says, “you cannot design your facility in a vacuum”, meaning first you need to know your states minimum requirements followed by what the customer wants and furthermore what the city, county, or local sheriff might require. In order to accomplish a understanding of these requirements Gallo recommends to “just ask” before designing i.e. the state may not require the facility to have a security fence along the property line, where as the city or local sheriff may want to see the fence in order to alleviate any concerns of easy access to the public during non-business hours. Next the customer may want a fence line that has barbed wire running along the top, this is not permitted in the city of Las Vegas, as Gallo recommends to “just ask”, you would not be aware of these requirements or even wants from the customer.
Another issue that gets overlooked when designing a cannabis facility is something as simple as the city ordinance for outdoor lighting, states Gallo. Outdoor lighting ordinances or codes are a great tool for ensuring that municipalities implement good, safe outdoor lighting. A well-written ordinance, with proper lighting installed, will save the public money and increase safety. Thousands of cities have adopted such codes and they can be a great tool for a community to use to control light pollution, including glare, light trespass and sky glow. If you or the security consultant that is helping you through the design of your cannabis facility is not aware of the local lighting regulations, can cause problems in the final stages of the inspection process to get your license finalized. This could be a costly mistake that could have been prevented by just asking.
To sum it up:
- Know your states regulations;
- Understand what the customer desires to have and if it is feasible;
- Learn what your city particularly likes and does not like;
- Ask local officials and county sheriffs what they would like to see or not see;
- Educate yourself from other licensees on what the state and city inspectors in your area focus on or require that may help you be prepared.
Gallo says, your best tool to have during the process of obtaining your license is to make sure that you are using a vetted security consulting company in the industry.
How can Sapphire Risk help?
Tony Gallo and the team at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group has over 30 years of security experience and expertise. Take advantage of our application writing and build-out services and subscribe to our newsletter to learn more. Follow us on Facebook or connect with us on LinkedIn to receive further security updates.