While all commercial buildings require security systems, cannabis facilities have their own unique physical security needs.
Operating outside of regular banking channels, cannabis businesses have large sums of cash on-site, making them an attractive site for theft and crimes. Additionally, medical and recreational marijuana sites need to adhere and comply with local and federal regulations concerning the production, handling, transportation, and sale of cannabis products.
What Are Cannabis Facilities?
Three years after the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, industries now contribute $17 billion to the country’s economy. The industry has three major divisions based on the nature of the work. These are as follows;
- Growth and cultivation facilities: These are the growth farms or areas where plants are cultivated until it’s time to harvest them.
- Extraction facilities: In these facilities plants are processed using various methods to extract oils and fill in the pills and other consumables.
- Dispensaries: These are the distribution points of the industry, where the final product is sold to private individuals.
Access Control For Dispensary And Cannabis Security
Most commercial buildings have a mixture of cyber security, access control, and surveillance deployed to protect their assets. Cannabis businesses and growth sites require a more stringent form of security. Access control is a key component in any comprehensive cannabis site security plan. This helps authorities control the entry of unauthorized people to places where they shouldn’t be. The best access control plans are cloud-based, scalable, and easy to manage.
Cloud-based Access Control System
Cloud-based systems are important for maximizing interoperability and creating a holistic cannabis security solution. The nature of cannabis businesses asks for a dispensary security solution at multiple business locations. Considering the need for dispensary security, cloud-based security solutions centralize and simplify the security management process.
The cloud system helps connect the security system with surveillance devices, cameras, alarms, and sensors that detect glass breaks, gunshots, vibrations, and motion. A more complex and comprehensive cloud access control cannabis security system allows better control and security with less cost.
Mobile-based Access Control System
Mobile-based security control systems provide better control and flexibility over traditional keys or RFID badges. These systems provide more advanced security systems including two-step or multi-factor authentication and biometric authentication, which are already popular for cannabis growth facilities. Moreover, sophisticated mobile-based access control systems allow touchless entry options making cannabis growth dispensaries more hygienic.
However, if you still want to use a key and other scanning badges on mobile systems, make sure to make them highly encrypted to avoid cloning and copying. For better security make the keys and badges interoperable with other security access methods.
Video Surveillance For Cannabis Security
Marijuana businesses and cannabis growth facilities must add security surveillance camera components to their cannabis security plan. A video security system can help the business to store their growth facility or commercial building even hours after everyone has left the place and improve asset protection throughout the building.
When selecting a video surveillance camera for a cannabis security system, make sure that the gadget provides high-quality and real-time footage for better security.
Scalability is important as cannabis security plans require surveillance deployments at a large scale and need to service multiple locations and buildings simultaneously. A cloud-based video surveillance system is a great and safe option for modern cannabis and marijuana security solutions. This will enable the security team to have a check on the facility remotely and also have the option to integrate the VMS system with other dispensary security systems including access control, HVAC, and lightning protection.
Note that not all video surveillance systems are accepted for cannabis security solutions. Like other security features, cannabis video surveillance systems also need to comply with local or federal regulations that can vary from province to province. Therefore, it is best that you work with a local security company in your area to better comply and determine the cannabis security needs of your area.
About Us
GPS security provides complete security solutions for various industries including healthcare, construction, retail security, asset, and bankruptcy protection, and cannabis marijuana security. Our tailor-made security system for the cannabis industry uses a mixture of provenly effective techniques including access control, visual monitoring, and intrusion detection. Contact us now and secure your cannabis security without any delay.
