Editor's Note: Cannabis businesses face a unique challenge in dealing with a highly desirable product being stashed (usually) on site. But it's not just the large quantities of pot that put them at risk. As long as banks continue to shy away from providing banking services to dispensaries, which are therefore forced to handle large amounts of cash, dispensaries are even bigger targets for theft. These very real threats prompted Cannabis Business Times to create the Special Report, "Beyond Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide to Security for Cannabis Businesses." The report provides 36 essential considerations to help make your marijuana business safe and secure–from an expert in marijuana-business security. You can read more about the report here.
Last Friday, robbers smashed the windows of Seattle’s Nature Green Medicine Shop, then smashed a wall, and ultimately stole $40,000 worth of medical marijuana.
The dispensary’s alarm system did not activate because the smashed window was 10 feet high and the thieves surpassed its alarms. Unfortunately, no one witnessed the crime in action and could alert authorities, so the robbers remain at large.
While a rare occurrence, medical marijuana dispensaries and grow facilities—like any high volume retail business—do occasionally fall victim to theft. Like a liquor store, when immoral thieves smell green, they will smash windows.
Given the high amounts of both cash and product in many dispensaries, it remains vital that owners install the necessary video surveillance and alarm systems to avoid theft.
