Page 22 - Security Today, July 2017

The MED specifies a “20-foot arch of visibility” surveillance be continually maintained where safety, cash and product are involved, according to Behrns.
“Surveillance cameras are salt and peppered throughout all Med- icine Man facilities, covering nearly every square inch of the interior and exterior,” Behrns said.
Cameras keep a constant watchful eye on all staff, licensed owners and contractors throughout the cultivation process from the planting area to the flowering room, to the dry and cure area, to the product room where the cannabis is weighed and packaged.
The MED conducts an extensive vetting process for all employ- ees, especially the executives who carry a red badge, along with the investigation processes required and conducted by the respective mu- nicipality or county.
Williams reiterated that the government still considers marijuana a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, and if convicted for trafficking, having a firearm on the premises adds an automatic five years to a prison sentence.
Armed Guards
The workaround was hiring a third-party vendor to provide armed and trained security guards. Blue Line provides armed security for the high-volume cash purchases that goes directly to a bank vault in the Denver area or another in southern Colorado, as their deposits are insured by the FDIC.
“I don’t want the fox guarding the hen house after hours,” said Williams, when asked if Medicine Man had an armed guard inside their facilities during non-business hours. While trusting the security staff, he said, “I don’t like leaving individuals in a facility that could be compromised.”
Relating to cybersecurity, Williams explained that the company has taken notable measures to prevent hacking, the theft of customer data and corporate information.
Marijuana sales continue to flourish throughout many of Colora- do’s communities. Security concerns and risk will continue to persist until the banking issues are addressed and resolved. The high secu- rity risks will continue with the product transfers
from the cultivation facilities to the retail dispen-
saries.
Over the summer, Medicine Man has con- tracted with Helix TCS to provide all security services replacing Blue Line, as Williams did not elaborate on the change.
Tom Barry is a freelance writer based in Denver.
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