The latest data from Statistics Canada has found that Alberta is the leading province in Canada for the number of cannabis stores, as well as the total amount of cannabis retail sales. With so much business in the province, security for your dispensary should be top-of-mind.

The research found that, as of the end of February 2019, there are 75 retail cannabis stores operating in Alberta. The province’s stores have combined to sell $33 million worth of legal marijuana since October 17, 2018, when marijuana was first legalized. 

The figures come at the same time that research from the Canadian government also found that the black market for cannabis remained strong in the fourth quarter of 2018, accounting for $1.17 billion of sales, compared with $307 million in legal sales.

The black-market purchases were 8% lower than in the third quarter, the first to follow full legalization of cannabis. On a percentage basis, illegal sales accounted for 79% of the overall market, down from 90% in the third quarter, the data showed.

With marijuana sales on the black market remaining strong, combined with a high number of cannabis retail stores in Alberta, it’s clear that dispensaries in the province are particularly vulnerable to theft.

As a result, Sonitrol Western Canada has listed three ways you can ensure your marijuana retail store is safe from crime:

1 - Avoid using a security system that’s been left by a previous owner

A security solution should be designed for your specific business, if it’s not then you are not safe from crime. Whether you have changed the layout of your building since the previous owner, stored your high-value items in a different room or simply no longer want to use outdated technology - your inherited security solution is no longer any use.

A security solution should be tailor-made for your specific business. Any high-quality security firm will be able to offer your business a free, no-obligation security evaluation, in which an expert visits your premises and explains the various solutions available to you.

This will ensure that the security company is creating a unique security solution for your needs, rather than just selling you a fixed package.

2 - Verified video is essential

Traditional alarms simply no longer do the job. In fact, conventional alarms have such a high false alarm rate that police departments are often hesitant to send personnel to the scene. If they do, it generally takes around 20 minutes, meaning conventional CCTV merely acts as an alarm and countdown for any experienced thief.

Verified security, on the other hand, is able to verify to police that a real intrusion is currently in place. Once a Sonitrol verified alarm detects an intrusion, our 24/7 monitoring centre is notified who then verify to police that there is, in fact, an intrusion taking place.

As a result of verification, police dispatch to Sonitrol verified alarms with an average dispatch time of just 3-4 minutes. Sonitrol alarms have helped apprehend more than 175,000 criminals.

3 - Lock up your valuables with managed access control

Managed access control is a great way to create an additional layer of security, that protects your business against both externals and internal theft.

With the ability to lock high-value rooms with secure keyless entry, you can control the level of access each employee has to specific rooms within your marijuana retail store. By limiting the foot traffic to specific areas, your store will be less vulnerable to both internal and external theft.

If the worse was to happen, and someone was to steal something from one of these rooms, the data and reporting capabilities of a managed access control system will give you the information on which employees entered what room at any given time.

Want to learn more about protecting your marijuana retail store from theft? Contact our team of experts today or read our ebook at the button below.