MJBizMag April 2023 - 8

FROM THE EDITOR Kate Lavin
Protecting Your Marijuana Business
Asking law enforcement for security advice can pay dividends
when you need assistance
A
bulletin issued by the
Michigan Cannabis
Regulatory Agency warned
state marijuana companies in
January about a growing trend
of robbers targeting MJ delivery
drivers.
The agency said more than a
dozen altercations had taken place
in residential neighborhoods across
the state, including some armed
robberies as well as incidents where
vehicles were stolen.
The news out of Michigan came
less than two months after the
state released a bulletin about more
than 100 break-ins at regulated
adult-use marijuana retailers.
Concerns of Public Safety
For this issue of MJBizMagazine,
Senior Writer Omar Sacirbey asked
regulators, cannabis security
experts and patrol officers-turnedmarijuana
operators about law
enforcement's priorities for planttouching
companies.
Their answers mostly revolved
around public safety-be it keeping
marijuana out of the hands of
underage individuals or responding
to disturbances in progress.
In communities introducing regulated
marijuana for the first time,
law enforcement officers often
have misconceptions about how the
businesses will affect the communities
they are paid to protect.
Police departments might believe,
for example, that frequent alarms
and calls from marijuana businesses
will leave them less time to patrol
residential areas and established
businesses.
8 April 2023 | MJBizMagazine
the design process. Seek their input
In communities
introducing regulated
marijuana for the first
time, law enforcement
officers often have
misconceptions about
how the businesses
will affect the
communities they are
paid to protect.
In reality, regulators consistently
have to remind marijuana companies
to report theft to authorities.
After all, operators who spent years
in the legacy market are accustomed
to operating without access
to police protection.
Forging Relationships
But according to Kyle Kazan, the
CEO of Glass House Brands who
appears on the cover of this issue,
police departments have been
willing to provide free security
briefings in areas where the
company planned to open new
plant-touching operations and even
walked the grounds with managers
to offer tips for fortifying each site.
A former patrol officer for
the Torrance (California) Police
Department, Kazan said, " Always
include local police and regulators in
and their guidance.
" They don't know if they're going
to be in a dangerous situation in
your business at 2 in the morning.
If they've actually been in your
business, then they have some
familiarity with it. "
Protecting Your Property
Cannabis security expert Tony Gallo,
founder and CEO of the Sapphire
Risk Advisory Group, said police
departments have assisted his
clients in winning business licenses
after they followed officers' advice
related to security design.
Many of the tips in this issue's
cover story have to do with alarms,
cameras and controlling access to
rooms containing product. But others
are as simple as installing large,
weighted flowerpots in front of
windows so that would-be robbers
are foiled in the event that they
try to run a car through the front
of a store.
It can be understandably difficult
to ask advice from individuals
who made their living locking up
citizens for marijuana sale and use.
But chances are good they can
offer advice in security and crime
prevention.
As always, thanks for reading.
Be safe out there.
Kate Lavin is the editor
of MJBizMagazine. Reach
her at kate.lavin@
mjbizdaily.com.
MJBizMag April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag April 2023
