Protecting Cannabis and Cigarette Stores
Whether you live in a region where cannabis (marijuana) is legal for all or one where it is legal for medicinal purposes, security is critical. Cannabis retailers and medical marijuana dispensaries are common targets for criminals. This is true in Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Oregon, and any US state where cannabis sales are legal, as well as in Canada. Criminals know that if they can steal marijuana from retailers or dispensaries, they can easily sell it on the black market for profit. Once cannabis product is stolen, it’s incredibly difficult to track.
The same is true for cigarette retailers, especially since the cost of cigarettes has been increasing in many areas. As costs go up, criminals tend to strike more frequently. Again, they know that whatever product they steal can easily be resold.
Security for cannabis and cigarette retailers is crucial. In fact, in many regions, having proper security is a requirement for being able to legally sell cigarettes or marijuana.
One of the best ways to secure your retail property is by using physical security gates.
How Physical Security Gates Protect Marijuana Dispensaries and Cigarette Retailers
Physical security gates help deter criminals out of your property. By making it significantly more difficult to break through doors and windows, you can drastically reduce retail crime. Most retail break-ins, including those at marijuana dispensaries or cannabis retailers, are smash and grab robberies. In these crimes, criminals use force and tools such as rocks, baseball bats, or crowbars to smash through windows and doors. Once inside, they take what they can get and then leave the scene before police can arrive.
Criminals know that it takes time for the police to arrive, even if they are automatically contacted as soon as the break-in occurs. They know that if they can get away within minutes, they won’t be caught and can get away with their crimes. Even in locations where surveillance cameras are installed, criminals can cover their faces with scarves or hoods so they won’t be recognized on camera. This means that alarms and cameras don’t typically deter criminals.
Physical security, on the other hand, keeps criminals away. The know that, even if they can get into a property, it will take considerably more time and effort to do so, as well as more complex tools and advanced skills. The more time a criminal spends at a property, the more likely they are to be caught.
Security gates let criminals know that a retail store is protected. This gives them a strong advantage over window film (and other similar tools). While film may make it more difficult to break through a window, criminals can’t see it. This means they could make several attempts to break through before realizing that film is installed. Even if they’re not able to enter your cannabis store, break-in attempts can still cause significant (and costly) damage.
Physical security gates are especially important at common targets, like retail stores that sell cigarettes or marijuana. Since these items are frequently stolen, and since they’re small enough to easily be taken from a store with ease, it’s crucial to protect such stores with physical gates.