Cannabis Legalization A Need For Armed Security Specialists/Guards

The spread of legalization to new states, particularly on the Southwest, is providing new opportunities for security companies that provide armed guards to cannabis businesses.

Legalization is spreading across America. The legalization of adult-use cannabis just took effect in three new states: Connecticut and Virginia, where recreational marijuana became legal on July 1, and New Mexico, where recreational marijuana became legal on June 29. “Legalization is now a reality for nearly one-half of the population,” said Erik Altieri, executive director of the pro-cannabis organization NORML, in a statement.

At last count, adult-use has been legalized in 18 states, and also Washington, DC, and Guam, according to Leafly, a prominent web site for cannabis information and retail. This includes New York and New Jersey, which legalized adult-use cannabis earlier this year. While the retail markets for recreational cannabis have yet to launch in these fledgling states, companies are poised for expansion opportunities there. This includes companies that provide armed security guards to dispensaries in Western states, which have suffered a rash of armed robberies and break-ins.

The cannabis business is booming, but this has also made dispensaries enticing to armed robbers and burglars. “When?you have one location that has two very desirable liquid assets, one that is cash and one that can be turned into cash, they’re targets,” said Todd Morris, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brick House Security, which provides GPS tracking for cash, cannabis and the employees who are transporting it.

In Arizona we have the added issue of the Mexican drug cartels. The Mexican drug cartels may use legal marijuana/medical marijuana dispensaries to increase their presence. The authorities say they’re finding cartel-affiliated weed on government-owned lands in states including Oregon, Utah, Washington, Nevada and Arizona, all of which permit some form of medical marijuana. The problem has gotten so bad that in 2016, law enforcement authorities began partnering with the Mexican Consulate to stop the narcotic traffickers. They have shown they have no issues crossing the border to commit violent crimes. There are many instances in Arizona where suspected cartel members have been arrested and/or observed “escorting” marijuana with automatic weapons through our deserts.

What does this mean to you as a dispensary owner? You could get a “armed security guard” who has extensive military and/or law enforcement training, or get a 21 year old with zero experience past the 8 to 16 hour security guard training mandated by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. It is safe to say if something bad happened, not only would you be in more danger by having untrained security guards at your facilities, the chances of him/her remaining calm in a stressful situation and/or acting at all is pretty slim to none.

There aren’t a lot of companies that won’t take that risk. The risk of violence combined with the risk of security officers being arrested is great. When we begin to talk about training (monthly, quarterly, and annually) that hourly/annual price increases substantially. It is industry standard to mark up training and personnel hourly by at least 100%. You would be closer to a paid 3rd party salary of $150k per year for one properly trained and equipped security professional.

All of your security professionals should be prior law enforcement and/or military (minimum age of 25 with few exceptions). Most military professionals will have participated in the global war on terror or have received extensive training. That statement is significant because these individuals and law enforcement have been involved in threatening situations that involve life or death. Most importantly they will engage the threat and not freeze up when a threatening/stressful situation arises. They are trained to act within a split second.

There are some huge advantages of allowing a professional security company to manage your security needs and personnel. First and foremost you know what kind, how much training and experience your security team has. Not only should your employees be going through “refresher” type courses, but they all should have been trained by the government (police and/or military) with experience using their skills in the “real world”.

In addition, your security company should monitor all the on-going issues that you as owners should not have to worry about. By that I mean the monitoring of employees' credit, spending habits and interaction with outside parties. (This can be done overtly or covertly) This may not make sense, so let me explain further. The biggest mistake law enforcement agencies make is not continuing to check the backgrounds of their officers. This is the biggest reason “bad cops” are rarely exposed. I have seen my fair share of bad cops. If there is or would’ve been continually monitored credit reports, bank statements, following up on conversations overheard that are suspicious etc., the bad cop issue wouldn’t be an issue at all. Now take high-end marijuana and the dollars that go with it and think about how tempting it may be for employees to supplement their income. Employees need to be monitored just as vigilantly as outside threats.

Given the nature of this business expect you and your employees to be approached by undesirable individuals, or even “Narco Terrorism” inquiring about your business. These incidents need to be documented and systematically tracked. Money and drugs cause adverse behavior in people. It is a serious security issue that needs to be addressed/constantly monitored. You need professionals who can take on this task and understand the seriousness that is at stake.?You need professionals who can take on this task, and understand the difference between innocent inquiries or something more sinister that need immediate action taken..

The biggest threat is the Mexican drug cartels. There are many smuggling routes throughout the state. Once the cartels start to notice a decline in their business, they are very likely to take action against those hindering their ability to make money. Law enforcement officials are concerned about this issue as well. When the cartels decide to take action it will be violent. It could be anything from an armed assault, fire/arson, bombing, intimidation, kidnapping, etc.

The only way you’re going to keep yourselves, family, employees, clients and business safe is to have a well-equipped trained armed security force to deal with whatever threat that you are confronted with. Keep in mind when you call 911, you expect the police to be there immediately. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Average 911 response times vary widely based on many factors, including where you live and the severity of the crime. They use national standards to assess the priority of your call and dispatch emergency services based on your specific needs. The average response time for a 911 call is 10 minutes.?A lot can happen in ten minutes. Most violent crime is over within two to three minutes. It should be noted that there will be a time when we dial 911 for an emergency situation, only to learn that law enforcement/emergency responders are unable to respond. In certain parts of the country people are already experiencing that law enforcement officers are failing or unable to respond.

Another advantage to retaining a good armed security company is working/cooperating with law enforcement agencies. This liaison should be in constant contact with the Federal, State, local police department as well as the appropriate county law enforcement office. This relationship is vital for intelligence gathering and information sharing. With a liaison your notification time of any impending danger and/intelligence sharing should be mitigated. This early warning system, so to speak, will allow your security force to respond quicker, be better prepared, add personnel if necessary, as well as allowing law enforcement agencies to do their job.

Not only will retaining a professional armed security company help keep you, your employees should be able to work in a safer environment, your patients and your investment safe, but it will also help legitimize your establishment in the eyes of law enforcement and the public.

Published by

Manny Flores, President at IPS International, LLC