Surge in robberies at cannabis dispensaries...pistol whippings, gunshots, deaths

Surge in robberies at cannabis dispensaries...pistol whippings, gunshots, deaths. We’ve seen a recent surge in violent crime for cannabis dispensaries, which is largely due to the high amounts of cash on site. As a result of cannabis remaining illegal under federal law, many cannabis shops are unable to work with big banks and credit card companies, which forces them to depend on cash for their business. Criminals have figured that out and are targeting dispensaries at an increased rate, which has fueled the increased demand for private security protection. Insurance carriers are seeing the pattern, and recognizing the increased bodily injury and property damage claims associated with cannabis operations.

How sad it is to see that marijuana dispensaries have failed to heed the warning about having inadequate security protection for both their staff and product. How many of you have really seen the eye of the tiger face-to-face, not many. The professional criminal who studies your place of business knows all your security weaknesses, that is why there is a surge in robbery at cannabis dispensaries. Are you the next victim of a crime that could have been preventable.

My experience several years ago there was only one dispensary that was willing to pay the higher rate, in fact we put in a man that was highly trained by Trojan Securities International, a company that was founded and run by a group of former British Special Forces. If you attended that school you would think that you were at a United Nations campus. Our guy was the only American attending that class. At that time it was a two weeks of intense training, you have to be physically fit to complete that class successfully. Our organization has sent well over a half dozen security specialists to be trained at Trojan Securities. If anyone is interested you can Google Trojan Securities and view their website. Getting back to the clients, a majority of them are not interested in hiring a professional security person (s), they just want to show their insurance company that they have security. Yet you read and watch it in the news where security personnel are just standing there while the criminals are ransacking the stores, assaulting their customers, and store associates. And yet stores and security companies are being sued because they had inadequate security. Yet some of you believe, you have the training to provide security for a marijuana dispensary, who do you think are committing these crimes? All I can say is wake up before you become the next victim.

Contributor: HUB international private security practice.