According to the OLCC, “An Operating Plan is required for all recreational marijuana applications… In addition to the Operation Plan, an approved security plan is required for all licenses.” There are six steps to designing a security plan for OLCC. If you have already designed this plan or are beginning to prepare for this process, you know how stressful it can be. In this article, Asset Protection will clearly explain the requirements necessary and give some insider tips.

Step One: Make Sure you are using 360 cameras in all the places you need an overview. Use dome cameras to cover hallways, doorways and your server. Camera placement is vital to making sure you don’t have blind spots. Covering the doors on the outside of your building is also key. Make sure you have 15 feet on each side of the doorway in your camera view. (Side note: it is still up for discussion about the effects of IR lights on the cannabis. But Asset Protections recommends not taking a chance. Samsung offers a .001 lux camera, which means this camera will give you a black and white picture in pitch black.)

Step Two: Choose to go with either a network video recorder (NVR) from the camera manufacturers or video management software (VMS). If you only plan on owning one location than the NVR is the right choice. The NVR are perfect for dispensaries or small farms. If you own more than one location or are planning on owning more than one location, we recommend a video management software. The VMS allows you to view more than one location at a time. It also allows you to map out where your cameras are. The main difference between NVR’s and VMS is most NVR’s do not have a license per camera. With all VMS, there is a license that will need to be renewed every year or every 3-years. Be aware of what your future business plans are to choose accurately.

Step Three: Samsung’s security cameras provide H265 recording. This recording allows for high quality recording with less storage. Make sure when choosing your cameras and NVR or server that they can upgrade to H265 at a low to no cost in the future. Also, remember it takes about 2TB of storage per camera to achieve the 90 days’ onsite storage requirements.
Step Four: Make sure your burglar alarm provider offers network connection for your burglar alarm. This will provide easier access to your system through smart phones. It should also keep your monthly monitoring cost the same as phone lines.

Step Five: There are several ways to achieve 90-day cloud storage. One option is Eagle Eye Networks, where you may want to price a bridge, since you will need one to connect your cameras to the cloud. The second way is with a company called Camcloud. One benefit of Camcloud is you don’t have to buy a bridge to connect to the cloud and they are tailored for small businesses. Another possible option is that sometimes OLCC will work with you to use video storage at another business address. This will cut cost on monthly storage charges but isn’t a guarantee. To remove any doubt about passing your OLCC license we recommend you choose one of the first two options.

Step Six: Look at your business future while designing your security plan. One way to do this is by buying security cameras that will not have to be upgraded for a long time. It is also important to think about entry control or access control. Entry control allows you to let people in without being onsite and is a way to track who is coming into your facility. Access control allows you to track who can go into what room at what time. It also allows you to let someone go and not worry about getting their building keys back from them; Entry cards can be cancelled anytime necessary.

Some other things to keep in mind about your security plan is to make sure not to forget the locking cabinet or fire doors with commercial locks. You may also be interested in having a color printer to be able to print colored pictures from your security cameras!

Make sure to contact Asset Protection Partnership, Ltd for more information about your security plan.