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Cannabis dispensaries experience higher rates of theft

Published Jan 25, 2020 02:00 p.m. ET
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We have always had to deal with crime, but since legal dispensaries are open for business, are they now a target for armed robbery? Some would think so. Everyone knows that every weed dispensary is bringing in a large amount of cash every day. With that said, anyone looking to do an armed robbery is going to see the weed dispensary as a potential target.

Security would probably be the best way to avoid that kind of event from happening, but when we say safety, that is in all forms like cyber security. As most places do have computer systems tracking sales, and that includes sensitive information such as debit transactions, credit card payments, and so forth.

When one gets a dispensary job, security is probably something that becomes a concern as the cannabis industry generates many customers coming in and out throughout the day. There is also the fact that the store does close, and that is when cash is counted, and bank deposits are prepared with most business. So that would pose the question of how safe is the employee that must close  and open a weed dispensary.

Security is always the first thing that any new business owner must consider when there are large amounts of cash involved. There is the regular protocol that is locking doors and having more than one person while closing and or making a nightly bank deposit. That still does not stop someone from trying to rob a dispensary.

There are no concrete statistics that state that a cannabis dispensary poses more risk than a variety store or gas station. Each dispensary does take precautions when it comes to armed robbery. This is the last thing any business owner wants, as there is a significant loss when this happens.

Petty theft

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As with all retail, there is always some theft that is going to happen. Unfortunately, this is not noticed until its time to do inventory. This happens a lot, and it is difficult to gain control. You don’t always notice someone slip a pack of papers in their pocket. There are always cameras, and customers are well informed about this. You will see signs posted everywhere, allowing you to know you are being watched. Some take note and refrain from stealing while others look at it as a personal challenge.

As far as employees go, there is no higher risk of working in a dispensary. It is no different than anywhere that has cash on hand and an array of valuable stock. So, like a pharmacy, there is always a risk of a robbery and the only thing they have alarm systems and cameras. So there is no difference as far as crime. It is one of those situations that a weed dispensary owner has faith that the clientele coming in is trustworthy.

So if you have a dispensary job, the level of concern is no more then any other establishment. With things of value on-site, everyone must do their part to have an excellent safe working environment. So working in teams and not having one person in a dispensary and going through safety protocol with the employees such as code words and so forth is the best we can do. The reality is we are always at risk for some crime. Its how we are prepared and trained for it that makes the difference.

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