Cannabis Security Requirements: Massachusetts
DEM360 has planned and implemented systems in the following cities in the state of Massachusetts :
- Deerfield
- Worchester
Total Facilities in MA under DEM360 Cannabis Security Planning: 2
Disclaimer:
DEM360 has created a summarized finding of the state regulations for Massachusetts ’s specific to the security requirements. The main focus of each security summary emphasizes access control, alarm system requirements, and video surveillance. This is not the entirety of the state requirements. To review your specific states requirements, please
visit
https://mass-cannabis-control.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/CM2-124.pdf
or contact the state agency directly.
Access Control Requirements
- Secure every entrance to the establishment so that access to areas containing marijuana is restricted to employees and others permitted by the marijuana establishment to access the area and to agents of the commission or state and local law enforcement officers and emergency personnel;
- Safeguarding Access: Prohibit keys, if applicable, from being left in the locks, or stored or placed in a location accessible to persons other than specifically authorized personnel.
- Safeguard Security Measures: Protect combination numbers, passwords, key cards for access, or electronic or biometric security systems, to allow only specifically authorized personnel to have access to limited access areas.
Alarm System Requirements
A marijuana establishment shall have an adequate security system to prevent and detect diversion, theft, or loss of marijuana or unauthorized intrusion, utilizing commercial grade equipment, which shall, at a minimum, include:
- A perimeter alarm on all entry points and perimeter windows.
- A failure notification system that provides an audible, text, or visual notification of any failure in the surveillance system. The failure notification system shall provide an alert to designated employees of the marijuana establishment within five minutes after the failure, either by telephone, email, or text message.
- A duress alarm, panic alarm, or holdup alarm connected to a central alarm system monitoring company who may notify local law enforcement authorities.
- Outdoor Sites: Outside marijuana cultivation areas shall be fortified with perimeter security fencing (intrusion alarms) designed to prevent unauthorized entry and shall not be advertised, or be visible from public areas. Area should be posted that it is a restricted area and surveillance cameras shall be installed at all entry & exit points.
Video Surveillance Requirements
Surveillance cameras shall be installed in all areas that may contain marijuana, at all points of entry and exit, and in any parking lot, which shall be appropriate for the normal lighting conditions of the area under surveillance. The cameras shall be directed at all safes, vaults, point of sales areas, and areas where marijuana is cultivated, harvested, processed, prepared, stored, handled, or dispensed. Cameras shall be angled so as to allow for the capture of clear and certain identification of any person entering or exiting the marijuana establishment or restricted area.
Digital Retention: Twenty-four hour recordings from all video/surveillance cameras shall be available for immediate viewing by the Cannabis Control Commission or law enforcement officers in the performance of duty upon request and shall be retained for at least 90 calendar days.
Camera Quality: The surveillance system shall have the capability to immediately produce a clear, color, still photo (live or recorded) and;
- Be equipped with date and time stamp embedded on all recordings. The date and time shall be synchronized and set correctly and shall not significantly obscure the picture.
- The ability to remain operational during a power outage; and a video recording that allows for the exporting of still images in an industry standard image format, including .jpg, .bmp, and .gif. Exported video shall have the ability to be archived in a proprietary format that ensures authentication of the video and guarantees that no alteration of the recorded image has taken place. Exported video shall also have the ability to be saved in an industry standard file format that can be played on a standard computer operating system. All recordings shall be erased or destroyed prior to disposal.
Video Storage: All security system equipment and recordings shall be maintained in a secure location so as to prevent theft, loss, destruction, and alterations.
Back Up: Marijuana Establishments shall have a back-up alarm system, with all capabilities of the primary system, provided by a company supplying commercial grade equipment, which shall not be the same company supplying the primary security system.
5 Quick Tips for Your Cannabis Security Plan in 2021
From cultivation to retail you'll want these free tips to save your business time, money, and headaches this coming year.
