Security is a concern for the medical marijuana business
12.20.18 – KOKH FOX25 –
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) – There’s a lot more to the medical marijuana business than setting up shop and getting licensed by the state.
Security is a major challenge for all the businesses, because of their product and all the attention they are getting.
Sgt. Shane Tuell of the Tulsa Police Department said, “They could become hot targets.”
On Wednesday, officers were rushed to the Medijuana store near 31st and Mingo when there were reports of an armed robbery, but it turned out one of the owners had called because a visitor was acting suspiciously.
While it was a false alarm, Owner Sandi Hardy said they are being very careful.
“We’ve had some that have come in and just hung around too long, asking questions and not really looking to buy anything.”
She wants to be safe and have a place that’s inviting to customers. So, at Medijuana, there’s more security than is obvious.
Hardy said she is always armed and their building is very sound.
Right now, she has very little inventory, so there’s not much to steal, but when that changes, it will be protected by an armed guard.
Those who are also growing their marijuana are taking even more precautions.
At Oklahoma Harvest Health in Sand Springs they are still under construction, but the finished building will have layers of security.
It will start with an ID check at the front entrance.
Employee Dalton Rodriguez said, “You’ll be buzzed into our dispensary and all the product is only samples on our floor, and we have vault that dispenses all the product and the money to our customers.”
They will also have an armed guard, bullet-proof glass and steel mesh in the walls to deter any burglaries.
They want to make it very difficult for anyone to cause any problems in their store.
They say they believe in the product, but they only want to make it easy for paying customers to walk out with it.
Oklahoma Harvest Health expects to be open for business in the next two to three months.