Security Plans for Dispensaries

410 ILCS 705/ Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act is 600 pages of Illinois Compiled Statutes relating to the sale, distribution, and management of the Cannabis industry in Illinois. When seeking an approval to operate a Cannabis Dispensary in Illinois a huge part of the application process is related to providing an appropriate security plan that adheres to Section 15-100 of the Cannabis and Regulation Tax Act.

Section 15-100 Adherence and Security Measures

Section 15-100 spells out point by point which security measures must be taken in order to remain in compliance with the Cannabis and Regulation Tax Act. A Security plan that outlines how the Cannabis Dispensary will adhere to the point by point security requirements in the Act must be submitted in the application.

Security and Alarm requirements for Dispensaries in Illinois

• A perimeter alarm on all entry points and glass break protection on perimeter windows
• Security shatterproof tinted film on exterior windows
• A failure notification system that provides an audible, text, or visual notification of any failure in the surveillance system, including, but not limited
  to, panic buttons, alarms, and video monitoring system. The failure notification system shall provide an alert to designated dispensing organization agents within 5 minutes after the failure, either by telephone
  or text message;
• A duress alarm, panic button, and alarm, or holdup alarm and after-hours intrusion detection alarm that by design and purpose will directly or indirectly
  notify, by the most efficient means, the Public Safety Answering Point for the law enforcement agency having primary jurisdiction;
• Security equipment to deter and prevent unauthorized entrance into the  dispensary, including electronic door locks on the limited and restricted
  access areas that include devices or a series of devices to detect unauthorized intrusion that may include a signal system interconnected with a radio frequency method, cellular, private radio signals or other mechanical or electronic device.
• Security equipment to deter and prevent unauthorized entrance into the dispensary, including electronic door locks on the limited and restricted
  access areas that include devices or a series of devices to detect unauthorized intrusion that may include a signal system interconnected with a radio frequency method, cellular, private radio signals or other mechanical or electronic device.
• All security system equipment and recordings shall be maintained in good working order, in a secure location so as to prevent theft, loss, destruction, or alterations.
• Access to surveillance monitoring recording equipment shall be limited to persons who are essential to surveillance operations, law enforcement authorities acting within their jurisdiction, security system service personnel, and the Department. A current list of authorized dispensing organization agents and service personnel that have access to the surveillance equipment must be available to the Department upon request.
• All security equipment shall be inspected and tested at regular intervals, not to exceed one month from the previous inspection, and tested to ensure the systems remain functional.
• The security system shall provide protection against theft and diversion that is facilitated or hidden by tampering with computers or electronic records.
• The dispensary shall ensure all access doors are not solely controlled by an electronic access panel to ensure that locks are not released during a power outage.
• Unobstructed video surveillance of all enclosed dispensary areas, unless prohibited by law, including all points of entry and exit that shall be appropriate for the normal lighting conditions of the area under surveillance. The cameras shall be directed so all areas are captured, including, but not limited to, safes, vaults, sales areas, and areas where cannabis is stored, handled, dispensed, or destroyed. Cameras shall be angled to allow for facial recognition, the capture of clear and certain identification of any person entering or exiting the dispensary area and in lighting sufficient during all times of night or day;
• Unobstructed video surveillance of outside areas, the storefront, and the parking lot, that shall be appropriate for the normal lighting conditions of the area under surveillance. Cameras shall be angled so as to allow for the capture of facial recognition, clear and certain identification of any person entering or exiting the dispensary and the immediate surrounding area, and license plates of vehicles in the parking lot;
• 24-hour recordings from all video cameras available for immediate viewing by the Department upon request. Recordings shall not be destroyed or altered and shall be retained for at least 90 days. Recordings shall be retained as long as necessary if the dispensing organization is aware of the loss or theft of cannabis or a pending criminal, civil, or administrative investigation or legal proceeding for which the recording may contain relevant information;
• A date and time stamp embedded on all video surveillance recordings. The date and time shall be synchronized and set correctly and shall not significantly obscure the picture;
• All video surveillance equipment shall allow 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 before disposal;
• The video surveillance system shall be operational during a power outage with a 4-hour minimum battery backup
• A video camera or cameras recording at each point-of-sale location allowing for the identification of the dispensing organization agent distributing the cannabis and any purchaser. The camera or cameras shall capture the sale, the individuals and the computer monitors used for the sale;
• A failure notification system that provides an audible and visual notification of any failure in the electronic video monitoring system; and
• All electronic video surveillance monitoring must record at least the equivalent of 8 frames per second and be available as recordings to the Department and the Department of State Police 24 hours a day via a secure web-based portal with reverse functionality.

IT Risk Managers LLC is a licensed private alarm contractor and meets the requirements to properly install camera systems, access control systems for Illinois Cannabis Dispensaries.

IT Risk Managers LLC Private Alarm Contractor license number for dispensary security systems is 127.001762.

See Rick Bolda our CEO discuss Cannabis Security Systems here!

For further info please call 630-918-7370.