skip to Main Content
Chicago’s legal weed biz is creating a boon for private security firms

A cash machine in the corner. An armed security guard near the door watching customers’ every move. As any legal weed buyer knows, these two features of marijuana dispensaries in Illinois set them apart from the typical retail experience.

Legal marijuana sales are heavily restricted, and federal laws prevent dispensaries from accessing traditional banks – that’s why there’s so much cash. Given all that cash, and the expensive cannabis products, Illinois state law requires security be on hand.

“We’re dealing with weed and cash, and it’s high risk,” said a local officer recently while standing outside of a Near North dispensary. They did not want to be named, citing concerns about job security.

More than two years into recreational cannabis sales, some dispensary owners are investing more into private security. Data obtained from the Chicago Police Department show that the city’s 19 licensed dispensaries reported 13 combined burglaries, attempted burglaries and criminal damage reports since shops selling marijuana for recreational use opened in 2020 (medical-use cannabis sales have been legal in Illinois since 2015). Break-ins mostly occurred at businesses on the city’s North Side, and the breaches – combined with office vacancies in some retail zones near dispensaries and a rise in civil unrest during the pandemic – have led dispensaries to invest in more private security officers, said shop owners and an industry consultant. [Read more at WBEZ Chicago]

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Stories

CDTFA Cannabis Creditor: Myths and Truths

By Hilary Bricken, Attorney at Husch Blackwell Dealing with creditors is never a fun experience. However, some creditors are more severe than others, especially in the cannabis industry. One of…

If FL Supreme Court approves cannabis ballot language, will voters go for recreational weed or not?

The long wait on whether Floridians will get a chance to vote to legalize recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older is almost over, as the Florida Supreme Court is…

Missouri strips marijuana licenses connected to company accused of predatory behavior

Missouri’s health department on Wednesday stripped two coveted marijuana micro-licenses tied to an out-of-state company that had been accused of predatory practices and had listed the licenses for resale. The…

Dug In: Big Island Grown’s Deep Cannabis Roots

Big Island Grown (BIG) is a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii County, on the Big Island of Hawaii, whose reach now extends to several islands in the…

More Categories

Back To Top
×Close search
Search