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Security

Physical security for cannabis businesses: guards, monitoring, secure transport, and the compliance-driven security plans most licenses require.

17 listedProfessional Services

Cannabis security companies fall into three kinds, and most facilities need two of them. Guarding and monitoring firms put people and cameras on site: licensed guard companies such as Silver Star Protection Group (Illinois), Patrol Guard Security Services (Colorado), Dahlcore (New York), Semper Secure (New Jersey and Philadelphia), ALK Global Security Solutions (Pacific Northwest, Southwest and Texas) and Liberty Defense Group (Arkansas and neighboring states), and remote video monitoring operators such as Guardian Integrated Security (California), Deep Sentinel (nationwide, live guard intervention), Pro-Vigil (nationwide, San Antonio operations center) and Sirix Monitoring (Canada and the US, from Quebec). Cash-in-transit and product transport firms move the money and inventory a largely cash-based business generates: Blue Line Protection Group (Denver, multi-state) and JK Logix (Michigan — armed cannabis and cash transport with secure storage). And security design firms write the plan regulators require and install the systems behind it: Sapphire Risk Advisory Group (Dallas, 37+ states), Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions (Bay Area), Cannabis Security Inc (Oregon and Washington, OLCC/WAC-compliant systems), Safe and Sound Security (California, 13 states) and U.S. Alert Security (Oklahoma). The table below sets them side by side.

Choosing between them starts with licensure and geography: guard and cash-transport firms need a state private-security license and often cannabis-specific endorsements, so a firm licensed in Illinois is not an option in Colorado, while design consultancies travel. Then match the firm to the gap. A license applicant usually needs a plan writer first — dispensary security design covers camera coverage angles, footage retention (commonly 30 to 90 days by state), vault and safe specifications, dual-custody cash handling and access control, documented before anything is installed. An operating store needs guarding and, if it banks poorly, cash-in-transit. Cannabis experience matters more than general guarding background because diversion prevention, seed-to-sale-linked inventory security and dual-custody procedures are specific to the industry; ask any firm which licensed operators it already serves in your state.

The 17 firms, compared

CompanyWhat they doServesBest fit for
ALK Global Security Solutions Vancouver, WALicensed armed and unarmed guards, video surveillance, access control, alarm response, cash and product escortsWA, OR, AZ, UT, NM, TX, FLOperators in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest who want guards and escorts from one licensed firm
Blue Line Protection Group Denver, COArmed cash transport, currency processing, asset vaulting, compliance training (publicly traded, OTC: BLPG)USA, multi-stateOperators moving significant cash between stores, grows and depositories
Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions San Francisco, CASecurity plan design for licensing, camera and access-control installation, alarm monitoring setup, auditsCalifornia (Bay Area)California applicants and operators who need a plan written and the system built to it
Cannabis Security Inc Tigard, ORCustom-designed IP video, cloud access control and intrusion alarms built to OLCC and WAC rules; monitored video subscriptionOregon, Washington, CaliforniaOregon and Washington licensees who need a compliant camera and alarm system designed and installed
Dahlcore New York, NYArmed and unarmed dispensary guards, OCM-aligned security plans, cash-room protocols, after-hours virtual guard monitoringNew York City, Long Island, New York StateNew York retailers who need guards plus a plan written to OCM requirements
Deep Sentinel Pleasanton, CAAI cameras watched by live guards who intervene over two-way audio and call police; access control, intrusion detectionUSADispensaries that want live-monitored cameras with human intervention rather than recording alone
Guardian Integrated Security Chatsworth, CAAI-assisted live video monitoring, CCTV, mobile surveillance units, on-site and remote guard responseCaliforniaDispensaries wanting monitored cameras with a guard response, not just recording
JK Logix Lansing, MIArmed cannabis and cash transport in unmarked armored vehicles, real-time tracking, temperature control, secure storageMichiganMichigan growers, processors and dispensaries moving product and cash between sites
Liberty Defense Group ARArmed facility security, roving patrols, armed cash pickup, product transport (OK/AR), security consultation; veteran-ownedAR, MO, MS, LA (also KY, TX)Mid-South operators who need armed guards and cash transport from one firm
Patrol Guard Security Services Denver, COArmed and unarmed dispensary guarding, cultivation patrols, cash and product transport escorts, mobile patrolDenver metro and Colorado Front RangeColorado stores and grows that need officers on site or on a patrol route
Pro-Vigil San Antonio, TXRemote video monitoring with audio deterrents, virtual guards, 911 dispatch, mobile surveillance units; UL-certified centerUSAMulti-site operators wanting monitored cameras and a staffed operations center
Safe and Sound Security CASecurity system installation (video, access control, intrusion, environmental), security-plan consulting; Verkada partnerCalifornia + 12 other statesApplicants and operators who need the plan and the installed system from one licensed contractor
Sapphire Risk Advisory Group Dallas, TXLicensing security plans, facility build-out, fractional security leadership, threat assessments, SOPs, trainingUSA (37+ states)Multi-state applicants and operators who need a plan that satisfies a specific regulator
Semper Secure Haddonfield, NJArmed and unarmed security officers for dispensaries and cultivation, CRC-aligned procedures, cash handling, incident response; veteran-ownedNew Jersey, Greater PhiladelphiaNew Jersey and Philadelphia-area operators who need licensed officers on site
Silver Star Protection Group Rolling Meadows, ILLicensed guards (uniformed and armed), AI video surveillance, gunshot detection, secure transport, risk consultingIllinoisIllinois dispensaries wanting guarding, tech and transport from one licensed firm
Sirix Monitoring Laval, QC24/7 remote live video monitoring, voice talk-down, alarm video verification, virtual guard tours, cargo monitoringCanada + USACanadian licensees and US operators who want remote monitoring in place of some guard hours
U.S. Alert Security OKAlarm, video surveillance, access control and UL-listed central-station monitoring; grow-house environmental sensorsOklahoma (all 77 counties)Oklahoma dispensaries and grows that need a monitored alarm and camera system installed

Services and coverage as stated on each company's own site at our last check; confirm state licensure for guarding and transport before contracting. Listed alphabetically.

Questions about security

How do I choose a cannabis security company?
Start with the state: guarding and cash-transport firms must hold that state's private-security license (and, where required, cannabis-specific endorsements), so filter to firms licensed where the facility is. Then match the firm to the gap — a plan writer for a license application, guards and monitoring for an operating store, cash-in-transit if banking access is limited. Ask which licensed cannabis operators the firm already serves in your state, whether its personnel are trained on dual-custody cash and diversion-prevention procedures, and whether its system designs are written to your regulator's camera, retention and vault rules rather than a generic template.
What is dispensary security design?
The documented plan and system specification a dispensary needs before it opens and to keep its license: camera placement and coverage angles, footage retention period, alarm and access-control zones, safe or vault construction, cash-handling and dual-custody procedures, visitor and delivery protocols, and staff training. Consultancies such as Sapphire Risk Advisory Group and Cannabis Compliant Security Solutions write these for licensing applications; installers and guard firms then build and staff to the plan.
How long must cannabis businesses keep security camera footage?
Retention requirements are set state by state and commonly range from 30 to 90 days, though some states require longer for certain camera angles, such as points of sale or vault entries. Facilities should confirm the exact figure with their state regulator rather than assume a national standard.
Are armed guards required at cannabis dispensaries?
Requirements vary by state and sometimes by local jurisdiction; some regulators mandate armed security for cultivation or high-cash retail sites, others leave the choice to the operator, and a few restrict or prohibit armed guards outright. Insurance requirements and local police relationships often shape the decision as much as the law does.
What is cash-in-transit service and why do cannabis companies use it?
Cash-in-transit firms securely move and often count cash between dispensaries, cultivation sites, and depository or armored-storage facilities. Cannabis businesses rely on them because limited access to federal banking keeps much of the industry cash-based, creating a robbery and internal-theft risk that specialized, bonded transport reduces. Blue Line Protection Group is the multi-state cash-transport specialist on this list and JK Logix covers Michigan; Silver Star, Patrol Guard, Liberty Defense Group, ALK and Dahlcore offer secure transport or escorts within their states.
What does a cannabis security plan need to include for licensing?
Most states require documentation of camera coverage and retention, alarm and access-control systems, safe or vault specifications, cash-handling and dual-custody procedures, visitor and delivery protocols, and employee security training. Some states also require a licensed security professional to prepare or sign off on the plan.
Do cannabis security guards need a separate license from the dispensary?
In most states, yes — security guards and the firms that employ them are typically licensed separately from the cannabis business itself, through a state's private security or guard-licensing board, in addition to any cannabis-specific vendor registration the regulator requires.

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