Surveillance from Seed to Sale

In the highly regulated and intricate cannabis industry, seed-to-sale surveillance is crucial for monitoring and auditing transactions. This process ensures compliance with regulations imposed by state regulatory commissions, as well as any additional rules at the county or city level.

Video surveillance plays a vital role in various aspects of a grow facility, particularly in ensuring safety for operations, products, and employees. Employee safety is a significant concern, as slip and fall incidents have occurred in the past within such facilities. By having surveillance cameras in place, these incidents can be prevented or quickly addressed.

Internal theft is another issue that can be mitigated through video surveillance. Cameras act as a deterrent and allow for the identification of any employees involved in stealing products, such as those working in processing rooms who may pocket items for personal use.

Surveillance also enables the tracking of employee location, ensuring they are where they should be during designated rest and growth periods. By confirming this information through camera footage, interruptions to the growing process can be minimized. Chemical rooms, where fertilizers are mixed for different grow rooms, can also be monitored through video surveillance, ensuring proper procedures and preventing unauthorized access.

The use of video surveillance provides an invaluable time and date stamp for activities within the grow facility. This information is essential for owners, operators, and regulatory branches to maintain transparency and accountability.

When designing security plans, there are a few key elements that must be considered to ensure compliance within the cannabis business operation. Regarding camera capabilities, it is crucial for surveillance systems to function effectively in low-light or no-light environments. In grow facilities where plants are at rest or in darkness, cameras must still capture clear video of the plants, as well as the heads, hands, and feet of individuals present. Some camera manufacturers offer technology that allows for visibility of plants with minimal illumination, avoiding disruptions to the rest mode.

Additionally, surveillance plays a role in tracking diseased plants, as regulations require proper documentation and disposal. If a plant is diseased, it must be quarantined for a specified period, depending on state requirements. The relevant authorities need to be notified for examination before the plant can be destroyed.

In summary, video surveillance is vital in the seed-to-sale process of the highly regulated cannabis industry. It ensures compliance, prevents incidents such as employee theft and accidents, and provides crucial documentation for transparency and accountability.

About the Author

Blake Albertsen is Senior Regional Sales Manager – Pacific Northwest/Western Canada at Salient Systems.

Featured

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

  • Report: Cyber Attackers Continue to Turn to AI-Based Tools to Avoid Detection

    Comcast Business recently released its 2025 Cybersecurity Threat Report, a comprehensive analysis of 34.6 billion cybersecurity events detected between June 1,2024 and May 31, 2025. Now in its third year, the report offers business leaders a unique perspective into the evolving threat landscape and provides actionable insights to help organizations strengthen their defenses and align cybersecurity with business risk. Read Now

  • Axis Communications Creates AI-powered Video Surveillance Orchestra

    What if cameras could not only see the world, but interpret it—and respond like orchestra musicians reading sheet music: instantly, precisely, and in perfect harmony? That’s what global network technology leader Axis Communications set to find out. Read Now

  • Just as Expected

    GSX produced a wonderful tradeshow earlier this week. Monday was surprisingly strong in the morning, and the afternoon wasn’t bad at all. That’s Monday’s results and asking attendees to travel on Sunday. Just a quick hint, no one wants to give up their weekend to travel and set up an exhibit booth. I’m just saying. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • NOLA: The Crescent City

    Twenty years later we finds ourselves in New Orleans. Twenty years ago the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced exhibitors and attendees to look elsewhere for tradeshow floor space. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.