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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: CANNABIS GROW OP
Project Spotlight: Cannabis Grow Op
by Grant Penwill and Marc Morin
Since before its recreational-use legalization The Health Canada specifications for cannabis
in Canada on 17 October 2018, the Cannabis facilities says that each site needs 100% video
industry has been a “growth” business for Chubb coverage of any licensed cannabis areas, which
Fire & Security. Cannabis has been legal for usually means the whole facility. They need to
medicinal use in Canada since 2001, with Chubb retain video for 365 days. For some facilities, this
providing security systems to some of these can require petabytes of video storage, which is
legal grow ops for about 10 years. Initially, there over 1000 terabytes. To put this in perspective,
was great concern about Chubb providing the an average commercial building watches all the
systems to secure facilities growing what was access points into the facility, a few sensitive
still an illegal substance, even though these were areas, like their shipping area or high-value cage
projects controlled by regulations from Health area, and stores video for approximately 30 days.
Canada. Initially, many locations were farms that A grow op can potentially have easily more than
converted from growing tomatoes and peppers in five times the number of cameras that a regular
greenhouses, to a new cash crop that could be commercial enterprise would have in the same
grown in the same space. space.
As the country got close to full legalization, They are required to have full access control (in
many new projects came into the pipeline as and out) for all doors for audit purposes. They
federally licensed suppliers developed new need to know exactly who went where and at
sites required to keep up with the expected what time. Most sites require video verification
nationwide demand. At Chubb Fire and Security for their intrusion alarm systems, including virtual
we are proud to say we help provide the security guard tours for facilities that are unmanned for
systems for over ten MILLION sq. ft. of legal grow portions of the day. Fence protection is also
operation and production facilities coast to coast required for a site when it is unmanned. A
in Canada. manned site has a 24 hour guard even though
The three largest legal cannabis producers in employees are only there during the day. These
the world, Canopy Growth, Aurora Cannabis, projects are demanding, high stress and short
and Tilray Inc., are all based in Canada, with turnaround projects due to Health Canada
Canopy having a market valuation of about $12 involvement and pressure to get the licensing
billion in 2018. Canopy expanded to this size approval. A facility must be 100% secure
from their original Tweed Marijuana roots by before Health Canada will review the operation
purchasing or amalgamating with Bedrocan, Vert and grant final licenses. Customers need the
Medical, MedCann, and Groupe H.E.M.P. These installation complete so that they can plant the
companies are publicly traded, making cannabis crop. Without it, there is no money coming in.
production very big business in Canada and the We have deployed multiple technologies to help
world. The cannabis industry has become like protect these high profile sites, including cameras
any other large business with publicly traded from Avigilon and Axis; Video Management
companies, industry trade shows, and industry Systems from Avigilon and Genetec; access &
trade magazines. Chubb F&S has done work intrusion systems from DMP and using our AFx
with Canopy, Tilray (High Park West) and others, product. We have used fence detection systems,
including P.S.I., Avana, Pureleaf, and HEXO. that sense if someone is climbing or cutting the
perimeter security fence, from Senstar Stellar and
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