The Problem: After years of debate and deliberation, on October 17, 2018, the Government of Canada legalized non-medical cannabis sales. This triggered a cascade of development in the retail cannabis sector, including expansion by The Forbes Group with two premium brands in British Columbia, Clarity Cannabis and Earth to Sky Cannabis. But the market created by the new law wasn’t just a free-for-all—it included plenty of regulations meant to ensure the safety of the customer and retailer, foremost of which was a list of store security requirements.

Every cannabis retail location in BC must have, at the very least, intruder and fire alarms monitored by a third party, as well as security cameras monitoring the sales area, product storage, and interior and exterior views of all exits—prudent steps to keep everyone safe. However, the sudden demand for this type of technology led to scarcity, making it extremely difficult for The Forbes Group to source and install the necessary equipment. Complicating the process was the fact that their two cannabis retail brands operate mainly in smaller towns and cities throughout suburban and rural regions of the province, where local technological expertise is often lacking.

If The Forbes Group were unable to locate, purchase, and install the requisite security systems, they would have no hope of passing mandated inspections, and would not be able to open and operate what promised to be a robust slate of thriving businesses distributing a product in high demand.

The Solution: The Forbes Group contacted our experts at Tekmoto to help them find a way to outfit their cannabis retail locations so that they could bring a desired product to underserved communities. We dug deep into our network of hardware suppliers to source high-quality equipment that would be easy to maintain from a centralized location. We also provided coordinated security plans and seamless installation to meet or exceed provincial regulations.

As a result of our partnership with these two emerging brands, the locations under Tekmoto guidance were able to pass inspections with no security-related issues. Today, The Forbes Group successfully operates 11 cannabis retail locations under the Clarity Cannabis and Earth to Sky Cannabis banners.

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