Phoenix Security & Technology designs, installs and services security systems for licensed cannabis businesses across Arizona: dispensaries, indoor grows, greenhouses, extraction and manufacturing rooms, and the delivery vehicles that connect them. We have installed camera and access control systems in Arizona grow facilities since the medical program began, and we build every system around the Arizona Department of Health Services security rules so your license inspection is not a surprise.
What Arizona requires from a cannabis security system
The ADHS rules for dispensaries (R9-17-318) and marijuana establishments (R9-18-312, amended November 2024) set the floor for every licensed site. The electronic monitoring section calls for:
- Cameras on every entrance and exit to the building and to each limited access area, able to identify activity in and around the building.
- A camera in each grow room that can identify activity in low light, and a camera at each point of sale that can identify the purchaser.
- Recording resolution of at least 704 x 480 or the equivalent. We install 4 MP and higher cameras, so faces and license plates are readable, not just present.
- At least 30 calendar days of stored video, a call-up monitor of 19 inches or larger, and the ability to produce a clear still photo from any camera immediately.
- Failure notification: an audible and visual alert when any part of the monitoring system stops working.
- Battery backup that keeps cameras and recorders running for at least five minutes in a power outage.
- Intrusion detection on the building, exterior lighting sufficient for surveillance, and panic buttons inside each building.
- Transport vehicles with GPS tracking, interior video while product is on board, 30 days of recordings and a locked compartment out of sight.
Access to cultivation, manufacturing and product storage areas is limited to principal officers, board members and registered facility agents; anyone else has to be supervised. Door access control is how most facilities prove that in practice.
How we design a cannabis facility system
Meeting the rule is the starting point. The facilities that pass inspections and also stop theft are the ones where the system matches how the building runs.
- Cameras. Wide views down grow rows, fixed coverage on vault, packaging and trim rooms, and overlapping coverage at the sales floor and intake door so no hand-off happens off camera. NDAA-compliant Hanwha Vision, Axis and Digital Watchdog cameras with humidity-rated housings for grow and wash areas, placed clear of grow lights so the image is not blown out.
- Recording. Recorders sized for the real retention target, with headroom for the cameras you add later. We set up alerts for recording failures and drive health, because a recorder that silently stopped two weeks ago is the most common inspection failure we see.
- Access control. Card and mobile credentials on every limited access door, badge logs you can hand an inspector, and schedules so a trimmer’s badge does not open the vault at midnight. See our access control systems.
- Alarm and monitoring. Commercial intrusion panels with cellular communication, glass break and motion coverage, panic buttons at the registers, and 24/7 alarm monitoring with video verification so police get a verified call, not a false alarm.
- Multi-site. One platform across grow, processing and retail locations, so compliance staff review every site from one screen and one service number covers all of them.
Already have a system?
Many Arizona facilities inherited a system from a builder or a previous operator. We take over service on cameras, recorders and access control another company installed, audit it against the current ADHS rules, and fix the gaps in phases. If the cameras are Hikvision or Dahua, see our Hikvision camera replacement page; existing cable is usually reused. For ongoing coverage, our CCTV maintenance plans include scheduled checks of retention, camera focus and failure alerts before an inspector finds them.
Cannabis security systems in Arizona: frequently asked questions
How long do we have to keep surveillance video?
At least 30 calendar days under the ADHS rules. Many operators keep 60 to 90 days so an incident reported late can still be reviewed. We size the recorder for the target you choose.
Do we need cameras in every grow room?
Yes. The rule requires a camera in each grow room that can identify activity in low light, in addition to coverage of every entrance and exit to limited access areas.
Can an inspector pull footage from our system?
The rules require a monitor on site and the ability to produce a still image from any camera immediately. We set the system up so your compliance lead can find a date and time, export a clip and print a still in a few minutes.
Do you work outside the Phoenix area?
Yes. We install and service cannabis facilities across the Phoenix metro and in Tucson and Flagstaff, and most multi-site operators have us cover every location. See our service areas.
Will a security system help with insurance?
Usually. Insurers for cannabis businesses commonly ask for the same elements the state does, plus monitored intrusion alarms and documented access control. We provide a system summary you can send to your broker.
Opening a new facility or facing an inspection? Get a free site visit and quote or call (602) 248-8477. Need service on an existing system? Request service.