Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Legal cannabis sales have been increasing by 17% every year, and with them grows the need to safely transport ever-larger quantities of weed from growers to retail outlets. Due to the federal prohibition of cannabis, trucks and drivers that are regulated by the Department of Transportation are barred from transporting the drug, and all parties are prohibited from transporting cannabis across state lines. Throughout canna-legal states, new businesses are springing up to fill this niche.
“Pound for pound, it’s like transporting gold. And there are no serial numbers on it. Customers have to pay in cash, and it’s all difficult to insure,” said Noah Stokes, president of Portland-based CannaGuard Security. CannaGuard transports packaged cannabis flower and edibles from farms and processors to dispensaries. But because banks are legally barred from doing business with canna-businesses, the company must also transport large sums of cash.
Cannabis transportation companies are turning to armored cargo vans as their vehicles of choice. CannaGuard outfits their vans with tracking equipment, bulletproof glass, armor plating, safe deposit boxes, and a “security fog” that…
