Medical Marijuana in Missouri is a Reality. Who’s In, Who’s Out – And What is Next?

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By David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers.

Medical Marijuana in Missouri. Who’s in and Who’s out? This was the big question discussed at the heavily-attended Missouri Cannabis Trade Association Commencement and Compliance forum in January held in Kansas City. One question was heard more often than not… Did you get your license? The majority of respondents answered no.

There were well over a hundred in attendance including the Director of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Lyndall Fraker. Mr. Fraker did a great job answering the multiple questions from successful licensees and unsuccessful applicants. The scoring of the applicants and their ranking was of great concern to those that did not make the cut.

Medical Marijuana in Missouri

Andrew Mullins, the Director of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association focused his questions on a specific scoring logic of the now infamous question #47. “What is your marketing plan, including to whom, method of delivery, and costs?” 67% of all respondents scored a 0 out of 10. There was a lot of concern voiced by those that may have missed the cut by a few points and received a zero on this question. Mr. Fraker agreed that it would be looked into.

Two days later Andrew Mullins and the MOCANN trade association sent a formal request to Mr. Fraker for an inquiry.

Medical Marijuana in Missouri

Prior to the discussion…

Just before this discussion, Kenton Brothers had the opportunity the opportunity to introduce our services to the organization and discuss at length the next steps for those lucky enough to receive their license. As licensees begin the process of moving into their physical space, the reality of the work load ahead of them is setting in.

From grow sites, to manufacturing, to dispensary locations all over Missouri… it’s a race to be first to open.

MOCANNTRADE LogoOne of the reality checks that many are going through is implementing their security plan as written in their application.

There is some sticker shock going on as applicants get updated quotes from their security consultants after the license award. We heard from one licensee this week relating that their security budget quote came in twice as high as their pre-application estimate, from the same firm.

This is where Kenton Brothers Systems for Security can help.

Kenton Brothers is a fourth generation  123 year old company that has sustained its relationships with its customers for generations. We treat people fairly and help support their needs in an ethical way. We call it the KB way.

Your price won’t change just because you received a license. Our mission is to Protect People, Property and Possessions and create lifelong relationships. So if you are looking for a partner to work with that is an expert in Commercial Video Surveillance, Access Control, Intrusion detection and compliance with MO DHSS state regulations… Kenton Brothers would be honored to help.

Please give us a call to start that conversation.

Create Safer Worksites with Automated Patrols

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Depending on the industry, some worksites are safer than others. If your worksite is considered high risk for injury, then you probably struggle with finding, much less implementing, tools that provide the level of ongoing visibility that allows for swift and effective action. And, even if you have tools and systems in place, it still can be a struggle to catch every risk, everywhere, every time.

Enter Cobalt Robotics

That is why high-risk injury worksite leaders are embracing Cobalt Robotics to gain full situational awareness of their employees and facilities. Unlike distant cameras and fallible humans, Cobalt’s autonomous robots help ensure compliance in safety equipment and protocols so issues can be handled as they arise. These robots are the tool modern organizations need to enhance their safety operations.

Of course, robots cannot interact and intervene on the human level. So, Cobalt pairs its onsite robots with a remote Specialist Command Center staffed by people who are trained in your operations, safety rules/regulations and mandated protocols. Together, you gain unmatched coverage of your employees and single or multiple facilities to ensure action and accountability in real time. In other words, Cobalt protects your employees and worksites, allowing you to focus on other important matters.

Cobalt Robots in Real-World Situations

The following are just a few safety scenarios in which Cobalt robots create safer worksites.

Spill in Aisle 1

Cobalt RoboticsAs you and your employees know, spills are dangerous and can be difficult to detect on certain surfaces, especially if a liquid is clear. Cobalt’s robots autonomously roam your facility and can detect spills and alert for a cleanup.

And, should an employee slip and fall, the robot informs a specialist from Cobalt’s Command Center. The specialist assesses the employee’s injury and notifies the appropriate person for a report or 911.

Missing Safety Gear

The more safety gear required, the better the chance that a key piece can be missed, putting the employee and company compliance at risk. Cobalt’s robots stream stable, mobile video feeds for visibility of employees.

While a co-worker may not notice or call out missing safety gear or a supervisor is busy with other work, the robot can spot and remind an employee of what’s missing.

Clear a Path

In many work sites, there are designated paths for forklifts, machinery and foot traffic. Imagine a stack of palettes obstructing a forklift path. Or a service worker leaving a ladder where they shouldn’t. For the workers and site managers, going about their day-to-day duties, they might not notice these safety risks. But our robotic patrols are the best for detecting any anomaly and pairing it with human judgement to determine steps for resolution.

The Door is Ajar

Open DoorEntryways and doors to restricted areas can be purposely or accidentally left wide open, causing a number of risks.

A Cobalt robot can alert a Specialist and remain by the door until the issue is resolved to warn employees or restrict them from entering the area.

As an autonomous vehicle, the Cobalt robot patrols worksites along its designated route. If an employee asks for help or if it detects an anomaly, our Specialists can step in, pilot the robot, and interact with people through our video-enabled touchscreen.

Want to know more?

Robots such as Cobalt are already operating in a variety of industries to keep their worksites safer. Discover how Cobalt can reduce risk for your facilities and employees.

It’s easy to get started.

KCTV5 News Spot

Check out this news spot on the KCTV5 YouTube channel!

And here is the Kenton Brothers video about Cobalt Robotics

Robots, Thermal Radar and Drone Detection: Commercial security is alive and strong in Kansas City.

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By David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers.

Kenton Brothers systems for security launched the Cobalt Robot as a service on November 7, 2019. This platform takes advantage of over 60 sensors and artificial intelligence to provide real time data to operators and systems. This data is used to create a safer, more secure facility.

Since then, Kenton Brothers has added several new offerings that take advantage of the same concepts. Artificial intelligence and advanced sensors were once thought of as the future of security. Below are a few examples of how these systems are already available to you in the Kansas City area.

Cobalt Robotics

Cobalt Robotics

This Robot as a Service (RaaS) platform delivers over 60 superhuman sensors coupled with the decision-making logic of a human. Cobalt patrols the workspace, observing and reporting safety and security issues to a human operator. It uses artificial intelligence along side the superhuman sensors to detect things like, spills, leaks, toxic gases temperature anomalies and intruders. It can also detect and report open and propped doors and suspicious activity.

Thermal Radar

Thermal Radar

Thermal Radar utilizes a best in class, rotating FLIR Tau2 thermal sensor and applies edge-based analytic detection algorithms to detect, classify and geo-spatially locate any incursion that may threaten your perimeter. And Thermal Radar detection alerts generate not only a GPS coordinate of the intruder’s specific location, but also a thermal image of the intrusion.

By providing accurate GPS coordinates upon detection, Thermal Radar provides many of the same net results of a traditional radar, while remaining a completely passive and undetectable intrusion system. Thermal Radar can be a standalone detection outpost on an expansive border project or the centerpiece of an integrated physical security strategy at your most critical facilities.

BriefCam Analytics

BriefCam Analytics

TRANSFORMING VIDEO INTO ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE

The BriefCam® complete Video Content Analytics platform drives exponential value from commercial video surveillance system investments by making video searchable, actionable and quantifiable. BriefCam’s unique fusion of computer vision and technologies, together with its patented VIDEO SYNOPSIS® solution, enables video investigators to review hours of commercial video surveillance in just minutes and rapidly pinpoint people and objects of interest. This is a real game changer for any organizations that need to review large amounts of video.

Vigilant Drone Detection

Drone Detection – Vigilant

The DDU-1 (Drone Detection Unit) is a reliable tool designed to detect drones flying in nearby airspace.

The DDU-1 can detect the transmission signals emitted by commercially available drones from a distance of approximately 2 Km. When the DDU-1 detects drones in nearby airspace, the units LED display activates with red lights. The number of LED’s illuminated indicates the signal strength, which equates to the distance of the detected drone.

A pulsing audible warning is also activated, which can be monitored via the 3.5 mm audio jack port. The faster the pulse, the stronger the detected signal, the closer the drone is to the DDU-1 unit. At close range, this means all eight LED’s will be activated, and the audio tone will be constant.

Vigilant Drone Defense

Drone Defense – Vigilant

In certain applications such as Prison or Military bases, drone defense is necessary.

Vigilant Drone Defense products are the perfect solution for any government agency, critical infrastructure organization, or any other entity that has a need for a robust, reliable counter UAV system. These products are state of the art, and provide strong, impenetrable protection against all invasive, and dangerous drone activity. These products have been tested and approved for consideration by the U.S. Army, as well as several other federal, state and municipal government agencies.

Each of these solutions from Kenton Brothers offers specific capabilities to solve ongoing commercial security issues. We can help guide you through the process to evaluate, implement and manage these solutions. Give us a call today.

Kansas City Cannabis Industry Showcase

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By David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers.

Kansas City Cannabis Industry ShowcaseMissouri’s Medical Marijuana industry is getting kicked off in a grassroots way. In November, Kenton Brothers Systems for Security hosted a booth at the Inaugural Kansas City Cannabis Industry Showcase. Our goal was to help educate and guide potential licensees through the security compliance maze and help them understand how to effectively implement their security plan to stay compliant with state regulations.

As it was the areas first showcase, it was lightly attended on both days. But the people who attended the showcase were definitely legitimate business owners with real questions and concerns around security compliance.

Common Questions

Questions ranged from “How often do you think the State will be making inspections?” to “My building just got pulled from under my due to rezoning, how quickly can you get me a new security plan?”

The answer to the first question is “No matter how often the state makes inspections, you must be ready every time” and to the new property owner, “We can be out there tomorrow!”.

By far the biggest question everyone had on their mind was, “When will the state announce the licensees?” Ironically, two days later the State of Missouri published this statement:

State of Missouri on Licensees

The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation will begin issuing medical marijuana facility licenses before the end of the year. In order to give all potential applicants sufficient notice of when to expect notification of application determinations, DHSS is announcing tentative dates of license issuance for all facility types.

Medical marijuana facility license issuance is expected to occur on the following schedule:

  • Testing facilities: approximately December 19, 2019
  • Transportation facilities: approximately December 23, 2019
  • Cultivation facilities: approximately December 26, 2019
  • Infused Products Manufacturing facilities: approximately January 10, 2020
  • Dispensary facilities: approximately January 24, 2020
  • Seed to Sale: January 31, 2020

A few items that still need to be worked out by the state is how will the caregivers or individuals secure their growing areas to be in compliance. Currently, the regulation does not distinguish between a larger growing facility or one with say 6-12 plants.

Home Security Camera Drawing Winner

Shawn Pietrofere of Back to Earth Farm in SE Missouri was our lucky winnerA special congratulations to the winner of our home security camera drawing at the showcase. Shawn Pietrofere of Back to Earth Farm in SE Missouri was our lucky winner. Shawn and his family look at the Medical marijuana business as a way to sustain their family business for multiple generations. The back to Earth team was very impressive and have a very detailed business plan for success. We’re excited for the opportunity to partner with them to be sure that their investment is secure and that they stay complaint with the state.

During the show we met some really wonderful people that are investing quite a bit of time, energy and money into the industry. Our job is to help them protect their investment. We take that job very seriously.