Inventory Storage and Secure Access

Purpose of the Inventory Storage Room

Why This Room Matters

The inventory storage room is:

• The primary secure location for all cannabis inventory
• The starting and ending point for all product movement
• A focal point during inspections and audits

Inspectors use this room to evaluate:

• Diversion risk
• Accuracy of inventory tracking
• Alignment between physical inventory, POS, and METRC
• Whether daily operations are controlled and compliant

Location Requirements

Where the Room Must Be

The inventory storage room must be:

• Inside a restricted, staff-only area
• Behind controlled access
• Separate from customer-facing spaces

Where the Room Cannot Be

The inventory storage room may not be located in:

• Hallways or transitional spaces
• Shared building storage areas
• Offices or break rooms
• Customer-accessible rooms
• Any space that doubles as general storage

Physical Security Requirements

Door and Lock Standards

The room must have:

• A solid commercial-grade door
• A commercial deadbolt or electronic access control
• A self-closing mechanism
• No residential-style knob locks

Walls and Ceilings

The room must be fully enclosed with:

• Full-height walls
• No drop ceilings or exposed plenum access
• No shared or unsecured crawl spaces

Any overhead or adjacent access point that allows bypassing the door is treated as a security failure.

Camera Coverage Requirements

What Must Be Visible on Camera

Surveillance must capture:

• The entire room, wall-to-wall
• All entry and exit points
• All product handling and storage areas

Footage Standards

Cameras must:

• Meet NYCRR resolution standards
• Record continuously
• Retain footage for the required period
• Capture clear images with adequate lighting

Dark corners, obstructions, or partial coverage are inspection failures.

Interior Setup and Organization

Storage Standards

Cannabis inventory must be:

• Stored off the ground
• Placed on sturdy shelving
• Free from sagging racks or stacked boxes

Required Separation

Inventory must be clearly separated by category:

• Sellable inventory
• Intake and pending acceptance
• Quarantine or regulatory holds
• Returns
• Waste and destruction

Labeling Expectations

The room must include:

• Clear shelf labels
• Lot or batch identification
• Logical grouping by product type or status

Disorganized or unlabeled inventory is treated as poor control.

Access Control

Who May Enter

Only authorized employees may access the room, based on:

• Job duties
• Operational necessity

Vendors, drivers, and maintenance personnel:

• May not enter alone
• Must be logged and supervised

How Access Must Be Controlled

Acceptable access controls include:

• Keycards
• PIN codes
• Logged physical keys

Operators must maintain:

• Records of who entered
• Date and time of access
• No propped-open doors

Product Intake and Movement

Intake Expectations

Deliveries must be:

• Received directly into the storage room or a secure adjacent area
• Verified against shipping manifests before shelving

Movement Rules

All internal movement must be:

• Logged in the POS and seed-to-sale system
• Traceable from intake through sale or destruction

Waste must move directly from:

• Sales floor → storage → destruction area

Unlogged movement is a violation.

Common Issues That Cause Immediate Inspection Failures

Inspectors commonly cite:

• Cannabis stored in multiple unsecured rooms
• Doors without proper commercial locking hardware
• Drop ceilings that allow access
• No camera coverage inside the room
• Shared storage with non-cannabis items
• Unlabeled, mixed, or disorganized inventory

Any one of these can halt approval or trigger enforcement.

Why This Matters

The inventory storage room anchors:

• Security compliance
• Inventory accuracy
• Diversion prevention
• Inspection readiness

Failures here often lead to:

• Failed inspections
• Corrective action requirements
• Stop-sale orders
• Delays in opening or expansion

A compliant storage room protects your license and operations.

Go Here Next

• Security Systems and Monitoring Requirements
• Inventory Management and METRC
• SOPs and Operations
• Building Code, Fire Safety, Egress, and Occupancy
• Inspection and Audit Preparation

Source Material

• MRTA. Sections 78 and 79
• 9 NYCRR, Subtitle B, Cannabis Regulations
• OCM Guidance
• METRC New York Guidance and Bulletins
• Local Building and Fire Code Requirements (DOB / FDNY in NYC)