Rhode Island Gen. Laws § 21-28.6-16(b)(4): Security Camera System Requirements for Cannabis Farms and Dispensaries

4. Video Surveillance Requirements. Each licensed cultivator must have a fully operational video surveillance and camera recording system with appropriate protocols, which shall, at a minimum, comply with the below requirements:

a. Video surveillance equipment shall, at a minimum, consist of digital or network video recorders, video monitors, and digital archiving devices capable of playback quality sufficient to identify and monitor all individuals (including sufficient clarity of facial features) and activities in the monitored areas.

b. The recording system must record in digital format.

c. The date and time must be embedded on the recording without significantly obscuring the picture. Time is to be measured in Eastern Standard Time.

d. All video surveillance systems must be equipped with a failure notification system that provides prompt notification of any surveillance interruption and/or the complete failure of the surveillance system. Said notification must be routed to licensed cultivator personnel specifically designated by management and to DBR.

e. All video surveillance equipment shall have sufficient battery backup to support a minimum of four (4) hours of recording in the event of a power outage.

f. Video recordings must be archived in a format and maintained in a manner that ensures authentication of the recording as legitimately-captured video and guarantees that no alteration of the recorded image has taken place.

g. Remote access to a continuous live feed video on a real time basis must be available at all times to licensed cultivator personnel specifically designated by management and to DBR. Additionally, all video surveillance records and recordings must be made available upon request to DBR.

h. The system must include a color printer or similar equipment capable of printing still photos of a quality sufficient to identify individuals and activities in the monitored areas.

i. Camera coverage is required for all areas where marijuana and marijuana products are grown, cultivated, stored, weighed, packaged, processed, or manufactured, including all areas of ingress and egress thereto, security rooms (as defined below), all points of ingress and egress to the exterior of the licensed cultivator, and any computer or other digital access points.

j. Camera views of required coverage areas shall be continuously recorded twenty (24) hours a day, (7) seven days per week.

k. All surveillance recordings must be kept for a minimum of sixty (60) calendar days.

l. Surveillance recording equipment and all video surveillance records and recordings must be housed in a designated, locked and secured room or other enclosure with access limited to licensed cultivator personnel specifically authorized by management (the “security room”). The licensed cultivator must keep on site a current list of all authorized employees and service personnel who have access to the security room and a video surveillance equipment maintenance activity log.

m. If the licensed cultivator suffers a failure of the surveillance system, due to loss of electrical support, mechanical function, or otherwise, that is expected to exceed an eight (8) hour period, in addition to the notice requirements provided in Sections 4(F)(4)(d) and Section 4(F)(7), the licensed cultivator must also close the licensed cultivator premises until the video surveillance system has been restored to full operation, or, if approved by DBR, provide alternative premises monitoring.

How to Comply with Rhode Island's Recording Regulations:

It has to be digital. Check. Almost every system you buy these days - even analog cameras (which aren't digital) get recorded by a DVR (digital video recorder) in a digital format.

It also has to have a monitor and a DVR or NVR. Also, pretty much standard operating procedure for security cameras.

It also has to have a timestamp on the video footage - again, almost all security cameras have this, just don't use a webcam.

It needs a live feed for monitoring. All our recorders have this, but need an internet connection to send the video feed out.

You need to record 24/7 rather than on motion.

You are required to have a printer on site. This means having a PC or Mac onsite is necessary since you cannot connect a printer to your NVR.

It must be "capable of playback quality sufficient to identify and monitor all individuals (including sufficient clarity of facial features) and activities in the monitored areas." Monitored areas are defined as "all areas where marijuana and marijuana products are grown, cultivated, stored, weighed, packaged, processed, or manufactured, including all areas of ingress and egress thereto, security rooms (as defined below), all points of ingress and egress to the exterior of the licensed cultivator, and any computer or other digital access points."

This is where this gets a little complicated. For a space that is 25 feet in length, you aren't going to be able to do that with the camera system that shoots below 720P. You can only do that with HD.

If you go with 1080P, you will need a camera every 50 feet and they will have a 75, 98, or 106 degree field of view (depending on the camera).

It is probably best to send us a floorplan and identify for us which rooms meet the state's definition of a "monitored area."

Most people opt for at least a 1080P camera. With someone 20 feet away, with 1080P resolution, your footage would look like this:

How to Comply with the Rhode Island Storage Regulations:

You are required to store 60 days of footage, which puts you around the middle of the pack in terms of regulatory requirements on storage. Storage is by far the hardest part of your regulatory requirements. We cover storage requirements pretty in depth on the main Cannabis regulations page.