Inventory Storage and Secure Access
How should my inventory storage room be set up so it passes OCM and local inspections?
Your inventory storage room is the core control point for cannabis inside your dispensary. OCM, building departments, and local inspectors use this room to assess diversion risk, security compliance, recordkeeping accuracy, and operational readiness.
This page explains exactly what regulators expect before you open and during inspections.
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.
Related Pages
Source Material
