A new line of defense

In Oregon and Oklahoma robberies that resulted in deaths, friends are considering self-arming and pharmacy owners are discussing steps to increase security.

On April 30, a suspected armed robber was shot dead in Oklahoma by an employee of Higher Choice, a pharmacy in a mall with a gun store.

“It was one of our employees who was quick to act,” said Eric, co-owner of Highest Choice, who did not want his last name printed. “The situation presented itself and it was handled accordingly. If you show your weapon, you have the right to shoot them. “

Eric claims he is now carrying a gun as he anticipates more robberies.

“It’s not a chance if, but when, it will happen,” he said.

And the raids aren’t just happening in Oklahoma. There was also an alarming pattern that developed in Portland, Oregon, resulting in the death of budtender Michael Arthur at the Cured Green pharmacy. In 2020, Oregon pharmacy thefts more than doubled to a total of 99, according to the Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association.

Since pharmacies carry large amounts of cash, they are good targets for criminal activity. This is one of the reasons the SAFE Banking Act has received a lot of support at the federal level, but of course, even if passed, the law will not guarantee access to better banking overnight without cash.

While some pharmacy owners want to add security, not all are as pro-cheap.

Not all pharmacy owners believe in weapons for defense

“I’m really against guns,” said Jina Yoo, owner of Cured Green. Although she has a security system and a guard, she does not support the use of weapons. “I don’t have to talk about the gun, especially since my friend died of a gun,” she said. “Guns are the most hateful things.”

Bret Born, however, owner of Ascend Pharmacy in Oregon, takes no chances after his employees were held at gunpoint in a robbery in February. His stepson was one of those employees.

“They had my stepson at gunpoint and presented him with the style of execution,” he said.

While Born was fortunate to have no employee deaths or injuries, the gunmen stole $ 469 in cash and $ 14,000 worth of flowers. He now has an M&P 380 Shield EZ, a Smith & Weston semi-automatic pistol, and a Judge Public Defender revolver.

“I always have a gun with me,” said Born, who was not in the pharmacy at the time of the robbery. “If they had been here when I was here, it would have been like Oklahoma.”

John Monteleone III, owner of Fidus PDX in Portland, was robbed of $ 100,000 in cash and $ 150,000 worth of cannabis last year. He grew up hunting and fishing, so he knows his way around a weapon. He’s got permission to carry a gun from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, and his employees can carry openly too.

“I’m trying to activate security, but I do it inside,” he explained.

Lt. Portland Police Department Public Information Officer Greg Pashley said one of the security concerns was the lack of a police presence. While the city has about 600,000 residents, it currently only has about 814 civil servants.

“There are fewer sworn officers working for the police department than at any time in modern history, which has a huge impact on our ability to do the kind of service the community expects and would like to provide,” he said . “So it is probably correct to say that the police are not doing enough. We do what we can with the resources we have. “

At the end of the day, however, Born believes that the only way to really stop this problem is bigger than the SAFE Banking Act, more police, or more guns. The problem is that cannabis is not legal at the federal level.

“We have to take the perceived value of the glass on my shelf,” he said. “SAFE Banking would be huge, but on the other hand, the people in the desired state have to access it and eliminate the black market.”