Robots Taking a Bullet to Protect Your Weed

The marijuana industry has embraced automation in nearly every aspect of production, safety and security. Traditional, human-staffed outdoor crop security is “fraught with human error,” says Todd Kleperis, Chief Executive Officer of Hardcar Security, marijuana industry security provider. “At night guards sleep, they play video games and spend time on social media.”

When violent breaches happen, “these robots can take a gunshot better than a human. If you’ve ever been shot, it’s very scary,” says Kleperis. While the current robots are not equipped to shoot back, pepper spray is one add-on which is being considered. Ultimately, the purpose of the robot is to notify the human security team that something is amiss. Marijuana companies intent on protecting their investments have received government approvals for robot testing in the form of ground patrol as well as drones.

The cultivation process is also making use of automation to maximize efficiency. Smokey Point Productions in Washington state automates seeding and nutrition maintenance. “This saves me from having a person mix the nutrients and do it manually,” says company president Brian Lade. The automation continues with a trimming machine that processes the harvest. The product is placed by hand into a package while machines seal, code, count and box.

Lade calls the automation of these processes “a game changer.” With production skyrocketing and the company looking to scale, he will need to complete almost a million packages per month and some tasks must be automated to reach his goal level of becoming the largest producer in the state.

In an industry that is non-traditional, it is embracing technology faster than many others. As it grows from smaller to large-scale operations, the marijuana industry will find it necessary to adopt automation for cost effective growth.