The OG of Cannabis Security, Tony Gallo

 the managing partner at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group. Since 2013. They have designed cannabis security programs and systems across the USA for over nine years, making them one of the most experienced nationwide cannabis consulting firms in this industry.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's now time for Cannabis Talk one oh one with Blue,
Joe Grande and Mark and Craig Wasserman the Pot Brothers
at Law. We're the world's number one podcast for everything cannabis.
Hello and welcome to Cannabis Talk one on one, the
world's number one source for everything cannabis. Monday is Blue.
Alongside him is Joe Grande. Thank you, Mr Christopher writes
and thank you guys all for listening to the podcast

(00:24):
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Cannabis Talk one on one. Well, Blue was that one

(00:45):
Christopher right? Hello, and I am at Joe grand Day
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(01:06):
guests on the show today, You guys, this guy Tony Gallow. Now, Tony,
I wrote you up something big because you deserve it. Dog,
I don't realize that. Well. I just want to first
off say, don't mistake in my quietness towards you at
the beginning of this whole sit down, because I'm so
impressed with you. But I didn't want to say that

(01:27):
before I talked to you. That's why I wasn't talking
to you so much beforehand. So you know, and I
kind of looked at you like, I just can't wait
to sit down and say this because you are the
managing partner at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group. Now since two
thousand thirteen, he's been getting down with this. What they
do is they've designed cannabis security programs and systems across
the USA for over nine years, making them one of

(01:49):
the most experienced nationwide cannabis consulting firms in the industry. Now.
During that time, they have worked with over six hundred
cannabis business owners in thirty five states and Canada and
included a Yeah, that's right and consulted in all three
phases of starting and operating a business in the cannabis industry,

(02:09):
from licensing applications folks, security build outs, and day to
day security operating procedures. Tony is a senior, not a minor.
A senior not because he's that old, No, because he's
a boss in loss prevention, audit, safety and risk, emergency management,
executive possession, both strategic and tactical experience in the multi

(02:35):
unit retail and finance loan service industries. Now he has
a proven track record for consistently delivering results throughout the
growth of organizations, infrastructure and programs, including the increased complexity
of corporate business segments, hand on experience with the management
of stores, distribution, administrative center and especially especially you guys, protection,

(03:01):
personal and issues. It's unbelievable the twenty years that you've
been doing this, Tony, that you started your career in
loss prevention as the store detective in a retail store Folks,
twenty plus years ago. There are people who say they
work in loss and asset protection field. But this guy,
Tony right here, this has been his passion for over
the years. He's moved up in the industries and other

(03:23):
industries and companies such as Easy Corp, Easy Pawn, uh
von Pon, Easy Money, Sears. If you never bought a
pants from Sears, well, I'm sorry you missed out the
federactly you bought something from Sears federated department stores, and
also in auto parts industry. He's a vet. Bottom line,
Tony has an excellent track record for producing results in

(03:47):
the infrastructure organization and programs that were developed as the
spawn grew substantially and business segments became more complex. Tony
has proven his ability to reduce folks losses and not
only the loss and asset prevention field, but also an audit, safety,
risk management, disaster planning and insurance for specialty stores, major

(04:12):
department stores, and in the financial loan service industry. The
most rewarding character in Tony's loss prevention career so far
was being able to develop a proven and successful loss
control program for his clients, which is great. That's what
he's passionate about, something that he built for everybody else
to utilize. I love that about you, dude. Back in

(04:35):
the day when he wasn't slapping the hockey stick around
and attended New Jersey City University, where he got his
Bachelors of Science and Criminal Justice. Welcome to the show, Tony, Yeah, welcome.
But I feel like I need to give you some
money for that. Thank you, probably do. I mean, I'll
take it. Don't get equisted, player, I do take tips.
I'll be here till nine to write that up to

(04:56):
Cannabis Talk CT one, Oh Winting could be preferred. So Tony, dude,
I I love that everything I researched on you right
there and shared with the word world of who you are.
I mean, I feel like you came out of your
mother going where's this, Where's that? Where? Where's your pants?
Put them back on? We need to make sure these
are on and off right when they're supposed to be.

(05:18):
I mean, just yeah, You've just been the fucking guy.
Thank you, Thank you very I'm very honored to be
here that I I appreciate it very much, and thank you
for everything that you just had to say about me.
I didn't didn't realize how much involvement I've been over
the years when it comes to that, and very excited
to be in the cannabis industry. Been doing this for
nine years and definitely one of my favorite industries I've

(05:39):
ever worked in. Why the cannabis industry? Like, why did
you decide to use your education and of your past
on the cannabis insury in it? You know, it's a
very interesting story. Uh. I started off working in the
high risk business. So my clients were jewelry stores, pawn shop,
liquor stores, convenience store. And I got a phone call

(06:02):
about nine years ago from a startup company called them
j Biz and that they said, Hey, we're doing a
show in Boston on cannabis and we need someone to
talk about how to protect the cash at the location.
And I'm like, well, let me get back to you.
And I'm like, I have no idea what to do
in cannabis industry. But then I looked it up. High

(06:24):
amount of cash, very desirable piece of merchandise, very similar
to jewelry, very similar to firearm, tobacco, alcohol, you know,
everything else with everything else that I've worked with. And
I went to the very first spoke there was a people,
uh and fifteen vendors and flashfloward. You know, the last
event that they had was over thirty five attendees, seven

(06:46):
hundred vendors and the very first are you speaking at
the MJ business on occasions I have I haven't spoken
in a couple of years with the pandemic, well, but
I speak about fifteen times a year nationwide events. So um,
but and then that was it started there and and
went from there and now we're the only national company

(07:06):
and the security industry that does this. Now when when
you know, that's a great place to be the only
one that does so when when it comes to it,
I mean, so you know you're writing that section of
the application essentially right, correct, So what does that look
like for somebody? I mean, you know, obviously you know
it could be very costly trying to get your guys
licensing making sure that you have this and and um,

(07:28):
you know, how does that actually work for you? I mean, like,
what are you doing so different than applying for a
license for a jewelry store or for U a bicycle store.
The state or cities require you to submit an application.
Most of the states and cities are what's called the
merit base, which means they're only going to give out

(07:50):
certain amount of licenses in that city or in that
state and then that's it. And the way they do
it is they grade it. So whoever has the highest grade,
gets the life sense. It's just that easy. Um or
if the city decides I'm only going to give out
four licenses, which is what you see in California all
the time. You know a number of licenses, will write

(08:11):
that security sections. So every state, every city is different,
but we'll write what it will take. And what we're
trying to communicate is that we're trying to tell the
city or the state that the client understands the value
of security and that they're going to prevent any losses.
If you think about it, we call it the Big

(08:31):
four tobacco, alcohol, firearms, and then the pharmaceutical cannabis the
Big four. And the reason we call it the Big
four is because any of those products tobacco, alcohol, firearms,
or pharmaceutical cannabists that gets out to society is bad
for society itself. Unlike if you opened up a jewelry

(08:54):
store or bicycle store and someone stole all your bicycles,
Well you're just gonna have more bicycles out on the street.
But you don't want guns, firearms, to back on anything
like that. So that's where that focus is when it
comes to the security part of that application and they use.
I mean why so you know, it's funny you say
that because you think of that, and when you think
about someone robbing like a gun store, you know, you're you're, yeah,

(09:17):
it's freaking dangerous right now. You got to running around
that same with drugs too, though, you know, because if
you're running around drugs and obviously you're gonna sell them,
and and for some reason that you know, I feel
like cannabis. When you say drugs, you mean drug store
like pharmaceuticals, pharmacy farmers, pharmaceuticals. I don't want to be
clear because my head went first went to my head
first went to a dispensary, and I went, he's not
dispensary drugs. And I wanted at my point is I'm

(09:38):
sure someone else listening to thinking in the same No.
But the key point where I'm going is is that
if you haven't really hurt well internally, you've heard of
people robbing um the uh everything and anything for topio
it's all cottons, right. Pharmacies get hit all the time,
but they're not getting hit like like like cannabis is

(10:00):
getting hit like a robbery right now, you know what
I mean, Because it's not as secured. Yet well they
were for a while. I think a lot of I
remember seeing some news where a lot of pharmacies in
certain parts of the country, we're getting hit and then
they like started backing off of having so much of
the oxy there, this and that because of that epidemic.
I mean, I just remember seeing waves of it. Not
right now the wave isn't there, but I definitely to cannabis,

(10:24):
to cannabis, and I think there's if we was mistaken
on that because you're the professional. Well, I think if
you do look at the high risk industries, uh, cannabists,
although it does have its problem, falls in pretty much
at the lower end of the robberies that occurred. You
really we just hear you don't convenience stores. Think about

(10:48):
convenience stores and what you have in a convenist store.
It just tole the gatorade today, great gator just you know,
But if you think about a community store has tobacco,
they have cigarettes, they have lottery tickets, they have alcohol
and most of them so they have a lot of
the things that you know are desirable. So there are

(11:09):
a high amount of that. And then you you will
see jewelry stores and pawn shops and you know, not
firearms as much obviously, but but like, yeah, you gotta
be ready, you gotta be ready to play if you. Um.
You know the interesting thing that you're saying about the
security concerns, it really does change throughout the United States.

(11:33):
We're in thirty five states, from California, which is our
biggest client, to New Jersey, which is our second biggest client,
and everything in between. And the level of problems that
you see, um um are reduced as you crossed into
cross the Mississippi causes the dividing line simply because the

(11:53):
cannabis industry which grew in Colorado and Washington, Oregon and California,
uh you years ago, is the states going east have
learned those problems, you know, such as what the right
type of safety use or what's the right type of
security procedures to require the people to do. And you

(12:14):
see that the problems really reduce itself as you go
more east. And can we ask you what are the
big clients that can California right, New Jersey? What are
those big clients that you're working with in California. Yeah,
we worked with the Cookies Organization. We do heard of
them sorry, big name. Watch out everybody whoa I didn't

(12:36):
know Tony is just dropping them like gets hot over here. Hey, hey, Joe,
I don't know if you heard of cookies, big guy.
So we do. In fact, we just left today. We
were cookies and we'll be there tomorrow. That's Burner waiting
for you in the car outside. He's like, Burner's parking
my car for me. Joe. By the way, well he's
one of the High Times top Yeah, he's right next

(12:56):
to me in the bat in the book because I'm
one of them too, So they are you on the list. Congratulations,
I didn't see that. My bad. I would have thrown
that in this freaking intro. I apologize for over finding
not finding that for you. We're the only security company
be recognized at the top one hundred and High Times magazine.

(13:19):
You know what I had to buy the bat. I
had to buy the magazine. That's what I Hey, Tony,
we're gonna break real quick. We're gonna keep talking because
I've got so many questions about what you do in
your company. It's cannabis talk, one on one. We'll be
right back after this. Stay with us. We'll be right
back with Cannabis Talk one oh one. Welcome back to

(13:48):
Cannabis Talk one oh one. Welcome back to Cannabis Talk
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(14:11):
really are something special. Speaking of something special, this guy
right here, I tell you, Tony, the things that you
do at your company and what you've been doing for
so long, it's been so impressive. I like that you're
working with the big wig companies like a cookies like that.
I'm just curious, what's the big one in New Jersey. Well,
right now we're working with Terrorist and which is a

(14:31):
pretty good sized company up there in New Jersey. But
there are we have over a hundred clients in New
Jersey and most of them are startups. Most of them
are smaller chains, not cannabis or just in general all
kindas cannabis, all kinds. We have over a hundred clients
in this next round This is our fourth round of
applications in New Jersey. So we've opened up facilities in

(14:53):
the past there and in this last round, which is
the one that the state really just opened it all up,
we're working with over a hundred we're working with fifteen
in New York and they still haven't even come out
with the application process. So, as you're the managing partner
over there at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group, how many people
are we looking at Tony that you guys have there?
As you've got a hundred clients applications coming in, what's

(15:13):
this organization looking like? So we have on staff we
have uh six full timers, but we have then over
thirty contract writers. So we have a writing group they
STEM and they're international. We have one in Spain, we
have several in California that we were nationwide when it
comes to that, and then we have floor planned designers,

(15:36):
someone who actually takes the floor plan and then they
put the video of the alarms, the access control, all
of the security onto that floorplan much like an architect
would do. We get the architectural drawings. So we have
almost a thirty thirty people that we tap when it
comes to various projects and there's mostly now all just
candidates like bluegistis or just dispensaries, grows, manufact extu and

(16:00):
everything else like that, every aspect of the cannabis industry,
you guys can make sure secure. Yeah. Correct, So we're
doing labs in Missouri right now, we're doing manufacturing and
uh and in Massachusetts we just finished doing one trade
routes was our last big project. Is a gorgeous location
and where m asks and it's a cultivation that now

(16:22):
we have added a dispensary and then we added uh
they're called hal rooms. Uh uh they're doing uh manufacturing
in there. So you're only doing just a security plan,
so you don't do the rest of the planning now.
But what we do because we've built out. So we've
built out the security for seventy two cannabis facilities nationwide
in addition to helping over six D clients with their application.

(16:46):
And because of that, a lot of the architects will
come to us initially and say, hey, we're we're tests
to design a dispensary, we're tests to design a growth facility.
Can you help us and make it flow better or
can you give us some input and we've been able
to do a lot with that, and it saves a
client a lot of money simply because we'll understand the

(17:06):
better flow of a facility, which will help them with
their construction build up. So just major consultants on a
on a process that can cause a lot more money
if you just do it on your own. Good luck. Yeah,
I mean, if you look at I mean and and
we can we can talk about any part of the construction.
But if you look at say, you know the access
control where you take your your your card and you

(17:29):
access the door online, the sentry key, entry um and
this could be equated to anything, and it doesn't have
to be security. But each one of those doors to
install is about So if I can cut ten doors
out of the design, I could save yous right there.
Same thing with how they design the flow of their manufacturing,

(17:50):
or how they take their dispensary and how when you
walk in, how many uh point of sales systems you
have can greatly change the amount of money. And a
lot of my clients they don't you know, it's their money.
You know. That's the important thing about this industry that
uh that really gets my heart is a lot of
the people that are in this industry, it's their money.

(18:14):
They're not from a major corporation. I worked for Seers,
I worked for Macy's. I worked for large companies, And
my takeaway as a director of security was, I really
want them to see but it's not my money. At
the end of the day, I go home, you know,
and I get a check and I get another paycheck.
So if we can help them save money somewhere, even

(18:35):
if it's not in our realm. And you know, um,
the lab I talked to Missouri. They asked me the
other day, you do I know what kind of paint
to put on the floor in the cannabist industry. Sherman
Williams makes a paint for the economist industry, you know,
like you know, So that's same time from that headache
trying to do it. Yeah, information that sold and not
told is what you got there, you know. And it's

(18:55):
it's interesting because a lot of these companies, I think,
you know, I think a lot of people going to
applications thinking that they could either write them themselves or
just get any geek off the street. And I know
that not to be true because I've been tested with
the applications myself, and you know, I've had a merit
based test in Hawaii and and although we placed I
think very close to being right in the mix, we

(19:16):
didn't actually win. Now, I think Hawaii was a different
place because I feel like it was a good old
boy network and and um and and through that process,
I feel like they you know, I was in some
state that I had no business being in. You know,
you felt like, oh, yeah for sure, Oh you felt
like these Hawaii guys are like, get out of here,

(19:37):
Christopher right. And then I had the mayor, I had
the mayor. Senator sorry, Senator j Kalani English with me.
I remember coming in later as that deal was kind
of happening, like learning parts about it. But and Woody
Harrelson was out there was that whole that whole thing.
Were you a part of any of that? So while
it was happening, you know, it was just you know,
and who the families that ended up winning are just

(19:58):
like old school money that we're there that have been
there forever. And what they win the license to have
a store. Yeah. So like for Stanton right now is
has an application that they just opened up. I'm sure
you're aware of and so you know it's like just
on the next blockover you can get a licensed facility
and and um, you know there's enhances, right, you know,
kind of like we're in the green zone right here, right,

(20:18):
you know, we're super close to it. But um, they'll
have an application process and then either I'm not sure
if it was merit based on this one. Do you
know what the application was? Um, I don't. Leo's the genius,
he'll find out. Leo's aren't my lead application writer. He
came to visit me with us today and he heads
that up. But I don't know, tell you it is

(20:45):
like a merit based I think they call it something
else though. But but but here's the thing about Merriort base.
Remember it doesn't have to be merrit based. But if
the city says I'm only going to give you four licenses,
it is Merriort based. So there's a lot of misconser
option when people go, I'm applying, but the state's gonna
give me my license. Yeah, but if the city doesn't,

(21:06):
you don't get a license, correct. Yeah. So, and that's
the thing is that it starts with the city, and
the cities know who they're giving them too. Already, right,
I mean, who are we kidding the city? Is it
fair enough to say that, Tony? I mean the propaganda
of oh, look what we want to do, what we're
trying to do. I agree with that, But isn't it
fair to say every city? I almost feel like I'm
pulling my blind diet for everybody listening. Going it's almost

(21:28):
like if the city knows, the city knows what they're
gonna give them do so almost too much power, right,
you know? And you you know, um, one of the
things that we do is we do city council and
law enforcement chief of police meetings. We do about two
a week actually, where we actually sit down and we
talked to the city or to the chief of police

(21:49):
or someone that's economist commission board if there is one,
and talk to them about the security that we do.
And and it works. I mean, I cannot tell you
how many times I've won life says in California, especially
because of that involvement. And I have three months prior
to submitting that application where someone that I met with says, hey,

(22:10):
you know, and I'll use in the New Jersey expression,
they're good guys, and and and we wound up getting
approved for that. Sure. I think that plays a heavy
hand in my opinion as well. And it's always not
necessarily what you know, but who you know in life, right, Like,
I think that's just been like always in my opinion,
the life long like, no matter what anybody wants to act, like,

(22:30):
I hear you. You want to be fair, go to
your local county fairgrounds. That's the only fair in real life.
But I think what's really happens in real life is
what you're describing. That's a good fucking dude right there.
That's Christopher right, Oh, that guy Blew. I know that
guy's a good dude, but he ain't gonna get one
in Hawaii. But I like that character, this guy like

(22:50):
over here, Like I can see that happening all the time, right.
I think what happens in city and in most people
don't realize is that you know, it's it is a
good point network, right every city, every state, a lot
of these real estate agents because it starts with the
real estate, right So it's like you have to lock
in that before that zone comes into play. And I
did this, you know, pre licenses in Los Angeles. I

(23:14):
was making a fortune off of going into Los Angeles
uh in certain areas and and locking in real estate
that were ready to go green zone, and I knew,
I kind of knew where they were gonna be at,
so I would go in there and I locked that
property out and then negotiate with that new person that
I wanted to get the license and they'd come in
and buy me out of the lease or the and

(23:36):
I did it here in Stanton too. I was locking
up a bunch of these properties and contracts to sell.
But you know, it's a slippery slope because you know,
if you get if COVID wouldn't hit, I probably would
have lost a bunch of money because I was putting
in contracts. I remember seeing those locations were I remember
had the map all laid out, and I was locking
up properties here in Stanton and I was I was

(23:57):
putting them in escrow and then I tie them up
in the scroll. And then when when when COVID hit,
I was like, Okay, you know, do I want to
really buy these buildings or you know, or assign them
to somebody? You know, and so just assigning them off
to people, will you make money? Because it's like, you know,
you want to buy this real estate oh, I have
it in contract. And I was doing that process for

(24:19):
a lot of years and I kind of got to
the point where I'm like, Okay, I'm done. You know,
I don't want to I don't want to chase that
that division no more. It's hard full time. It was fun,
it was fun. I did it for a lot of years,
but I got out of that business. And to Tony
as as Blue says that it makes me think, what
is a good fair estimate someone listening to tell them,
what's a timeline from pre application, like walk the listener

(24:42):
through opening up something like Blue just said, like a
building that he was gonna buy, right like that's even
pre application of getting that, So that part is even
something that's got to be counted on to the real
timeline of something like let's walk that through that even
all three of us to just give the listener or
something like fuck, it takes that long. So if you

(25:02):
think about it, you know what we tell our clients
that they need to start their process and start putting
their team together and start looking at what they're gonna
do ten months prior to when the application is to
be submitted. So if you had months of working before
the app exactly. So you know the application for New

(25:23):
Jersey and that's when it came out. And watch, we
were working with clients in February of the prior year
to get there, and we see that a lot. And
that's the that's the one thing that you need to
UH think about is a lot of times people are
not prepared because they are trying to rush it at
the very end. And and let's go back to what

(25:45):
we've been talking about, that city council thing to get
what's called a city of resolution, which means the city says,
you know, you can apply and and and if you
passed California application process, you can have a kind of
a facility in our town if you do that during
certain times, sometimes city council is not in session. So

(26:08):
so's what happened to uh US in one of our
states where the application was doing in a and in
August of that year, and you had to get city
resolution city approval letters, but they weren't in session in
July in August of that year because it was the summertime,
or you're not in session for December because it's Christmas
or the holiday season. So there were people that had

(26:29):
spent well north of a hundred thousand dollars to realize
that they didn't do what they were supposed to do
and they weren't able to get their licenses. Why didn't
you kill them? All your fault. You need to be
a leprecron and be everywhere and anywhere people need you.
That's your gig. You didn't know that. I've been called
a lot of things leprect, but what a hard moment

(26:52):
for people to swallow blue? And how many times have
you heard that one, dude? And again, I mean I've
had people, so I've been through this whole process and
it was years go. Your Tony doesn't know what you've done,
and I know that. So, yeah, I know you're bringing
up so many memories right now, right Yeah, I remember
I got caught in that trapping. I'm seeing here paying
rent for something and then I'm like leveraging that off,
and it's it's there's so many like little tricks to

(27:14):
this trade, you know. And and it's funny because a
lot of people, uh, you know, they don't really know
what they're getting into because someone's just selling them on
the you're gonna get rich. Look at the numbers. You
have to be a legacy guy to get in the game.
If you're gonna really get in the game, it's just
no money. And if you're just doing money, you better
go get some legacy players that you're throwing your money with. Yeah,
it's a tough it's a tough we gotta know it.

(27:35):
It's a tough sport. You know. It's it's not for
the week, that's for sure. Yeah, that's what the average
person in your mind, you know, pay for m to
get a license from soup to nuts. Like at the
very beginning, it's Cannabis Talk on one. When we come back,
let's answer that question right back. We'll be right back
with Cannabis Talk one oh one. Welcome back to Cannabis

(28:01):
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quality cannabis seeds at a fair price. Head to rocket

(28:22):
seeds dot com. I want to thank everybody on our staff,
you guys that really does so much for us. Jan Erica,
Daniel cal Christian A Christian s Love you guys, Danny
p Funk, Connor, Abby Kimberly, Selena Cash Camp, Solar, Nadia,
Ali Pitt, Chris Frank. You know, Jennifer have a great
safe vacation to be safe out there in Hawaii and Elvis.

(28:44):
And if anybody sees Jennifer out there in Hawaii, make
sure he goes to had her. Because the funny thing
is we've been running into more listeners out and about,
like dog when I was in DC, and folks just
come up to us out of left field. For my
poorn is if you know Jennifers and if you're out
the whay listening to us, this, Jennifer is out there.
So you know what I'm saying. You see it if
you see her on the I G. You know who

(29:05):
I'm talking about saying. Yeah, I'm just saying it. If
it's happening more and more, it is. And Tony, what's
happening more and more people getting these licenses and this
and that, And we've been talking off air about Oklahoma
and this and that. But I want a belly back,
real quick blues. As you you mentioned something before the break,
but I heard ten months so far as what I
have written down, and with all your experience, I want

(29:27):
the audience to listen to what it really takes. That's
ten months prior to applying your even application. So that's
before you even turning the application to see if you
can get in the game. Is so ten months of
starting to form your plan and your strategy and putting
your team together, whether it's your application right or whether
it's your real estate, whether it's securing property, whether it's

(29:49):
getting a field from the city, if they're interested in
even having you come into that town, getting an idea
of what you're gonna need for your application, depending on
what state that would require, what, depending on what the
city requirements are, trying to lock down that property. I
think a lot of people don't follow the the proven steps.
They'll jump around and they'll try and catch up. And

(30:11):
you know, if you look at the proven steps, you
know you're starting out ten months prior you identify the
town that you want to be in. What you you identify,
what you want to do. I want to be, let's
make an easy a dispensary owner, and I want to
be a dispensery owner in Stanton. In Stanton is going
to come out with their application around in October. This
is January. Okay, is Stanton? How many people? How many

(30:33):
dispensaries they're gonna have in that town? And they say, okay,
we're gonna they're gonna do somewhere between four and ten.
They haven't decided yet, but it's somewhere nervous, Andy, So
now you know who you're up against. And then identifying
that piece of property and saying to myself, Okay, this
piece of property I think is going to be the
right property for us to be in. And then to
be able to lock in that, uh, that piece of

(30:55):
property I think with a lot to that and then
that whole time takes who knows what that that because
that's when you but you're figuring that out even before
you turn in your application, right, because you have to
have the property right right. I mean, in order for
you to get a license in almost every state, you
have to be able to um, you have to be

(31:16):
able to lock in that piece of property and and
uh um, you know, most cities aren't willing to give
you that approval letter if that's the city's in a
turn um. If you don't have that piece of property.
Now states will New Jersey, you know again, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, UM, California.

(31:37):
The state will say you can have a license provided
that the city has given you approval. But we really
don't care where in that city they've given you approval.
But the cities are usually reluctant to do that until
you you identify a piece of price. You have to
buy the property before you even get you on the lease.
You can do a lease, you could do an l
you can do something of that nature, something that says

(31:59):
if I get approved of, I can lock into this
piece of property. You know, you need something that says that.
And most and most landlords are are going to either
charge you for that um or add a premium to
why they're working with you. They just don't want to
do it. I mean, there's no reason for them to
just say, yeah, well I'm gonna eat victor him ever
or give me this facility and chip ups and I

(32:20):
thought was on the table. Uh So most landlords, I mean,
I want to say, extort you, but they extort you
to to get to that's that's part of the and
that's why I was saying I would come in beforehand
and I un locked these properties up, and I almost
did it in three four properties here in Stanton. But
you know, and i'd pay. I'd end up paying you know,
twenty grand to lock this one up, fifty grand to
lock that one up, a hunter grand to lock this

(32:41):
one up, and then if I don't, if I if
I can't you know, convert them, I would lose all
that money. So it's like gambling, right. But some of
them weren't his hip, and they'd be like, oh, yeah,
no problem, it's a it's a refundable, so I'd put
in a scrow and get a refund back. But most
of the time these guys are getting a little hip
or they'd be like, well, this is a nonrefundable deposit.
And then you're getting stuck into a position where it's

(33:01):
like can I really flip this thing, you know, because
if you can't it's not refundable. You're losing your fifty grand,
You're losing your twenty or your tan or whatever you
put you're just getting that building for that you're buying
the building whatever. They're buying it or losing it. But
what I but but in l a when it first happened,
we didn't have that. It wasn't such a big deal.
It was like nonrefundable positive problem. Everybody was giving a refund,

(33:23):
you know, like I want to refund it positive Some
of them would you have to fight for a year
to get your money back. But you know, but do
you get it back? You know? And so either way, Tony,
that's about ten months you're getting the application. How long
does it normally? What is the norm here in a
response for an application? There a ballpark in different states
and talking so that there is a ballparking so uh,

(33:44):
worst can so New Jersey you got back to we
did August two thousand nineteen. Round they were going to
give out thirty dispensary licenses. Uh, we were fortunate enough
to have eight of those thirty that one. But they
didn't get approved until the Scember of two thousand and one.
And you turn them and win August of two thousand nine.

(34:05):
So two years, damnie, so ten months to turn it
in two years later. So now you're two years and
ten months in, right. The two years and ten months
in they were for New Jersey now some some towns
and before we got a license to have a business
to make money, and now you have to build it out.
So now you're another year into that. You're two years
into building something that you haven't made a dollar on yet.

(34:27):
Damn near three because it's two years ten months. It's
called three, right, that's right. Don't you forgot the first
ten months I was starting to work. No, no no, I
added that I got that. Yeah, let's just call it
and then and then somewhere between eight months to a
year to build out the facility. So now we're at
the fourth year, as you say that, we're going into
year four a building now and trying to get this right.

(34:49):
And I haven't made any money. I haven't made a
sale yet. Oh and that's just a dispensary owner as normal,
by the way, right, Yeah, And you're trying to explain
that to somebody that's like, you don't want to the dispensary,
and guys, do we see that? Just walk up a
lot of people light to them. So a lot of
people light and say that, you know it's four right now,
they'll say, well, well, get done eight or ten months,
and then eight or ten months. What happens is is

(35:12):
they've got a section of it done. You know, if
they're really good. But then you know, it's just it's
a three three year process. And let me just be
clear what you're describing, Tony was a dispensary owner, right
like what we kind of just walk through this little journey.
So this, you know, dispensary obviously a retail owner, and
this was a dispensary owner. And what you say it's
fair at four years? And mind now what we just
described and went through is now going to open. I

(35:34):
can now open it a shop at four years. And yeah,
these dispensaries are four years. I mean, I've seen them
do it quicker. But you have to be realistic, I
would say too, from the from the time you start
to the time you do your first sale. You need
to look somewhere between that to the four year process.
It's not it's not happening like you said, it's not

(35:56):
happening in six months. I'm not I'm not applying. I
like real walkers like this in my opinion, Tony, like
I don't like the fucking contractor. I'll get done this
and too much. I'm done. It's like, dude, it's gonna
take you through much easier to do this permits alone. Yeah,
you like every contractor could I could do this in
this one? I feel like you're not that contractor guy.
At my point, I like that, Well, you know, like

(36:16):
I said, we were very fortunate to be able to
have clients that win, you know, So it's not we're
we're not we're not doing work and we don't really
care if you don't. When you don't, we also have
a desire to help build out that security for that.
So we want you to win, We want you to
move on to the next thing. We want you to
be realistic too, because a lot of times people say, well,
you know, I'm gonna open up a micro cultivation facility

(36:38):
and I'm gonna have one flower room and three hundred
plants and I'm gonna go up against the big boys.
And I'm like, not unless you figure out that that
was three hundred plants you know, produce gold or something
like that, you're gonna have a pretty much hard time
of making it in that industry. And you're you know,
do you or do you want do you realize that,
are you gonna spend that kind of money or you

(36:59):
know you're gonna have the I p A of cannabis. Yeah,
there's a lot of stuff that it's it's you know,
some cities, I guess in smaller towns will move faster, right,
you know, some cities in the States, you know, like
you could apply i think for the state license and
then go into a smaller city that kind of knows

(37:20):
you and they're like, yeah, let's go ahead and do
your thing. But they were they had like a conditional
use permit for the longest time, right, like you know,
they were using conditional use permits and lets you operate
under the conditional use permit. I mean, there's a lot
of there's there's a lot of other little ways to
skin the camp that we're happening. But I think most
most states are getting away from that now. And not
even if they did, you're you're still a year maybe

(37:42):
you know, a little bit more than a year into it.
So it's not like today I'm going to open up
a dispensary and I'm opening it up today that you
know where I'm going to open up a growth facility,
build it out, let's go. I mean, you know, it's
still there's still a timeline on that. And you know, yes,
you can. We were talking about Oklahoma before you can
probably get a license in Oklahoma. But you know, again,
how quickly are you going to ramp up? And look

(38:04):
at the competition you're on compared to say Illinois, And
then you know, we're talking about this is including there's
not even counting if there's any lawsuits that put things
on hold. What is the most random ship that you
heard that I can't believe this one? Like, you know,
because the cannabis industry in this field has got some
rant like wow, you you're one mile away from an
elementary school or something that's just like, oh god, this one. Well,

(38:27):
the best random story of the of that kind was
we had a client in l A who was going
to open up or did open up a cultivation facility
and the reg said that he couldn't be within two
hundred feet of the school. And he was. It was
at school, like elementary school. That's what I mean. There's
like this that happens all the time I've heard. And

(38:48):
he was two hundred and ten feet but as the
crow flies, he was only well even more, we we
knocked down having feet of the building shut up just
to make it work, and you got the license. Wow
you knocked and then did you rebuild it? Yeah, we

(39:10):
cut it off if you looked at it as a
square and you took the left corner and just clinked
it no way, and now he was one ft inside
and and and l A went okay, that works, shut up, Wow,
that's fun. Right. I had a feeling just like this,

(39:30):
Is there another? Is there another? Can I be so
daring and ask you topic to charge you for anymore?
How much? That was good? One? Right? Yeah, that's what
I knew. That's what I mean. That was a really
interest knocking the area of the building. The things that

(39:50):
people have to do to make ship happen. You know,
I was mentioned before and and and meeting the city council,
meeting the chiefs and having these conversations. There are a
request that come in from us that um that are there.
It's nothing wrong, it's just that they would like to
see that. And when you go sure, no problem. Like
I had a chief recently in another California town, say,

(40:13):
I would like for you to put the address of
the building and three ft letters on the roof. Because
of a helicopter flies overhead, they'll see the location. Not
required anywhere, not required by the city, not required by
the state. And my answer was sure, not a problem.
Sounds like a great idea. I'm curing my property even

(40:34):
better for a helicopter to identify us, ding ding, I'm in.
Someone wanted us to remove a park bench. We removed
the park bench from the front. Another one wanted us
to put thorn bushes outside the windows. So all of
these things is really comes into when we we talked
about community involvement, you know, getting in with that community
as early as you can, to say to them, we

(40:56):
want to be part of this city, this town, and
having them come back saying they're a good guy. I
like them. I was doing the handstanding and I would
go to all the city meetings and meet the mayor
and meet the council, uh you know, and sit down.
And then there was a collision or something here, so
they froze everything up or something. I don't another story,
but I started coming in every time and then and then,

(41:16):
you know, like I said, when so close to us,
I mean, we're so close to here, And I was like,
you know, and I had I had, you know, a
team of people looking at you know, buying a much
of property with me and stuff like that. But then
you know, I'm blessed to have backed out because it
ended up being the ship show here in the town.
And listen to this, guys, Yeah, it always is right.

(41:37):
That's the moral of every other story too. Sometimes in life,
if something doesn't happen, you know what, folks looking at
the other side, it's not half empty, it's you still
have full. We didn't lose that much. Yeah, no, we
could have been completely you know, stuck in in buildings
right now while the city figures out what they're doing
because they think they had people that were untruthful. You know,
they had people in the inside. And how many pick

(41:58):
every fucking city, right, but that that's just get that
just goes and pick a state, pick a city, pick
involved in. I mean, yeah, there's a lot of there's
a lot of, Tony. We like to do the high
five with all our guests that come in. Your company
sounds amazing, You sound amazing all the things that you do.
People look him up, look at the company once against

(42:19):
Sapphire Risk Advisory Group is the gig right there? Google it.
We're gonna do the high five with you, Tony. Five
simple questions, real nice and easy. Question Number one, how
old you the first time you smoked cannabis and where'd
you get it from? I was sixteen years old and
I got it from someone in the park at our
local town in Jersey. Were playing hockey at the time

(42:40):
where you're playing it. I think I played hockey after
I smoked it. But you grew up as a kid though,
was laughing it, right, that's always a good time high
and playing hockey. Question number two of the high five.
What is your favorite way to use or smoke cannabis?
So it's interesting, Uh, you know a lot of people,
I'm more of uh of a of a smoker, I guess.

(43:02):
Then I am taking of edibles or or gummies and
anything like that or vaping um. You know. So I'm
just a straight out, you know, back in the old days.
Joint joint and I'm good. My son Carter comes over,
he gives me a joint. I'm good with it. Hell
just said he's twenty two. That's awesome. Yeah, he's like, oh,

(43:24):
he's a twelve year old. But he's really cool. My
twelve year old. He has got a mustache, good stuff.
Well you know what else we call it. He's a
good guy. He's a good kid. He's a good kid.
Question number three of the High Five with Tony Gallow,
the managing partner at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group. Craziest place

(43:44):
you ever used cannabis or smoke New York City subway
on the subway on the subway in New York. It
was back back in the old days when you know,
the New York was not the New York it is now.
And and uh, I was probably the the least drug
that was being used that day that you you were

(44:04):
smoking a joint, walking over syringes, literally like, I'm cool
with this joint. Why because that overdose that I just want,
it's probably a priority that over my fucking joints. That
crack pipe, eat my crack pipe as I head to
this hot club over here called exactly. Question number four

(44:26):
of the High five. What is your go to munchy
after you get high? Potato chips? What kind um? I
like Doritos? And yeah, I like the kind of blue
the blue bag ran You know how fat we are?
You said blue twisted? Just be clear, folks that are

(44:47):
this blue one? Yeah, if you don't know the blue
that it's funny just to have all these random chips.
I was swear to God, blue I'm at the house
dog and my daughter pulls out these takiti little tachiti
taketo chips. Whatever bottom line is, I started laughing, thinks
I think of you over the weekend. If somebody else

(45:08):
here was mentioning chips and you go, I bought some
of those that we had some of here you but
but I wasn't talkinges, so you bought some other chip
for some of the other guests that mentioned chips and you.
My point is, I'm laughing, going, oh God, blues button.
So many random chips that we have, and I just
seemed Chris Frank, you know, with a new box of
chips over there. Yeah, going, we are chip fans over here.

(45:28):
At my point, chippers. We love the chips over here, Tony.
Question number five with a half five. If you could
smoke cannabis with anyone dead or live, who would it
be and why? You know? That was an interesting question.
I had to give that a lot of thought of
who I would do with. And it's the weirdest thing,
but Abraham Lincoln came to mind nice and and basically

(45:51):
I think I would just like to see him stone
to see what he had to side. It was the weird,
but like I tried to think of like a good like,
you know, should I bring you know, Jim Hendricks, you know,
Willie Nelson And some reason I said, Yeah, isn't it
funny that the people that you can think of that
because it would be another It's not a bad answer.
There's not a bad answer of anybody that people go there,

(46:12):
dead father, grandfather, frand Tupac, I don't know pick anyh Yeah,
and I don't think there's a wrong My point is
there's not a wrong answer, not never a wrong answer.
But it's just so funny. How many people, though, do
you say something like that? It's a it's a pretty
good one. It was a very you know, thought provoking question.

(46:33):
And why though, is that? What would be the lead off?
Like you and me and I'm the fly on the wall,
what's the lead? What's the lead? I think I think
I would like to I think I would like to
sit there and understand what his thought process was back then.
I'm a history person. I love history, and uh, you know,
and Uh's he's the one that came to mind. I mean,
I was thinking John F. Kennedy. I was, you know,
it could be a lot of people but he's the

(46:55):
one that popped in my head as from a history
point of view, and I said, free the slaves. It
would be pretty cool. Why not? So you know the spot.
I agree. I love my points. I love it. Yeah,
I think it's a great one. I too would like
to be a fly on the wall in that conversation point.
I want to hear that convers first of all, I mean,

(47:15):
if you've ever seen the movie and the guy, the
guy was a beast. Yeah, he's all those Yeah they're
strong man powerful. I mean to think of what it
took to, like, you know, live in those times and
fucking make big decisions like that, especially him, to make
one of those huge like we don't need to do
this no more. It's great. It sounds more thing like

(47:35):
blow the smoke into his hat and then do just
for the somatics of everything I've seen on TV of you,
let me borrow your hat for a second and give
me your beard. And I want to pick this up
that one again, Like I want to build that skit
right now, right, it's not it's not even like why

(47:57):
you wanted to talk to him for something cool in
the story. I want to do this and it's comical.
I want to I want to know like he was
that movie where he killed vampires. I want to know,
you know, all the comical reasons. I love that. I
feel like I went to down this mental stone thing
with you right now. It's so awesome. Yeah, I get
them sitting times harder now that I hang out with

(48:18):
totally too. That all business we just got into. The
Tony's out there. He totally took me out there too,
vesther like I'm still out there right now. I don't
know it's quite Tony anything else that we forgot before
we let you get out. You know, I really appreciate it.

(48:38):
I think, you know, obviously, I love this industry. Been
doing this for nine years. Want to do, you know,
for another ninety years if I can. And I love
to be able to watch, you know, I love watching
this industry grow. And and you know we we we
remember as much as I can nine years ago of
looking at California and saying, oh, you know, one day
it's going to be everywhere, And it's everywhere now, and

(49:01):
it's I like the fact also that the respect that
it didn't have, and you know, people who were even
legacy before that know that now there is interest from
from people and it's becoming that the industry to be
in well, Tony, you know what I'm gonna offer you,
It's gonna be either a good thing or a bad thing.
Some of your clients, I want to interview them either

(49:23):
gonna say, Tony, that motherfucker that New Jersey slept sticking bastard,
or they're gonna say everything about those guys are the best?
Right are? You know? Are picking between? But my point
is I would love to interview and talk to some
of that because they'rell on the industry right. So my
point is it would be advantageous for everyone because I'd
love to hear their story of how they got their

(49:44):
property started and hear how working with you went to
I would definitely send a couple of I think the
majority of them are going to say good things. And
they have an expression in my office because we're in doubt,
we're based in Dallas, Texas that every so phone so
often I go Jersey on people, and so I know
what that means. You know what my thing is? This
though all bullshit aside, Tony, I fucking love direct, and

(50:08):
to me, Jersey means direct to right. And when I
when you heard that term because a lot of cats
will tell me you sound like you from the East
Coast shoe. Sometimes you sell me some of that all
the time thing. And I love it because I'm like,
you're right, just be fucking to the point and direct,
but respectful and nice and men polite. I'm not crossing
the lines. I'm not calling you a motherfucker and smacking you.
You're not saying that was his jersey. But you know

(50:32):
what I mean. My point is I I like that vibe.
I like that stereotype. Is my point to to what
why did you get rid of Trump? Then? I didn't
get rid of him. I just didn't vote for him,
but I obviously the rest of America didn't agree either. Motherfucker.
I love how we could always go back to that.

(50:53):
You know, still go okayner before Tony. You know, if
you guys are listening out there, and make sure you
get ahold of Tony uh from Sapphire Risk Advisors. Also
check him out on high Times one hundred most Influence
people in Canada player right there. That really is big though,
Like to have the company and you to be a

(51:14):
part of that and be a founding member, like that's
not a bullshit list. In my opinion, I'm surprised I'm
not on it. I'm too, but I mean I was joking.
My point is that I got I gotta influence. I'm
good with it because it's a different who knows different,
it's a different influence. And either way we influence word
we gotta. We we know were influenced times. Right now,

(51:34):
get him on the car. I'm never I'm never bet
or I didn't make it. I'm congratulating those that did.
Ye know what I'm saying. The bottom line, he's king,
That's what it means. And I'm not sticking up for
him to make him look better. I know what he
was doing right there. For those who didn't, you you
don't know him. But my point is stretched to you, brother,
because uh, that is a list that should be commended.

(51:55):
And I'm so happy that that we've seen that, and
Blue pointed that out again. How did that make you feel? Though?
You know, I think my desire has always been to
help people, and my desires, you know, when it comes
to this industry, is for people to make good decisions,
to be profitable and make money. And I think by winning,
you know, being nominated and winning this award by High Times. Uh,

(52:17):
it makes me feel that I have achieved some of
that goal that you know, we're the only security company
that's listed on those one hundred and and we're connected
to almost all the CEOs of large MSOs plus other
people that are very much been driving this industry. And
it kind of uh made it feel that I've hit
that stride where we are and and helping those people

(52:41):
achieve that, and and you know, it's a good feeling
to have that. Now I get a lot of grief
because they mentioned they said that on the o G
of Cannabis Security. So now they've made me a necklace
and I'm getting all this. You know, I got a
big bling necklace in the bag over here. You're gonna
be the new debot out in Texas and it's Friday, mother.

(53:06):
You know. It's just so cool, though, Tony, to see
all that and hear all that, and for you to
give back even in your response right now, I commend
you for that because that's what you're doing, like you're
supplying a service for folks to make it better in
the industry. And then I asked you how it feels
that you're happy for them and it's sucking dope that
you say it that way. So I'm just commending you

(53:28):
for that, and we don't want it to go overlooked,
and don't think that for one second. We don't oversee that.
You're a good man, and I appreciate you for that,
and keep doing what you're doing. And that's why your
company and you are on the top one because of
that type of answer that you gave and it's and
it's real cool to see that and to see the
leaders in the industry give answers like that, because that's

(53:50):
what this industry needs, people and platforms like this and
that to help it grow and grow in a professional
way that you're doing. Because everything that you're doing that
I read at the beginning of the spot cast is phenomenal.
That's a type of level that should be on everything
in this industry, just like a Sears, just like a
Coca Cola, just like at these liquor stores and everything
else that you go to. And that's what your company

(54:12):
is doing. And keep doing your due. You're doing a
lard's work. But thank you. Well there it is guys,
cannabis talk one on one and remember this, if no
one else loves you. We do. Thank you for listening
to Cannabis Talk one on one on the I Heart
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