Secure transport requirements are a real—and often non-negotiable—part of legal cannabis distribution. While the details vary by state, regulators generally treat cannabis in transit as a high-risk point for diversion, theft, and recordkeeping failures. That’s why most compliance frameworks focus on two big goals: maintaining chain of custody and reducing opportunities for product loss between licensed businesses (and, where allowed, during delivery).
A common baseline requirement is documentation. Many states require a transport manifest (paper or electronic) that identifies what is being moved, where it’s going, and which licensees are involved—so an officer or regulator can quickly verify the load is legitimate. Colorado’s rules, for example, address regulated marijuana transport and set expectations around lawful transport conditions, including the use of appropriate vehicles. Oregon rules similarly emphasize manifests and producing documentation when requested during transit.
Security also shows up in how product must be stored inside the vehicle. Oregon’s delivery rules explicitly require marijuana items to be kept in a lockbox securely affixed inside the delivery vehicle, which is a clear example of a “secure container” approach. Some statutes and rules also address what happens when a vehicle is stopped or temporarily unattended—Oregon law, for instance, includes conditions for leaving a delivery vehicle unattended, such as keeping it locked and equipped with an active alarm system.
Staffing rules can be part of “secure transport,” too. Massachusetts has historically required two agents in certain delivery contexts, and recent Cannabis Control Commission reforms kept a two-agent requirement when transporting higher-value loads above a set threshold (while allowing one agent for lower values in specific cases). The takeaway for operators is that “secure” can mean not only equipment, but also how many trained, badged employees are assigned to a run based on risk.
Vehicle compliance can be its own category. California, for example, restricts methods of transport (prohibiting transport by aircraft, watercraft, drone, rail, human-powered, or unstaffed vehicles) and includes requirements tied to transporting cannabis goods for hire, such as the need for a motor carrier permit in certain circumstances. These kinds of rules are aimed at keeping transportation professionalized, trackable, and enforceable.
Practically, secure transport in cannabis distribution usually looks like this: the right license permissions, a correct manifest, product secured (often in a locked container), clear procedures for stops or incidents, and staff and vehicle standards that match the state’s risk model. The most effective approach is to treat secure transport requirements as state-specific compliance—not a generic best practice—and to build standard operating procedures that can stand up to regulatory review.