October 1st marks the initiation of Oregon’s recreational cannabis regulations and so far, four providers have been validated for use by producers and processors for seed-to-sale tracking. These four companies will provide the platforms that’ll help pave the way for a successful opening day for the adult-use market regulations.
Oregon has a long history with marijuana legislation as voters first approved cannabis for medicinal use in 1998 as long as it was grown at home. The first medical marijuana dispensaries didn’t appear until 2012. Two years after Colorado and Washington said yes to legalization, Oregon began creating a taxed and regulated system for retail sales.
They have made particular efforts to create a smooth transition into the non-medical program, adds the Marijuana Policy Project, “existing medical marijuana dispensaries were the first to serve non-medical consumers starting in 2015, and taxes began on those sales in early 2016.” In just the first month, the state collected $3.48 million in new revenue, beating local economists’ projections by a wide margin.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) has approved Seattle-based WeedTraQR as one of the four approved providers. Operating for the past two years in Washington, the company said the platform they have developed is fully compatible for integration with Oregon’s Cannabis Tracking System. It’s also conveniently available to view on clients’ phones.
“We like that we’re taking a platform agnostic, commodity equipment, agile SaaS model to the cannabis industry. It’s a major advantage to be able to run your grow or processing facility traceability from any mobile device, like a tablet or your smartphone,” says company co-founder, Eric Ogden.
“We’re technology disruptors. We’re unique in that we’re aligned with the industry first, while providing competent and reliable governmental support and reporting,” said Ogden. WeedTraQR’s mobile-ready software is integrated with medical cannabis traceability programs in New Mexico, Hawaii, and Illinois and will soon be compatible with recreational programs in Colorado and Alaska.
Partnering with Straightline Analytics, the data gathered is then used to provide feedback and best practices to businesses operating in the cannabis space through an open-source data platform.
The OLCC is now accepting applications for Recreational Marijuana Licenses through their state website. Marijuana worker permit applications are also available. The OLCC requires anyone working in the OLCC-licensed recreational marijuana industry, including licensees, to have a valid Marijuana Worker Permit. This includes anyone working at an OLCC-licensed producer, processor, or wholesaler facility, or at a retail business.
“We’re technology disruptors.”
How is that? There is not anything here I couldn’t conceive of my self and organize as a capitalized CEO.