One of the great benefits of legal, regulated cannabis sales is that consumers are buying tested, quality products and trust what they’re putting into their bodies. This is essential for increasing the number of cannabis consumers which is good for all cultivators, manufacturers, dispensary owners, and everyone else connected to the modern cannabis marketplace. Seed to sale tracking means exactly what it says; cannabis plants are tracked from seeds through planting, harvesting/curing, manufacturing, testing, and packaging before they’re sold in a licensed cannabis dispensary.
So why should you care about seed to sale tracking? For consumers, their health, wellness, and confidence depend on it. For cannabis professionals, cloud-based seed to sale tracking provides much-needed compliance tools and optimal data for improved cultivation techniques and profits. For cannabis regulators, tracking allows for monitoring every cannabis product at each stage of the supply chain through the final sale. To sum it up, everybody wins.
The Legal Cannabis Marketplace Needs Seed to Sale Software
To date, 33 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S territories permit medical cannabis, and 11 allow for adult-use sales with more likely on the way in 2020. While laws and regulations vary from state to state, nearly all require compliance with seed to sale tracking and testing regulations. This is why cloud-based, seed to sale tracking software for cultivators is a fundamental part of the new cannabis marketplace.
Without it, compliance is next to impossible. With BLAZE Grow, not only is compliance possible, our platform makes it practically easy.
How Does Seed to Sale Tracking Work?
You might be wondering how a company can track a seed or young plant (typically a clone from a mother plant). The answer is simple; labels or tags with identifying barcodes or QR codes are placed on the containers containing the seeds. Most commercial growers rely on clones, not seeds when planting their crops. As the plant matures, a tag may be hung on the plant itself and some states mandate this step. For indoor grows, many states require tracking the plant even when moved from room to room during the growth cycle. Mobile scanning/reading devices are commonly used by employees in the field or indoor cultivation or manufacturing facilities. For its clients, BLAZE offers the rugged and dependable Durascan portable device for scanning barcodes. The label or tag with the barcode or QR code then follows the plant through the entire supply chain. If the harvested plant is processed into vape oil, a tincture, an edible, a topical, or other cannabis product, the code stays with it to ensure the tracking chain remains unbroken.
Manage Cultivation and SalesIt’s the Law in Most States
Government regulators require tracking software to eradicate illicit cannabis sales and “grey market,” off the book sales. While regulations are certainly an unwelcome challenge for a business model that was previously based on secrecy and independence, they are necessary to integrate the cannabis marketplace into mainstream business communities. Virtually every commercial product sold in the U.S must deal with regulatory issues and cannabis is no exception. Without a doubt, changes need to evolve over time as regulators and business professionals alike find their way in the new cannabis landscape. Tracking software helps cannabis cultivators stay compliant with state law, and may help keep federal agencies at bay from enforcement actions. The data may also play a role in the eventual de-scheduling of cannabis at the federal level.
Dispensaries Will Love You
Tracking data is of immense value to dispensaries. Up to date inventory management, customer trends, and marketing strategies are critical to managing a dispensary. Savvy owners will want to make use of any data that helps them improve sales and educate customers. In many ways, cannabis data management is BLAZING new paths for supply chain management in other industries, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of that effort.
Does Seed to Sale Tracking Protect Consumers?
Illicit cannabis producers and sellers do not care or abide by tracking or testing regulations. While consumers may save money buying underground cannabis, the recent vape crisis is a perfect example of the potential health risks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the untested, underground, and illegal counterfeit vape products contained Vitamin E acetate which severely damages the lungs when heated and inhaled. Legal vape sales plummeted and hopefully will recover in 2020. People died, and the untracked, illegal products gave the entire cannabis community a black eye. Unfortunately, the incidents also provided ammunition for prohibition supporters. The seed to sale tracking ecosphere greatly reduces the risk of contaminated products from ever reaching the consumer. This is just one more reason why you should care about seed to sale tracking ⎼ your livelihood may very well depend on it.
We’re here to help you compete in the new world of regulated cannabis cultivation and sales. At BLAZE we want each and every customer to succeed. How can we help? Let’s talk about it. Contact us online or call us at (415) 964-5689.
