Leaf, the software program that growers and processors use to document the cannabis supply chain in Washington State, was scheduled for routine maintenance in mid-July. According to the company that owns Leaf, called MJ Freeway, the system would be down for several hours before it would be up and running again. It should have been a minor headache for the cannabis industry. Instead, it was something more like a migraine.
Cannabis producers and processors are required by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), the agency that regulates legal weed, to track every bit of pot from seed to sale. But the system for tracking these plants has been plagued by problems since the very beginning of the recreational market. BioTrackTHC, the first company that contracted with the state to provide this software, decided not to renew its contract. The next choice vendor, Franwell, backed out as well. So the WSLCB went with option number three: the much-beleaguered software vendor MJ Freeway, which, according to StateScoop, contracted with the state to provide the software for $800,000 plus an additional $3 million in subscription fees.
