BioTrackTHC system issues disrupt Illinois cannabis sales

(This story has been updated to clarify a statement made by BioTrackTHC’s spokesman.)

Approximately one in five medical marijuana dispensaries in Illinois had to temporarily close Thursday because of a problem with the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system, which is a software developed by BioTrackTHC.

BioTrackTHC, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reported 16 of roughly 80 dispensaries in Illinois were affected.

“I am frustrated and chagrined by how these systems work,” Jeremy Unruh, director of public and regulatory affairs at PharmaCann, told Marijuana Business Daily. All four of PharmaCann’s Illinois dispensaries were affected.

Unruh said employees at PharmaCann’s Arlington Heights location noticed the problem when they arrived at the store about 9:40 a.m. Central Time. The dispensary typically opens for business at 11 a.m. but had to wait till 1 p.m. Thursday, when the problem was resolved.

Eric Eizinger, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which oversees the state’s MMJ program, wrote in an email to MJBizDaily that dispensaries are not allowed to do business when the state’s tracking system is inoperative.

BioTrackTHC spokesman Jefferey Gonring said there was “a complication with a third-party integrator that caused issues” but did not elaborate about the problem.

The issue existed for 1-2 hours, and no data was lost, Gonring reported.