Illinois Poised to Begin Seed-to-Sale Tracking

As Illinois’ medical marijuana industry ramps up, regulatory officials are preparing to start following medical cannabis throughout the supply chain.

The state recently inked a $724,000, three-year contract with BioTrack THC to help track marijuana electronically from the cultivation stage until it’s sold to patients, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. State records show that the contract starts in August, the newspaper reported.

It’s yet another step forward for a program that has stumbled multiple times and experienced several delays since the state legalized medical cannabis in 2013.

Several Illinois cultivators have now planted their first crop and expect to have cannabis oils available in October, followed closely by flower.

Ross Morreale – the chief compliance officer for Ataraxia, which received final authorization to begin cultivation on July 10 – told the Sun-Times that the company will have oil-based products before flower because it must let buds dry and cure, a step that can be skipped when producing oils.