Jamaica seeks cannabis seed-to-sale software; 40 licenses ‘issued’

(This story has been updated with further comment from the Cannabis Licensing Authority.)

Jamaica has launched an international competitive bidding process to identify a qualified organization to provide seed-to-sale tracking software for the country’s regulated marijuana industry.

The country’s Cannabis Licensing Authority will accept bids until 3 p.m. local time on Sept. 25.

Off-island bidders are required to obtain and submit a valid Tax Compliance Letter and Public Procurement Commission Registration before the contract is awarded.

The software will “capture data, collate, manage, store and produce reports on individual cannabis plants as they move through the supply chain from cultivation, retail, transportation, processing or research and development,” according to the invitation-to-bid document.

Meanwhile, the Cannabis Licensing Authority told Marijuana Business Daily it had “issued” 40 cannabis business licenses as of the end of July out of the 54 that were “granted.”

“The number of licences issued is a subset of those granted; meaning of the 54 licences granted 40 have been issued,” the Authority stated.

“This means that only 40 licensees of the 54 granted have paid the corresponding licensing fees and security bonds attached to each licence applied for. Only upon payment of these fees will a licence be issued after same has been granted,” said the spokesperson.

For cultivation, 10 Tier 1, 10 Tier 2 and six Tier 3 licenses have been “granted” so far. Twenty have been issued among all three tiers.

Five Tier 1 processing licenses have been granted, and one for Tier 2. Of those, five of the former and none of the latter have been issued.

On the retail side, 11 licenses have been granted for a “Herb House” with facilities for consumption, and one license has been granted for a Herb House without a consumption space. Of those, eight have been issued.

Four retail licenses have been granted for therapeutic service. Of those, three have been issued.

Only two transportation license have been granted and one issued.

No licenses have been granted for analytical services.

Parties interested in accessing the bidding documents and participate in the tender for seed-to-sale software infrastructure are required to register.

Matt Lamers can be reached at mattl@mjbizdaily.com