Y502K – Contract Extension Noise
Just to kind of bring everyone up to date on this one too, it doesn't look like the contract with BioTrack will be extended.
The LCB has asked BioTrackTHC for an extension, WeedTraQR and other third party software providers have publicly (and privately) endorsed this idea. Currently dozens of licensed operators are messaging the LCB to ask to make this happen. We are not so sure it will and are planning for the scenario where it is not extended.
BioTrack has a contract that ends on Oct 31st. The LCB has apparently offered them a “$16,000 short term premium” (according to BioTrack) and an offer that was 70% of the annual amount (which I think is 180,000 * 0.70 = 126000) to extend the contract. BioTrack has some concerns around security issues with the new provider MJ Freeway. BioTrack has asked that “our very real concerns can be addressed by the LCB” which, have not yet been addressed. At this point, they are going to complete their contract but need their concerns addressed before an extension can be discussed. The LCB claims that BioTrack has not provided a counter offer.
Up until quite recently both the LCB and MJ Freeway have been making the claim the system would be ready, with a small cut-over period (two days). BioTrack has been providing data from their system to MJ Freeway for at least a few weeks (I don't know the exact timeline) and MJ Freeway had claimed they were importing this information.
Now because of all this fighting the regulatory compliance enforcement engine and critical part of the infrastructure is going to be offline, for until January 2nd.