Here’s the introduction to the piece
With 23 state contracts to provide cannabis track-and-trace software and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags under its belt, Lakeland, Florida-based Metrc has risen to dominate the space.
But more than a decade ago, the company was just an idea, according to Metrc CEO Michael Johnson.
“The original use for RFID in cannabis – and the whole reason Metrc came about – was a specific request from the state of Colorado,” Johnson said in an interview with MJBizMagazine.
The company started as a wholly owned subsidiary of Franwell, a technology company focused on supply-chain solutions and RFID integration. Franwell developed Colorado’s initial tracking software in 2011.
Metrc, originally developed by Franwell, now serves more than 300,000 users and 39,000 licensed cannabis operators.
The company said it strives to ensure that companies are complying with local cannabis regulations and to prevent diversion of regulated products to the illicit market and inversion of unregulated marijuana into the legal market.
Metrc’s closest competitor, Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based BioTrack, holds contracts with nine states.
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