Are Oracle or Salesforce Preparing to Enter Cannabis Track and Trace?

According to an MJBizDaily article, the US state of Missouri is looking to replace its current cannabis track and trace provider, Metrc, with another provider, now that the state contract is up for renewal.

Reportedly, Metrc, the undisputed leader in cannabis track and trace, isn’t meeting the needs of Missouri regulators, in part because its current setup is leading to ‘scattered communications, lost information and significant delays in response time’.

If a new provider is awarded the Missouri contract, this would be the first known instance of a state cannabis regulator ditching Metrc for another firm. But with Metrc having bought out its closest competitors, finding an alternative supplier will be challenging.

However, it appears that several major mainstream business software providers, including Oracle and Salesforce, are now setting their sights on entering this space, if their attendance at a recent pre-bid conference is anything to go by.

This level of interest from the world’s big IT players points to a shift away from niche, sector-specific track and trace providers towards scalable, general-purpose IT platforms.