EDITOR’S NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider, NJ.comThe B2B cannabis industry verticals and trade journal is hosting a business meeting on February 17 in Jersey City. Limited tickets.

New Jersey will soon be able to monitor the supply of legal marijuana “from seed to sale” after the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission voted on Friday to install a new inventory management tracking system statewide.

The tracking system, required by state law, is necessary to ensure the new New Jersey marijuana market will meet guidelines on everything from the sale and cultivation of weed to insurance. that there is sufficient supply and that it is safe for consumers.

“The system would allow regulators to ensure regulatory compliance, assist with accurate reporting of sales data, prevent sale to underage consumers, and prevent adulteration of legal cannabis substances with harmful substances.” , said executive director Jeff Brown.

The commission voted 5-0 to approve a six-year, $ 390,000 contract with Metrc – which stands for Marijuana Enforcement, Tracking, Reporting and Compliance – to track the nascent cannabis industry in New Jersey.

Brown said Metrc would provide a system “to manage the cannabis supply chain from seed to sale in New Jersey.”

He said Metrc’s web-based system includes fully configured software, radio frequency tags, data management, training and support for the commission and all user groups.

The company’s website says Metrc serves more than 250,000 users in 15 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.

In a separate event earlier, Senator Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, the lawmaker most responsible for introducing recreational cannabis use in New Jersey, appeared via Zoom before New Jersey CannaBusiness Association.

Scutari, who will become Senate speaker on Tuesday, spoke of the multi-year “Herculean effort” to pass the law that ultimately legalized marijuana. Governor Phil Murphy signed it into law about 11 months ago.

Scutari said he looks forward to the commission moving forward on license applications in the New Year.

“I would like them to go faster,” said Scutari. “But I know it’s complicated.”

Scutari, who was also the main sponsor of legislation to legalize medical marijuana 11 years ago, confirmed that CRC had received 300 applications for cannabis licenses as of January 5.

Of the 300 applications, 260 are for conditional licenses and the remaining 40 are annual applications, he said.

“You cannot underestimate how difficult it has been,” said Scutari. “I created this from day one. You talk about years and years of work.

“It was difficult to cross the goal line,” said Scutari. “The bill alone – the concept of legalization itself – was at the heart of social justice because it helps everyone. It’s good for business. It’s good for education. This gives people opportunities that they have lost (due to) multiple convictions for possession of marijuana.

The next committee meeting is January 27.

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Suzette Parmley can be reached at [email protected]