As you may know, the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) and our traceability software vendor, Leaf Data Systems, have been operating under a two-month contract extension through Sept. 30, 2019. We have now agreed to an additional two-month extension, the terms of which will continue to focus solely on providing a stable system to our users. Leaf Data will operate the system and work on addressing post-release issues to ensure a stable system. However, neither party anticipates further releases under this extension.

Additionally, the LCB is looking to take stock of developments in public policy and other factors that will affect cannabis activities over the next three to five years. As more states enter this arena, Cannabis 2.0 is the LCB’s effort to look ahead to anticipate how that and other developments may affect us. As part of the effort, the LCB is currently working internally to strategically envision what that future of traceability looks like. We are engaging with a small group of industry stakeholders to gain some initial insight and, later, we’ll be engaging our broad stakeholder base.

During this planning period while LCB develops its strategic vision of the future of traceability, I am in regular communication with my counterpart at Leaf Data Systems. It is the intent of both parties to use the two-month extension to negotiate a longer-term extension of the contract that will focus on maintaining the current LEAF system, without additional releases. The LCB’s priority is to ensure that a traceability system is in place and that there is no further disruption to industry while we engage in our forward-looking effort.

Thank you for your patience and your engagement with the LCB on traceability and other mutual issues.

Megan Duffy

Deputy Director and Executive Sponsor