Not long ago, New York announced that it'd be implementing BioTrack as the mandatory tracking system for cannabis operators, ushering in a new era for our industry.
This move has reshaped the state's regulatory landscape, so now you need to ensure your business is fully integrated with BioTrack and understand all the changes that come with using this software in order to remain compliant.
It's a lot to take in, we know, but don't worry. We'll break down the most important dates and details for you.
Key Dates for BioTrack Implementation in New York
You'll want to pay close attention to these dates —some are already behind us, showing the path we've taken, and others are critical upcoming deadlines for staying fully compliant with BioTrack in New York.
- December 20, 2022: New York officially picked BioTrack as its mandatory cannabis tracking system. This followed the state's first adult-use sale and set the stage for everything that's happening now.
- November 18, 2024: The OCM rolled out the seed-to-sale tracking system and made the BioTrack NY Application Programming Interface (API) available, asking you and all other licensees to choose a software solution that connects to the state's system.
- January 17, 2025: You should have already notified the OCM by this date about which third-party inventory tracking system vendor you planned to use. It wasn't mandatory to choose the commercial solution provided by BioTrack, but it had to be one that would connect with the BioTrack NY API (the government platform).
- May 2, 2025: BioTrack completed system changes and bug fixes, then released them to the state's User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment.
- June 6, 2025: Recently, BioTrack released updates to its API after refining the system to make it work better. These were moved to the vendor's sandbox and production environments.
- June 15, 2025: Effective on this date, you were required to use an electronic inventory tracking system that connected with BioTrack NY for real-time cannabis inventory management. This requirement applied to cultivators, registered organizations, permitted laboratories, and microbusinesses with operational cultivation activities, as well as to processors, distributors, retail dispensaries, and microbusinesses with operational retail activities.
- August 1, 2025 (Upcoming): If you're a licensed cultivator, microbusiness (with cultivation activities), registered organization, or permitted laboratory, this is your deadline to fully integrate your system with BioTrack NY.
- September 1, 2025 (Upcoming): If you're a licensed processor or a distributor, you'll need to have your integration with BioTrack NY completed by this date.
- October 1, 2025 (Upcoming): If you operate a licensed retail dispensary or a microbusiness (with retail activities), this is when your system's integration with BioTrack NY should be fully in place.
Understanding the Required Digital Tags
Beyond the software integration, there's another important component you need to be aware of: digital tags.
Unless you're a standalone retailer, you'll need to use 16-digit unique digital identifier tags that come directly from the OCM's BioTrack system. These aren't physical stickers but unique digital IDs that you'll assign to your physical inventory through your integrated tracking software.
Note: These digital tags can be printed.
Why Are These Tags Important?
These 16-digit unique digital identifiers will allow BioTrack to track all your cannabis goods from seed to sale. This includes different items within your operation, such as plants, packages, inventory batches, QA samples, and your finished products.
Despite being called identifiers, BioTrack tags aren't just for identification. Any major action in your cannabis supply chain—like planting, harvesting, or creating new lots—will use them.
Through the API, the system will check if you have enough digital tags available before you can move plants from one stage to another or create a new product package, for example.
To help cannabis licensees like you get started, the OCM is giving out an initial batch of free digital inventory tags, covering up to $250,000 in purchases.
Here's the exact number of free tags that will be issued to each license type:
- Cultivators: 2,500 tags
- Processors: 750 tags
- Microbusinesses: 750 tags
- Distributors: 750 tags
- Registered Organizations (ROs): 3,250 tags
You'll find these tags within your STS account upon the successful integration of your cannabis inventory software with BioTrack. Once your free supply is low, you'll need to buy more, which can be done in blocks of 1,000, 5,000, or 10,000.
Each unique digital tag will cost you $0.10. You can purchase additional ones directly from BioTrack through this website: https://tags.ny.biotr.ac. To access this site, you should use your organization's Unique Business Identifier (UBI), but keep in mind that you'll only see the Digital Tag side once the seed-to-sale system launches.
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Why Are Standalone Retailers Exempt?
If you're a standalone retailer, your role primarily involves managing inventory you receive from other licensees, not creating new cannabis products that would require new identification for production. Therefore, you won't need to purchase BioTrack tags.
Avoid Headaches with BioTrack!
Following the complete integration of your system with BioTrack, you'll have 30 days to finalize and correct all inventory records.
After those 30 days are up, the system will reject any inventory corrections you try to make. At that point, you'll have to request approval directly from the OCM for any backend inventory adjustments.
Getting things right from the start can save you a lot of issues down the road. So, it's super important to make sure anyone on your team who's using your inventory tracking system knows exactly how to use it correctly.
Proper preparation is key! And it can also help you clear any backend inventory corrections that can later slow you down.
Preparing for BioTrack Implementation
Are you getting ready for the implementation of BioTrack? Don't panic! We'll list some of the best tips to help you prepare and make this process stress-free.
- Educate Yourself: Do extensive research on any regulations related to this implementation, especially those that govern cannabis inventory management and reporting. More importantly, learn as much as possible about BioTrack itself, so you can understand its core functions, the use of 16-digit tags for seed-to-sale, and its role in regulatory compliance.
- Choose a Compatible System: If you haven't already, choose a compliant third-party inventory tracking system. Inquire about its compatibility with the BioTrack API to ensure a seamless integration in the future.
- Review Your Data: Thoroughly assess, organize, and clean your current inventory data, defining clear naming conventions and getting correct counts of everything. If you make sure your information is accurate and consistent now, you'll avoid issues with data migration, reporting discrepancies, and compliance problems once you go live with BioTrack.
- Prepare for Your Tags: While the OCM is covering up to $250,000 in initial tag purchases across all licensees, you may be responsible for purchasing additional tags down the line. So, you should anticipate your needs and get familiar with this process.
- Train Your Staff: Last but not least, train your staff. Everyone who will use BioTrack needs proper training relevant to their role and should be familiar with proper data entry, inventory movements, and reconciliation procedures to minimize errors and ensure ongoing compliance once BioTrack is fully live for your license type.
How Distru Can Streamline Your BioTrack Implementation
Feeling overwhelmed by the upcoming BioTrack implementation and all the new mandates that come with this step? We're here to offer a clearer, more straightforward way to get started!
Distru, our comprehensive cannabis inventory management software, is designed to streamline your operations and simplify your compliance journey. Besides allowing you to track your plants and products from seed to sale, all in real time, it seamlessly integrates with state-mandated traceability systems like BioTrack.
Our solution automates data flow, which means it automatically collects and sends all the key information about your inventory and sales directly to BioTrack NY, minimizing manual errors and maintaining accuracy across all operations, from cultivation to retail.
Plus, Distru comes with innovative reporting tools that make it easier to match up your physical and digital records, get ready for audits, and keep your data spot-on, helping you always stay on top of regulations.
So, are you ready to take the headache out of integrating with BioTrack? Try Distru and discover a much simpler way forward!
