In the cannabis industry it’s more necessary than ever that businesses are using comprehensive software solutions.  From growers to dispensaries, any licensed cannabis business can benefit from a software solution to streamline their workflows and improve their bottom line.

What is seed to sale software?

Seed to sale software is an inventory management or tracking software used by a cannabis business to manage their inventory and operations. This software typically manages regulatory compliance for the cannabis operation as well.

Why do you need seed to sale software?

Cannabis companies need seed to sale software for a number of reasons: inventory control, compliance reporting, supply chain management, and the many other department needs. As cannabis operations increase in size, the industry demands more efficiencies. A seed to sale software gives cultivators, manufacturers and distributors the tools they need to automate operations and homogenize data rather than die by 1000 spreadsheets.

What are features of great seed to sale software?

Some features that make a great management software solution include:

• RFID Integration
• Compliance reporting
• Inventory tracking
• Invoicing and Purchase Order Management
• Real-time data
• Streamline workflows
• and more!

At the end of the day, the most important feature of a great solution is that it’s functionality that works for you.

What is the best Cannabis seed to sale software?

As the cannabis industry continues to grow, so does the list of seed to sale software. Here are the top options for 2022.

Canix

Founded in 2019, Canix provides a vertically integrated seed to sale software that specializes in operators needing a complete solution for multiple departments. This platform is also referred to as a cannabis ERP (Enterprise resource planning) tool. Canix provides a fully cloud-based desktop and mobile app with advanced reporting capabilities and tools built specifically for Cultivators, Manufacturers, and Distributors.

Canix offers features such as automated compliance reporting, business intelligence tools, live inventory, RFID Scanning, task management, and production planning.

Canix works for both boutique cannabis businesses as well as large, multi-state enterprises. The differentiating factor for Canix is the ease of use and employment of new age customizable technology. Unlike most providers in the industry using legacy software solutions, Canix is built on a cutting-edge tech stack that allows quick modifications on a regular basis. With Canix it takes days or weeks to complete system change-orders vs. months or years to get a simple request completed in other systems.

Pros

• Extremely customizable
• Specialized for specific industry needs
• Best in class, hands-on training and support from real people
• Extensive list of integrations
• Intuitive design
• Open API

Cons

• Newer Company
• Regular Updating that can mean regular training and interactions with the support team.
• Does not have a solution for dispensaries

Backbone

Backbone is a supply chain management platform that manages the entire lifecycle from cannabis cultivation to the sale process. Backbone was founded in 2018 as a cannabis tracking software for supply chain and manufacturing. We consider Backbone to be on the higher tier of seed-to-sale and cannabis ERP with Canix.

Pros

• One of the better New Gen systems built off of Metrc.
• Robust chain of custody module for easy compliance reporting  

Cons

• Primarily built for manufacturing and distribution and lacks on cultivation features.
• Also a newer company.
• They are nice folks, we don't much to say negatively!

Distru

Built specifically for manufacturing and distribution, Distru specializes in product management, sales, and compliance. The company was founded in 2016 and was designed to bring transparency to the marketplace.

Pros

• Clean, easy to use interface
• Well build reporting

Cons

• Primarily for manufacturers and distributors with less cultivation focus
• Limited list of integrations

Cultivera

Cultivera was founded in 2016 and is vertically integrated. The platform supports compliance, traceability, processing, and more.

Pros

• Offers three tiers of software for a better fit for customers
• One of the first to market with lots of industry experience
• Great option for boutique cannabis companies.

Cons

• Built for cultivators (hence the name) with less tooling for manufacturers and distributors.
• Focused on small to medium businesses, not for large scale operations

Leaf Logix

Leaf Logix, which was acquired by Dutchie last year, is a fully vertical integrated platform. Their platform is one of the first of its kind to integrate with modern business intelligence platforms.

Founded in 2016, Leaf Logix was created based on seeing the inefficiencies in the software solutions at the time (MJ Freeway & Biotrack). From 2016 to 2019, Leaf Logix dominated the space of vertical operations, only recently competing with newer erp software on the market.

Pros

• Smooth point of sale solution for dispensaries
• Supports vertical operations

Cons

• Clunky user experience
• Customer support is difficult to reach and they make limited modifications to the roadmap

GrowFlow

Growflow is a modern cloud based solution with a more user friendly interface and utilizes modern technology that can develop more rapidly than the more rigid platforms on this list. Growflow has made a large impact in the SMB space with a large portion of their customer base in Oklahoma. They have created a custom solution for the cannabis industry for cultivators, manufactures, and distributors. In 2019 they acquired Leaf POS to provide a POS offering to smaller retailers.

Founded in 2017, Growflow was initially created for the Washington market with a focus on Leaf Data System integration where a large portion of their customer base resides. Since then, they have created a simple Metrc integration and built a robust stand alone product for Non-Metrc states.

Pros

• Supports most license types
• Smooth dispensary point of sale experience
• User Friendly

Cons

• Their focus on the SMB market makes it difficult to provide enterprise level solutions
• Customer support is difficult for them as well due to the volume of SMB clients

BioTrack

BioTrackTHC, a subsidiary of Helix TCS, Inc., is an all-in-one cannabis tracking solution for both seed-to-sale and track-and-trace. The software has features for cultivators, distributors, and a point of sale solution for retailers to track the entire supply chain.

BioTrackTHC provides on-premise server based solutions throughout the world. In addition to seed to sale technology, BioTrack also provides the state mandated track-and-trace solutions for the following states: Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and New York.

BioTrack was founded in 2010 and is one of the world's largest seed to sale systems operating in 7 countries. They were among the first software providers in the industry and have developed their system with both operators and state governments into a platform for compliance and reporting.

Pros

• First to Market with years of experience, they have a large feature set
• Has reliable data models and a consistent system
• International Presence - They have knowledge of many different markets and operational workflows

Cons

• Rigid product built with legacy technology and the product has matured without industry standards and market needs being fully established
• On Premise Solution that requires server maintenance and additional technical staff to maintain hardware. This also insures additional upfront cost
• Provides both Government Software and Seed to Sale software - Built in conflict of interest

MJ Freeway

MJ Freeway, a subsidiary of Akerna and known also as MJ Platform, is the other legacy platform in the industry related to the BioTrack solution. With a similar offering and business model as BioTrackTHC and MJ Platform are often considered in the same category of the seed to sale and government based track and trace systems. With the core difference being the MJ Platform’s cloud based approach vs. on premises server side construction.

MJ Platform rolled up into parent company, Akerna,  the conglomerate with portfolio companies including: Ample Organics, Trellis, Leaf Data Systems, Viridian Sciences, and Solo Sciences. Through Leaf data systems, MJ Freeway operates the state mandated track and trace system for the following states: Pennsylvania, Washington, and Utah. With access to the MJ Platform you will have access to their various portfolio offerings which span across the entire market.

Founded in 2010, MJ Freeway developed themselves as an all-in-one solution providing software services to the entire industry. They have helped pave the way for cannabi companies to adopt software into their business processes.

Pros

• First to Market with years of experience, they have a large feature set.
• Has reliable data models at this point and a consistent system
• Expansive reach with large product offering through acquisitions.

Cons

• Provides both Government Software and Seed to Sale software - Build in conflict of interest
• Lack of Focus; they have gone public and are buying market share leads to product related problems and the path to a unified product through acquisitions is a long and difficult path
• Poorly built software according to online reviews

Flourish

Flourish is another modern cloud based solution with a user friendly interface. They provide services for a number of SMB and enterprise customers along the entire supply chain.

Founded in 2017, Flourish is among the second wave of more modern solutions developed for the industry. They also have followed the trajectory of building for vertical operations from the onset while also servicing SMB companies which cause a number of conflicts during product development. Overall they are a good company that we’ve heard better things about their reputation than many in the industry.

Pros

• Supports Vertical Operations
• Their later founding enabled them to develop newer age tooling for operators
• User Friendly

Cons

• They started with vertical operations from the onset which typically creates a wide feature offering but lacks the depth in feature usefulness
• Can be expensive

Roshi

Roshi is a solution for cultivators, processors, manufacturers and distributors that was founded in 2018. They offer automation tools to cannabis companies for inventory management and regulatory compliance reporting.

Pros

• Cheaper than other software solutions
• Simple to use software

Cons

• Has not grown much in the last few years
• Slow to develop new features

Which software is right for your cannabis business?

There are lots of software options in the cannabis industry, and this list only scratches the surface.

So here are some suggestions for deciding which software is right for your company:

1. Read the reviews of cannabis software companies. It’s a good idea to see how others have liked the options and you may learn of another functionality you didn’t know you were looking for.
2. Check out the software roadmap on their site. Even if a software  doesn’t have the feature you are looking for today, they may be releasing it next week. The best companies are constantly iterating and releasing new features regularly.

Interested in the top product? Schedule a Canix demo to discover how easy it is to implement a seed to sale software for your cannabis business today!