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State Moves Closer to Cannabis Licensing Program as Deadline Looms

The passage of Prop. 64 legalized cannabis use and manufacturing in California but did not offer a business framework. Since the November 2016 vote, several state entities have been working together to create regulations. Jan. 1 is the deadline for implementing those regulations, since the state will start issuing sale licenses.

The passage of Prop. 64 legalized cannabis use and manufacturing in California but did not offer a business framework. Since the November 2016 vote, several state entities have been working together to create regulations. Jan. 1 is the deadline for implementing those regulations, since the state will start issuing sale licenses.

The Cannabis Licensing, Enforcement and Reporting (CLEaR) project is part of the implementation process, overseen by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The software will license producers and sellers, as well as track the sale, distribution and transportation of medical cannabis as it relates to AB 243 and 266, as wells as SB 643.

The agile-based software is considered a "medium criticality" project and is being tracked by the California Department of Technology as it moves toward its June 30 deadline.

So far, the $16 million project is in good health, showing it coming in on time and within budget. The most recent reporting period was October, and the project was listed as 51 percent complete. So far the actual cost has been $3.9 million, or 24 percent of the project's estimate.

The scrum teams associated with the project have received a green rating from the CDT for governance, meaning they are well-established and empowered to handle the project. The teams have clear plans for the start and completion of each sprint and the resources necessary for them.

Project quality is marked as "cautionary" on the CDT's metrics for the project because tracking and issues relating to experience feedback were identified as risks. So far, no corrective action plans are in place.

Kayla Nick-Kearney was a staff writer for Techwire from March 2017 through January 2019.