Frequently asked questions
What CustodyLinx is, how it proves custody, and how it files to the regulator. Plain answers, no hand-waving.
- What is CustodyLinx?
- A global track-and-trace, chain-of-custody, and compliance platform for the movement of controlled cannabis and hemp biomass. It generates and pre-validates shipping manifests, files to the government system of record, proves custody with sensors and signatures, and assembles an audit-ready compliance binder for every shipment.
- Who is it for?
- Licensed operators who move controlled product between cultivators, processors, labs, distributors, retailers, and pharmaceutical buyers, including bulk biomass linehaul and last-mile delivery, across state lines and borders.
- What makes the chain of custody trustworthy?
- Every custody event (receive, test, transfer, load, depart, checkpoint, deliver, reconcile) is appended to a hash-chained log enforced in the database. Each event references the prior event's hash, so the chain is tamper-evident and provable in an audit. Records are append-only; they cannot be edited or deleted.
- How is CustodyLinx secured?
- Tenant isolation is enforced in the database with row-level security on a default-deny model, the custody log is append-only and hash-chained, and the audit trail is immutable. Documents live in private storage served by short-lived signed links, and secrets live in a vault, never in source. The full posture is on the Security and trust page.
- Does it file to Metrc?
- Yes. CustodyLinx files to the system of record through a thin adapter layer: receive packages by UID, associate lab tests, build and submit transfer manifests, record receipt, and reconcile nightly. Connections are configured per state in Integrations.
- Which states and systems are supported?
- California (Metrc) is live first, with the core 4 CCR 15417 transport rules encoded. BioTrack, Washington CCRS, Leaf Data Systems, and Canada CTLS are on the roadmap. Because jurisdictions and rules are effective-dated data, adding one is a data change, not a code change.
- Is CustodyLinx the system of record?
- No. The government track-and-trace system is the system of record. CustodyLinx is the operator's working copy that pre-validates, files to the regulator, and reconciles against it.
- How is the manifest pre-flight different from a checklist?
- Every manifest is evaluated against the destination jurisdiction's live rulebook before dispatch. Verifiable failures (missing license, no dedicated GPS, no driver) become blocking compliance holds. Physical rules the software cannot verify are recorded as operator-attested, never silently passed as compliant.
- What happens on a diversion or route deviation?
- It becomes a reportable compliance incident with the regulator's deadline clock armed automatically (California requires reporting theft, loss, or deviation within 24 hours). It surfaces on the exceptions board, the dispatch war-room map, and the notifications center until reported and resolved.
- Does it alert me when something needs attention?
- Yes. CustodyLinx raises in-app notifications for the events that matter: a diversion arming the 24-hour clock, a manifest going on hold, a document rejected in review, and a filing result. They collect in the notifications center with an unread count in the header. Email and text delivery for the safety and compliance critical alerts is on the roadmap.
- How is data secured?
- Row-level security is the security model, default deny, with tenant isolation enforced in the database. Every mutating action is written to an append-only audit log with actor and IP. The custody log is immutable and hash-chained. Encryption of sensitive identifiers and a full SOC 2 posture are on the roadmap and treated as product requirements, not an afterthought.
- Can I get a compliance binder for a shipment?
- Yes. Every manifest produces a branded, print-ready compliance binder: the shipment details, pre-flight findings, manifest contents, sensor evidence, and the full chain of custody with verification.
- What about international import and export?
- Cross-border movement with paired import and export permits, customs documentation, and pharmaceutical-grade attestations is framed in the architecture but not in the current build. It will be built against a concrete first lane.
- How do I get access?
- The operator app is invite-only. An administrator creates your operator and invites your team with the right role.