METRC: Alaska
METRC Alaska
A division of Alaska’s Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, The Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office (AMCO) is responsible for overseeing the cannabis industry in Alaska.
ALASKA METRC COMPLIANCE
AMCO was created to regulate Alaska’s adult-use cannabis operators. AMCO oversees the cannabis industry in the state, including all growers, manufacturers, and dispensaries. AMCO sees Metrc compliance as crucial to having real-time access to all cannabis activity in Alaska.
Seed to sale means tracking a marijuana plant, from its first planting, to its sale, when a consumer or patient purchases the marijuana products at a dispensary. The compliance statewide reporting system allows for full visibility and transparency, with the state’s primary goal to prevent illicit sale and movement of cannabis.
The compliance information that is reported to the state via the Metrc system includes seed or clone purchase, germination dates, planting and harvest dates, strains and batch numbers, harvest batch numbers, testing records, and the contact information of other cannabis business owners that you worked with.
METRC TRAINING IN ALASKA
Cannabis businesses in Alaska must all undergo official Metrc training which can be accessed here. In addition, Metrc will announce any in-person training on a bulletin on their site.
3rd party consultancies like our friends at RMCC (Rocky Mountain Cannabis Consulting ) provide Metrc training, compliance audit and general Metrc support to the cannabis industry across the US. Considering how sparse Metrc’s library of videos/articles is, it may be a good idea to seek supplemental training and assistance elsewhere.
WHAT IS METRC?
Metrc (Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting & Compliance), founded in 2013, is contracted by states with medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis regulations to provide track-and-trace compliance software. These states have the requirement to track cannabis product from cultivation all the way to the end customer or patient.
The statewide monitoring system ensures compliance data is collected for all cannabis plant and cannabis product movement. Metrc uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and serialized item tracking.
The company behind Metrc has decades of experience building RFID technology in industries like food and pharmaceuticals, where regulatory compliance is a priority . Each state with cannabis regulations has accepted proposals from software vendors to provide traceability software. Metrc is one of several software vendors that provide governments a centralized software system from which they can get real time data on cannabis activity that’s entered into Metrc via RFID tags.
COSTS INVOLVED IN Alaska METRC
In Alaska, all licensees must pay a $40 monthly support fee. This covers Metrc support and training. Licensees must also purchase the tags for their plants and marijuana products. Cannabis plant tags are $0.45 per tag while package tags are $0.25 per tag.
To read more about costs involved in Alaska Metrc and Metrc tags, see Metrc’s Alaska FAQ.
WHERE IS METRC LOCATED?
Metrc headquarters is located in Lakeland, FL.
WHO OWNS METRC SOFTWARE?
Metrc used to be owned by Franwell. However, it has now changed its official company name to Metrc LLC.
TOP 4 TIPS TO STAY COMPLIANT
It’s critical that your company stays compliant with state regulations and the requirements to report to the Alaska Metrc system. The following are the top 4 tips to stay compliant with Alaska Metrc.
- Perform regular inventory management + reconciliation
- Train yourself and others on your team
- Create a culture of compliance
- Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
While there are 3rd party resources out there to help ease the learning curve, always consult with Metrc state regulators for the most up to date and accurate information.
HOW SOFTWARE CAN HELP
Trym automates compliance with the Metrc system per Alaska’s AMCO requirements. While some smaller cannabis businesses choose to enter information by hand or upload spreadsheets into Metrc, others enlist the help of a 3rd party seed to sale software company, like Trym.
Automation centralizes data in an organization and encourages productivity and increases efficiency. Trym connects to the state system via Metrc API. Our Alaska Metrc integration streamlines reporting data to Metrc and to the state.
Instead of inputting data into Metrc, cultivators also use Trym for its simplicity and usability. The added value from business management tools like task management and crop steering increases yields and improves team efficiency. Digital scales like Ohaus integrate seamlessly into Trym to make harvesting marijuana flower a breeze.
AMCO CONTACT INFO
Admin Staff: amco.admin@alaska.gov
Marijuana Handler Permit Staff: marijuana.handler@alaska.gov
Marijuana Licensing Staff: marijuana.licensing@alaska.gov
Enforcement Staff: amco.enforcement@alaska.gov
RESOURCES
License Application Portal
Alaska Cannabis Regulations
FAQ
