METRC: California
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METRC california
Medical use of marijuana/cannabis has been legal since Proposition 215, the “Compassionate Use Act,” passed in 1996.
After Proposition 64 legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, the legislature passed the passed the “Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act” (“MAUCRSA”), creating a combined regulatory system for both medical and recreational marijuana.
Three separate state cannabis programs were formed to license and regulate cannabis in California. Since, they have merged to form a single new state department called the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). DCC now licenses and regulates all commercial cannabis activity in California.
Metrc won the medical marijuana tracking software contract for California in 2017. Metrc, the state’s contracted service provider for the track-and-trace system, won the software contract in 2017.
california METRC COMPLIANCE
The California Cannabis Track-and-Trace (CCTT) system is the program used statewide to record the inventory and movement of cannabis and cannabis products through the commercial cannabis supply chain
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.
All licensed cannabis businesses are required to use Metrc for tracking and reporting the activity and movement of cannabis products through the cannabis supply chain. In order comply with California regulations, all cannabis cultivators must:
- Hold an active, annual license
- Register and complete Metrc training
- Order and receive Metrc tags
- Adhere to reporting requirements
One clarification we feel important to make: Metrc is not a compliance system. It’s simply a software tool that allows cannabis operators to report data to the state. This may seem like a small detail, but there are many actions that can be performed in Metrc that are not compliant with California state regulations.
METRC TRAINING IN CALIFORNIA
Cannabis businesses in California must all undergo official Metrc training. Sign up for training on Metrc’s website by clicking on the ‘Training Signup’ button. You’ll need to enter your license number to register. In addition, Metrc will announce any in-person training via bulletins 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. And be sure to download our free Metrc guide for growers below!
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 California METRC
In California, unlike most other states, there is no cost to use Metrc or receive tags. Support and training are included in the license fees paid to the state.
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 California Metrc system. The following are the top 4 tips to stay compliant with California 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 California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) 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 California 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.
DOWNLOAD the CALIFORNIA METRC GUIDE FOR GROWERS.
There’re few resources available for Metrc education, so we created an easy-to-read Metrc Guide just for cultivators. For tips, tricks and workflows on how to grow that fine cannabis, compliantly, download a copy of our Metrc Guide here.
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