Metrc (Maryland) Bulletin MD_IB_0121 explains how Maryland licensees must handle items built in discontinued Metrc item categories, including how to identify impacted items, remake them in valid categories, and discontinue the old items by April 30, 2026 to reduce the risk of Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) enforcement.
What this Metrc Maryland bulletin requires
Metrc and MCA are directing licensees to stop using discontinued item categories and to recreate (remake) items using current, valid Maryland item categories. The bulletin’s operational deadline is clear: items using discontinued item categories must be remade and the old (noncompliant) items must be discontinued by April 30, 2026. After that date, items in discontinued categories may be revoked by MCA.
Day to day, this impacts how your team creates new items, how you maintain existing SKUs in Metrc, and how you prevent packaging, transfer, sales, and testing workflows from being tied to item records MCA may treat as noncompliant.
Discontinued vs current Maryland item categories (Metrc)
If your facility still has items built in any of the discontinued categories below, Metrc expects you to recreate them in the corresponding current category.
- Capsule/Chewable Gel for Oral Admin 3e Infused Edible (Capsule Only)
- Edible for Oral Admin 3e Infused Edible
- Kief 3e Concentrate (Each)
- Lozenge 3e Infused Edible
- Oils for Oral Admin 3e Tincture for Oral Administration
- Solution for Oral Admin 3e Tincture for Oral Administration
The bulletin also references prior guidance (Metrc Industry Bulletin #69) stating that packages created after adult-use item categories were implemented must be properly categorized. In practice, that means you should treat category accuracy as a compliance requirement at the time of item and package creation, not just during audits.
How to identify items using discontinued categories in Metrc
To find items that need remediation, Metrc instructs users to review the Items list and filter by category:
Go to Admin in the Metrc navigation.
Select Items to open the Items grid.
Use the filter on the Category column to search for each discontinued item category.
For each filtered view, use the Export function to download the list of affected items so you can track remediation progress across departments (production, compliance, QA, sales).
Operational implication: exporting and maintaining this list helps prevent a common failure point060teams recreating some items but leaving legacy, discontinued-category items active and still used in new package creation.
Best practices for remaking items in correct categories
Create the new item before discontinuing the old item
Metrc recommends creating the new, correctly categorized item first, then discontinuing the old one. This reduces downtime for manufacturing, packaging, and order fulfillment, especially when multiple SKUs are involved.
The new Metrc item name must be different
When you recreate an item, the new Item Name must differ by at least one character from any previously used item name. Practically, many operators use this requirement as an opportunity to clarify naming conventions (for example, adding dosage, form factor, or a version suffix) to avoid mix-ups between legacy and corrected items.
Watch for MCA item approval requirements
The bulletin notes that some items that are currently miscategorized may need to be recreated in a category that requires state approval. Operationally, this can affect production timelines. The recommended workflow is:
Create the corrected item in the proper category.
Submit for required MCA approval (if applicable) and wait for approval before use.
After approval, discontinue the older pre-existing item to reduce staff confusion and prevent accidental use.
How to discontinue an item in Metrc (and what changes)
Discontinuing is permanent
Metrc emphasizes a key system behavior: once an item is discontinued, it is removed from the Items grid and cannot be reinstated. If it is discontinued in error, you must recreate the item and (if required) obtain state approval again. This makes internal change control important060especially when multiple users manage items.
Where to discontinue the old item
To discontinue an older item, go to the Items grid, locate the item record, and use the discontinue action (the 060X060 control at the far right of the row in Metrc).
Existing packages can still move through workflows
Discontinuing an item does not invalidate existing inventory. The bulletin states that packages made with a discontinued item can still be:
Submitted for testing
Transferred
Sold from
Repackaged
To perform these actions with a discontinued item, Metrc instructs users to use the Same Item checkbox when submitting for testing, transferring, registering sales, or repackaging. Operationally, that checkbox is the bridge that lets you finish selling through or processing legacy packages while preventing new packages from being created under outdated categories.
Practical compliance impact for Maryland cannabis operators
This bulletin is primarily about preventing miscategorization from lingering in your catalog. In daily operations, the biggest risks are usually process-based:
New package creation risk: if legacy items remain active, staff may continue selecting them out of habit, creating new inventory tied to discontinued categories.
Transfer and sales friction: discontinuing too early (before creating the replacement) can slow order fulfillment, especially if staff are unclear which item record to use.
Audit exposure: continued use of discontinued categories after April 30, 2026 increases the likelihood of MCA enforcement actions, including potential item revocation as described in the bulletin.
Labeling and Retail ID alignment (Distru)
Item remediation in Metrc often triggers downstream updates060like ensuring packaging and retail labels reflect the correct item identity and required identifiers. DistruLabels is a 100% free tool that helps operators generate compliant packaging and retail labels and supports workflows tied to Metrc Retail ID compliance, reducing the chance that catalog changes create label mismatches at the point of sale or during transfers.
For larger multi-department or multi-site operations that need end-to-end inventory, purchasing, production, order management, and compliance workflows, DistruERP is Distru27s comprehensive Cannabis ERP platform designed to support complete supply chain management alongside Metrc processes.
You can learn more at https://distru.com.
Metrc support and learning resources for Maryland
Metrc Support
Metrc provides case-based support through the Support portal and by phone at 877-566-6506. Support hours listed in the bulletin are Monday06013 Friday 8 a.m.06013 10 p.m. ET, Saturday 10 a.m.06013 8 p.m. ET, and Sunday via voicemail or portal only. The bulletin notes first-time portal access requires a username (created at login), the correct state, the facility license number, and a valid email to set a password.
Metrc Learn and Metrc Expert
Metrc Learn is Metrc27s on-demand training platform for system workflows. Metrc Expert is the in-app knowledge base (accessible via the help widget in the lower right of Metrc) where Maryland operators can find the updated item category list and Maryland-specific guidance referenced in this bulletin.
Metrc.com
State partner pages and additional training resources are available at https://www.metrc.com.
