Metrc (California) Bulletin CA IB 2026-001 (effective 02/02/2026) announces the new Metrc Industry Sandbox, a secure practice environment that mirrors key Metrc workflows using demo data. This article explains what the Sandbox is, how California licensees access it, what resets and notifications mean for daily operations, and where to find Metrc training and support resources.
What the Metrc Industry Sandbox is (California)
The Metrc Industry Sandbox is a simulated training environment built to help cannabis operators explore Metrc functionality without impacting live compliance reporting. It is designed to closely resemble the primary Metrc system in California, but it uses demo data so actions are temporary and intended for learning, onboarding, and workflow testing.
Why Metrc released the Sandbox
Metrc developed the Industry Sandbox in response to user feedback requesting a safer way to train staff, practice common tasks, and test scenarios without creating real compliance records or risking mistakes in the production system.
What operators can do in the Sandbox
- Practice core workflows safely using demo data, including navigation and common tasks, without real-world consequences.
- Train new team members in a realistic interface that behaves like Metrc while keeping training activity non-permanent.
- Access via the main Metrc interface without needing a separate training platform to locate or learn.
- Reduce confusion between environments through system messaging and alerts indicating you are in a simulated environment.
- Explore additional license types that may not be available to your operation in the live system, enabling broader learning and testing.
Practical implications for day-to-day cannabis operations
For California operators, the Sandbox is most valuable as a way to reduce avoidable compliance errors caused by training in production. Instead of teaching receiving, transfers, adjustments, or packaging-related workflows in the live system, teams can rehearse the exact clicks and sequences in the Sandbox, then execute correctly in production.
This is especially useful when onboarding new inventory staff, cross-training managers, validating standard operating procedures, or preparing for high-volume events where data accuracy matters (for example, intake days, large packaging runs, or frequent wholesale fulfillment).
What the Sandbox is not
The Sandbox does not replace the live Metrc system for compliance reporting. It mirrors permissions and configuration, but it uses demo data and may have some features that are not fully functional.
How to access the Metrc Industry Sandbox in California
To use the Metrc Industry Sandbox, you must have active credentials for the main Metrc system. Access starts from within Metrc and requires an email-based setup step.
Initial setup process (email link required)
Log in to the main Metrc system using your active credentials.
Open the Support area from the Metrc navigation.
Select Metrc Sandbox.
When prompted, enter the email address associated with your Metrc account to initiate setup.
Select the option to submit the setup request (the system begins preparing your Sandbox access).
Watch for a confirmation message in Metrc indicating setup is underway.
Monitor your inbox for a Sandbox setup email (typically delivered within 5–15 minutes).
Use the email’s direct access link before it expires.
When redirected to the Sandbox, review and accept the user agreement to proceed.
Metrc notes that the same email entry and link process applies not only to initial setup, but also after future Sandbox resets.
Ongoing access after you have used the one-time link
After you have completed the email-link access at least once, you can return to the Sandbox from inside Metrc:
Log in to Metrc.
Open the Support dropdown/menu.
Select Metrc Sandbox.
Use the on-screen button to proceed to the Sandbox.
Exiting the Sandbox and returning to production Metrc
To leave the Sandbox, close the window/tab. Metrc also notes that you may be logged out automatically after the system timeout duration is reached.
Data resets, notifications, and what “temporary” means
In California’s Metrc Industry Sandbox, the system mirrors your main Metrc permissions, but uses demo data instead of live compliance reporting data. This means you can practice freely, but you should not expect training entries to persist.
Quarterly reset cadence (and possible unscheduled resets)
Metrc states demo data will be reset approximately quarterly, with historical data cleared during each reset. Metrc also indicates it may reset the Sandbox at any time.
Banner reminders inside the Sandbox
A banner message displays above the navigation toolbar indicating that the Sandbox is a simulated environment for training only, that actions are temporary, and that the system will reset periodically. The banner also includes the next planned reset date (displayed as a date value in the system).
Operationally, this matters because any internal training curriculum should assume that examples, practice packages, and sample records may disappear. If you use the Sandbox to document training completion, store that documentation outside the Sandbox (for example, in your LMS or internal training records).
User profile differences in the Sandbox
Metrc notes that Sandbox user profiles will not display password or security question fields. However, users can still update their preferred default facility for practice, which can help training teams keep sessions consistent.
Metrc support and training resources referenced in the bulletin
Metrc Support Portal
Metrc directs users to its Support Portal at https://support.metrc.com. The bulletin notes first-time portal access may require a username (established when logging in), the applicable state and facility license number, and a valid email to set a password.
Metrc Learn training platform
Metrc Learn provides interactive training content to build system competency and improve workflow efficiency. Metrc indicates users can access training registration from within the Metrc system via the Support area by selecting “Sign up for Training,” and can locate Sandbox-specific training content such as “Introducing the Metrc Sandbox.”
Metrc Expert and “What’s New”
For additional product information, Metrc references searching topics via the Metrc Expert icon and reviewing “What’s New in Metrc” for updates related to the Industry Sandbox.
How the Sandbox supports packaging and Retail ID readiness
While the Sandbox focuses on practice and training inside Metrc, operators can also use it to validate internal workflows that touch labeling and item readiness, such as how packaged inventory is organized, how retail-ready SKUs are structured, and how teams prepare for point-of-sale and fulfillment processes that depend on accurate identifiers.
DistruLabels is a 100% free tool for creating compliant packaging and retail labels, and it can help teams align label workflows with Metrc-related requirements such as consistent identifiers and Metrc Retail ID handling. Using the Sandbox for Metrc workflow training alongside a dedicated label tool can reduce operational friction by letting staff rehearse the end-to-end process (from packaging decisions to label output) before executing in production.
For larger multi-department operations that need deeper operational control beyond training, DistruERP is Distru’s comprehensive Cannabis ERP platform designed to support complete supply chain management across cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations.
Bulletin reference
Metrc Support Bulletin: CA IB 2026-001
Subject: Metrc Industry Sandbox now available
Distribution / Effective Date: 02/02/2026
