Metrc (Minnesota) Support Bulletin MN_IB_0037 (distributed 04/20/2026, effective 05/01/2026) explains how Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) expects operators to set up Metrc items using the correct item categories, bulk vs packaged designations, and recommended product naming practices so testing and reporting align with Minnesota’s Cannabis Technical Authority.
Bulletin purpose and what changes on May 1, 2026
This bulletin standardizes how Minnesota licensees should classify products in Metrc using OCM-defined item categories and Metrc lab test batch configurations.
The practical impact is that correct item setup drives which compliance test options appear when you create lab sample packages, helping ensure you select the required analyte groups for that product type.
Why Metrc item categories matter for Minnesota compliance
In Minnesota, Metrc item categories are not just organizational labels—they map products to the compliance testing pathways described by OCM’s technical authority.
If an item is created under the wrong category, the lab test batch options available in Metrc may not match what the product actually requires, creating avoidable rework, delays, or compliance risk when submitting samples.
Bulk vs Packaged in Metrc: what OCM means
Bulk: The product is not yet in final retail packaging. Bulk items can often be used for compliance testing, but stability and homogeneity requirements generally apply to packaged (final) forms where required.
Packaged: The product is in final compliant retail packaging with compliant labeling and predetermined amounts (by mass or count). Packaged items may be used for compliance testing, and when stability or homogeneity is required, OCM notes these evaluations must be performed on packaged forms.
Operationally, this means teams should be intentional about when they create “Bulk” items versus “Packaged” items in Metrc, because the designation affects testing workflows and when a SKU is truly retail-ready.
Minnesota Metrc item categories by product type
Cannabis and hemp flower, trim, and pre-rolls
Flower and similar raw plant material categories are primarily configured around the “Raw Plant Material” lab test batches, with optional add-ons when there is a label claim.
Cannabis Flower (Bulk): Intended for bulk sale, transfer for processing, extraction inputs, or pre-roll manufacturing prior to final retail packaging.
Cannabis Flower (Packaged): Intended for retail sale in final compliant packaging.
Cannabis Flower Deli-Style (Bulk): Intended for deli-style sales workflows while still treated as bulk in Metrc configuration.
Cannabis Shake/Trim (Bulk and Packaged): Trim/sugar leaves/bits of buds/loose trichomes; testing aligns to raw plant material pathways.
Hemp Flower (Bulk and Packaged): Hemp-derived consumer product pathways apply; OCM notes total THC must not exceed 0.3% THC for hemp flower.
Raw Cannabis Pre-Rolls (Bulk and Packaged): Non-infused pre-rolls (infused pre-rolls are handled as finished/infused products). Packaged forms are retail-ready and may trigger stability requirements depending on the configured batch.
Additional terpene testing: Terpenes testing is only required when there is a terpene label claim (for flower/pre-rolls this appears as an “Additional - Terpenes (%)” batch option).
Stability: For certain packaged raw plant material and pre-roll product types, the bulletin references “Stability Study T0 (raw plant material, infused flower, pre-rolls & infused pre-rolls)” as the configured stability pathway.
Concentrates, extracts, and vape cartridges
Concentrates are configured for contaminants and potency, with the key decision points being solvent-based vs non-solvent and inhalation vs edible consumption pathways.
Solvent-based concentrate/extract pathways: Used for products extracted with hydrocarbons, CO2, ethanol, or other solvents; these configurations include residual solvent testing.
Non-solvent concentrate/extract pathways: Used for solventless processes (for example ice water or heat/press); residual solvent testing is not part of these configured batches.
Cured/Live Resin (Bulk and Packaged): Solvent-based extraction; “cured/live” reflects starting material condition (cured/dry or fresh frozen).
Cured/Live Rosin (Bulk and Packaged): Non-solvent extraction (for example ice water/hot press) from flower or hash.
Distillate (Bulk and Packaged): Refined high-THC concentrate; generally not full-spectrum.
Full Extract Cannabis Oil / FECO (Bulk and Packaged): Alcohol-based extraction and reduction; includes RSO-style oils.
Hash (Bulk and Packaged): Compacted kief; solventless concentrate category.
Kief (Bulk and Packaged): Granular trichome-rich material from grinding/sifting; solventless.
Hash Oil (Bulk and Packaged): Concentrate created by extracting hash (for example BHO). For solventless hash-derived products, the bulletin directs operators to use rosin categories.
Cannabis Vape Cartridge (Bulk and Packaged): Pre-filled cannabis concentrate cartridges for inhalation; packaged indicates final retail packaging.
Hemp Concentrate (Naturally Occurring) (Bulk and Packaged): Hemp concentrate intended for inhalation with total THC not exceeding 0.3% THC in the final hemp concentrate.
Hemp Concentrate (Artificially Derived) (Bulk): Hemp concentrate where chemical makeup is changed after extraction using a catalyst other than heat or light; the bulletin notes this item may be limited to sales to other manufacturing license holders and is not available for retail sale.
Hemp Vape Cartridge (Bulk and Packaged): Hemp-derived consumer product vape cartridges; packaged indicates final retail packaging.
Additional terpene testing: Required only when there is a terpene label claim or terpenes are added as an ingredient (shown as “Additional - Terpenes (%)” for concentrates).
Additional THC purity testing: The bulletin states that any concentrate that may contain artificially derived cannabinoids must be tested for purity using the “Additional - THC Purity” batch.
Stability for concentrates and vapes: Concentrates use “Stability Study T0 (concentrate/extract).” For vape cartridges, stability must include heavy metals due to the risk of metals leaching from cartridge components (configured as “Stability Study T0 (Vape Cartridge)”).
Item detail expectations: The bulletin notes bulk concentrate items should include target CBD% and THC% in item details, while packaged concentrate items should include overall content and serving size CBD and THC amounts in item details.
Finished products (infused edibles and infused non-edibles)
Finished products are made from flower or concentrates that have already passed testing for relevant contaminants, so the configured testing for these items focuses on potency and microbial-related analytes, plus stability and homogeneity where required.
Key configured testing concept: For these categories, Metrc lab test batches commonly include potency and microbial/water activity, and homogeneity is required for products with individual unit potency (for example unit-dosed edibles or consistently dosed packaged infused goods).
Cannabis Beverages (Bulk and Packaged): Drinkable liquid containing cannabis extract; bulk typically exists in a production vessel prior to packaging. The bulletin notes cannabis beverages cannot contain artificially derived cannabinoids.
Cannabis Edible (Bulk and Packaged): Human-consumable products containing cannabinoids with food ingredients (for example gummies, candy, baked goods). The bulletin states this category does not include artificially derived cannabinoids, lower-potency hemp edibles, or cannabis beverages.
Cannabis-Derived Tinctures (Bulk and Packaged): Oral solutions derived from cannabis plant or extract in food-grade solvents/oils and sold with a measuring device indicating serving size; classified as an edible.
Hemp-Derived Tinctures (Bulk and Packaged): Hemp-derived consumer product tinctures with the same functional description as cannabis tinctures; classified as an edible.
Infused Cannabis Flower (Bulk and Packaged): Flower coated/sprayed/sprinkled with concentrate (for example moonrock-style products); treated as infused non-edible testing pathway in the bulletin.
Infused Cannabis Pre-Rolls (Bulk and Packaged): Pre-rolls containing concentrates within/alongside flower or applied to paper; configured under infused non-edible testing pathway.
Transdermal/Topical (Bulk and Packaged): External-use products (for example salves) under infused non-edible testing pathway.
Additional terpene testing: For finished products, terpenes testing is only required when there is a terpene label claim or terpenes are added as an ingredient (shown as “Additional - Terpenes (mg/g)” for infused edibles in the bulletin).
Stability and homogeneity: Packaged finished products may require “Stability Study T0 (Infused Products)” and “Homogeneity” depending on the category configuration.
Item detail expectations: The bulletin notes bulk finished products should include target CBD% and THC% in item details, while packaged finished products should include overall content and serving size CBD and THC amounts in item details.
Metrc item categories that do not require compliance testing
Seeds: No testing required in the bulletin’s configuration.
Packaged Immature Clones: No testing required in the bulletin’s configuration.
Minnesota Metrc lab test batches: what each batch includes
The bulletin’s Table 2 defines which analyte groups are included in each Metrc lab test batch option. Understanding these batch names helps operators select the correct sample type and anticipate the lab panel required.
Raw Plant Material (Final Form): Microbial, Water Activity, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Foreign Matter, Potency.
Raw Plant Material (For Processing): Microbial, Water Activity, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Potency.
Non-Solvent Concentrate/Extract for Inhalation: Microbial, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Potency.
Non-Solvent Concentrate/Extract for Edible: Microbial, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Potency.
Solvent Based Concentrate/Extract for Inhalation: Microbial, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Residual Solvents, Potency.
Solvent Based Concentrate/Extract for Edible: Microbial, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Residual Solvents, Potency.
Infused Edible: Microbial, Water Activity, Potency.
Infused Non-Edible: Microbial, Water Activity, Potency.
Homogeneity: Homogeneity.
Stability Study T0 (Infused Products): Microbial, Water Activity, Potency.
Stability Study T0 (concentrate/extract): Microbial, Potency.
Stability Study T0 (raw plant material, infused flower, pre-rolls & infused pre-rolls): Microbial, Water Activity, Potency.
Stability Study T0 (Vape Cartridge): Microbial, Heavy Metals, Potency.
Additional - Terpenes (%): Terpenes.
Additional - Terpenes (mg/g): Terpenes.
Additional - THC Purity: THC Purity.
Full Panel (Tribal nation use only): Microbial, Water Activity, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Residual Solvents, Potency, Terpenes.
Item naming convention in Metrc (Minnesota)
OCM does not require a specific item naming convention, but the bulletin recommends using OCM’s Metrc Product Name Generator to reduce naming errors and better align item names to OCM’s item-naming standards.
The bulletin indicates that establishments should download the spreadsheet version of the generator to use its full functionality.
Reference links: The bulletin points operators to OCM resources related to product testing and technical authority; see https://mn.gov/ocm/businesses/resources/product-testing/technical-authority.jsp and Minnesota rules at https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/9810.3100/.
Practical implications for day-to-day Metrc operations
Item creation drives testing options: Your Metrc item category selection controls which lab test batch types appear during sample submission, so classification should be treated as a compliance step—not just inventory setup.
Plan Bulk vs Packaged intentionally: Use Bulk when the product is not retail-ready and may be used as an ingredient or intermediate, and use Packaged for final retail units. This helps avoid stability/homogeneity mismatches and supports clean audit trails.
Manage label claims carefully: If you make a terpene claim (or add terpenes), you should be prepared to select the applicable “Additional - Terpenes” batch for the product type so the COA supports the label.
Watch artificially derived cannabinoid risk: The bulletin flags THC purity testing when artificially derived cannabinoids may be present; operations should validate inputs and formulations early so the correct additional testing is selected.
Hemp THC thresholds: For hemp flower and hemp concentrate categories, the bulletin repeatedly notes total THC must not exceed 0.3% THC; inventory and formulation controls should be aligned so Metrc items and labels remain consistent with this threshold.
Vape cartridge stability expectations: If you are bringing vape SKUs to market, stability testing for vape cartridges includes heavy metals due to component leaching risk, which impacts timelines and release planning.
Labeling support: DistruLabels and DistruERP
DistruLabels: DistruLabels is a 100% free tool for creating compliant packaging and retail labels, and it can help teams keep labels aligned with Metrc Retail ID compliance by consistently placing the correct Metrc identifiers on sellable units.
DistruERP: For larger Minnesota operators who need full supply chain management beyond labeling, DistruERP is Distru’s comprehensive Cannabis ERP platform designed to support end-to-end operations (inventory, manufacturing, sales, and compliance workflows) alongside Metrc processes.
Metrc support and learning resources
Metrc Support Portal: Contact Metrc Support via https://support.metrc.com or through the Support menu inside the Metrc system. The bulletin notes first-time portal access requires your state selection, facility license number, and a valid email to set a password.
Metrc Learn: Metrc Learn provides interactive training organized into facility-specific programs and courses based on experience level.
In-system resources: The Metrc Support dropdown also provides access to guides, manuals, and other educational resources relevant to Minnesota workflows.
