Minnesota Metrc Location Types Update (2026)

Metrc (Minnesota) Support Bulletin MN_IB_0057 (effective 02/02/2026) adds new Metrc Location Types that Minnesota licensees can assign to areas in their facilities. This article explains what changed, how to use each new location type by license category, and what the update means for day-to-day compliance and inventory workflows.

Bulletin summary: what changed in Metrc Minnesota

Starting 02/02/2026, additional Location Types will be available in Metrc for Minnesota cannabis businesses. Location Types are the standardized labels you apply to Metrc “Locations” (the logical areas where inventory and plants are stored or processed). Using the right type helps align your Metrc records with real operational areas like drying rooms, quarantine cages, vaults, and sales shelves.

Why Location Types matter for cannabis compliance

In Metrc, Locations are where you place cannabis plants, packages, and other tracked inventory. Accurate Location Type assignment supports stronger internal controls and clearer records during inspections, audits, product holds, and recalls.

Practically, this update gives Minnesota operators more precise options for common workflows such as post-harvest processing, frozen harvest handling, retention sample storage, and retail event inventory staging.

Metrc Minnesota Location Types by license type

Cultivation: new and clarified facility areas

Minnesota cultivators will see Location Types intended to match typical grow and post-harvest zones. Use these types as follows:

• Indoor: Fully enclosed cultivation space using artificial lighting and environmental systems for consistent, year-round production.
• Outdoor: Open-air cultivation area using natural sunlight and seasonal conditions.
• Greenhouse: Semi-controlled cultivation structure using natural sunlight with supplemental lighting and climate systems.
• Processing (trimming, drying, curing): Post-harvest area where cannabis is trimmed, dried, and cured to prepare it for packaging, sale, or further manufacturing.
• Freezer: Temperature-controlled area or walk-in freezer where freshly harvested cannabis is immediately frozen.
• Storage Vault: Area where cannabis or cannabis products are stored after processing.
• Retention Sample: Area where retention samples are stored until 6 months after the expiration or best used by date has passed.
• Waste: Designated area where cannabis waste (plant material, expired products, unusable materials) is held, rendered unusable, and prepared for compliant disposal.
• Quarantine: Restricted storage area where cannabis or materials are held and prevented from use or sale during an administrative hold, recall, or issue resolution.
• Default: General-purpose classification used when an item does not yet fit a specific category or has not been assigned to its proper area.

Operational impact: If you freeze fresh harvest for extraction or processing, the new Freezer location type supports clearer tracking of “fresh frozen” material movement. Similarly, separating Processing from Storage Vault can reduce confusion when reconciling work-in-process versus finished, stored inventory.

Manufacturing: better separation of inputs, production, and finished goods

Minnesota manufacturers will have Location Types that map more directly to intake, production, and storage flows:

• Input/Raw Material Storage: Area for storing incoming cannabis biomass, ingredients, and packaging materials prior to processing.
• Processing Room (concentration, extraction, combination): Designated production space where cannabis is extracted, concentrated, refined, or combined with other ingredients to create finished products.
• Final Product Storage: Area where completed cannabis products are held before packaging, testing, or distribution.
• Retention Sample: Area where retention samples are stored until 6 months after the expiration or best used by date has passed.
• Waste: Designated area where cannabis waste (plant material, expired products, unusable materials) is held, rendered unusable, and prepared for compliant disposal.
• Quarantine: Restricted storage area where cannabis or materials are held and prevented from use or sale during an administrative hold, recall, or issue resolution.
• Default: General-purpose classification used when an item does not yet fit a specific category or has not been assigned to its proper area.

Operational impact: These types make it easier to keep Metrc Locations aligned with GMP-style controls (segregating incoming materials, active processing, finished goods, and nonconforming or held inventory). Clear separation also helps during investigations, corrective actions, and recalls where chain-of-custody and location history matter.

Retail: clear distinction between stockroom, shelf, samples, and events

Minnesota retailers will see Location Types that better match dispensary operations:

• Inventory/Stockroom: Area where cannabis products and supplies are stored, organized, and tracked before being moved to the sales floor.
• Sales floor/Shelf: Customer-accessible area where cannabis products are displayed and made available for purchase.
• Retail Samples: Area where designated sample products are stored.
• Event – Virtual: Virtual room to hold products that are brought to licensed cannabis events.
• Waste: Designated area where cannabis waste (plant material, expired products, unusable materials) is held, rendered unusable, and prepared for compliant disposal.
• Quarantine: Restricted storage area where cannabis or materials are held and prevented from use or sale during an administrative hold, recall, or issue resolution.
• Default: General-purpose classification used when an item does not yet fit a specific category or has not been assigned to its proper area.

Operational impact: Separating Inventory/Stockroom from Sales floor/Shelf supports cleaner daily reconciliations and reduces errors when staff move product for merchandising. The Event – Virtual location type is designed to keep event-designated inventory logically separated in Metrc from standard retail inventory.

Testing facilities: stability sample storage support

Minnesota testing facilities will have a specific Location Type for stability work:

• Stability Sample: Area to store lab test samples used for stability studies.
• Waste: Designated area where cannabis waste (plant material, expired products, unusable materials) is held, rendered unusable, and prepared for compliant disposal.
• Quarantine: Restricted storage area where cannabis or materials are held and prevented from use or sale during an administrative hold, recall, or issue resolution.
• Default: General-purpose classification used when an item does not yet fit a specific category or has not been assigned to its proper area.

Operational impact: A dedicated Stability Sample location helps labs maintain clearer separation between routine testing samples and longer-hold stability study materials, strengthening traceability and documentation.

Day-to-day implications for Minnesota cannabis operators

After 02/02/2026, Minnesota operators should expect that location setup and internal SOPs may need light updates so Metrc Locations match real facility usage. In practice, this often means converting generic or “catch-all” locations into more specific ones (for example, splitting one “Storage” location into Storage Vault, Quarantine, and Retention Sample where appropriate).

More precise Location Types can reduce common compliance friction points such as:

• Confusion about where held, recalled, or nonconforming inventory is stored (Quarantine).
• Gaps in post-harvest traceability between drying/curing and long-term storage (Processing vs. Storage Vault).
• Inconsistent handling of expired goods and destruction workflows (Waste).
• Documentation challenges around retained product samples (Retention Sample).

How to add or update Locations in Metrc

Metrc’s bulletin directs users to the in-system Metrc Expert knowledge base for instructions on creating Locations. In Metrc, open the Metrc Expert widget and navigate through: Explore Guides & Resources > Understanding Metrc Functionality > Admin > Locations > Add a New Location.

When you create or edit a Location, select the most accurate Location Type based on how inventory is actually stored or handled at that point in the workflow. This is especially important for areas tied to holds, recalls, waste, sample retention, and event inventory segregation.

Labeling note: Retail ID compliance and Distru tools

Location accuracy in Metrc supports inventory integrity, but compliant labeling is what ensures products can be lawfully identified at the package and retail level. For operators who need to produce compliant packaging and retail labels efficiently, DistruLabels is a 100% free tool for creating compliant labels and helps teams stay aligned with Metrc Retail ID requirements (so the correct Metrc identifiers can be reflected on retail-ready labels when needed).

For larger Minnesota operations that want end-to-end operational control beyond labels and basic workflows, DistruERP is Distru’s comprehensive Cannabis ERP platform designed for full supply chain management across cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations.

Metrc support and training resources for Minnesota licensees

Metrc Support Portal

Operators can contact Metrc Support at https://support.metrc.com. First-time portal access typically requires a username, the correct state selection, a facility license number, and a valid email to set a password.

Metrc Learn training

Metrc Learn provides interactive training on system functionality to build staff competency and improve workflow efficiency. You can access it at https://learn.metrc.com or via the Support menu in Metrc by selecting Sign up for Training.

Metrc Expert knowledge base

Metrc Expert is available inside the Metrc system via the widget icon and contains step-by-step guidance for common administrative tasks (including adding Locations) and other Metrc workflows.