Metrc (New York) issued Support Bulletin NY_IB_0014 to clarify that Item Brand will become a required field in Metrc for certain products starting May 15, 2026; this article explains what changes, who is affected, how to update your Metrc item catalog, and what the day-to-day operational impact will be for compliance with New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) expectations.
Bulletin summary: what changed and when
Bulletin: Metrc Support Bulletin NY_IB_0014
Distribution date: May 1, 2026
Effective date: May 15, 2026
Change in Metrc: Item Brand becomes a required field for all applicable items moving forward.
Who must comply (and who is excluded)
The requirement applies to all facility types using Metrc in New York except Testing Labs. If your license type uses Metrc to create or manage sellable items, you should assume this requirement applies unless you are a testing laboratory.
Which items require an Item Brand
New York requires Item Brands to be recorded for final form, count-based (“Each”) items. In practical terms, this is most commonly the retail-ready inventory that is counted by unit (for example, individual packaged units) rather than weighed in bulk.
Key implication: This is not only a “new item” requirement—Metrc states that previously created items must be updated to include Item Brand information.
Why OCM and Metrc are enforcing Item Brand
Item Brand is a standardized data point that improves product traceability and consistency across inventory, transfers, manifests, and retail contexts. Requiring Item Brand helps OCM and operators align product identity across facilities and reduces ambiguity caused by inconsistent naming conventions in item catalogs.
How to comply in Metrc: create Item Brands
Where to go: In Metrc, navigate to the Admin menu and select Item Brands.
Create brands: Select Add Item Brands, enter the brand name, and create the record.
One at a time: Metrc guidance indicates Item Brand names must be entered individually (create each brand as its own record).
Data hygiene tip: Standardize capitalization and naming (for example, “Brand Name” vs. “BRANDNAME”) to avoid duplicates that can confuse staff and integrations.
How to comply in Metrc: update existing Items
Where to go: In Metrc, navigate to Admin and select Items.
Edit: Select an item from your available items list and choose Edit Items.
Add Item Brand: Select the appropriate Item Brand you created and associate it to the item.
Fill missing details: Add or confirm the item description if it was not previously completed.
Save: Select Save Items.
This update requirement matters operationally because existing item records often power downstream workflows (package creation, conversions, transfers, retail product mapping, and reporting). Waiting until the effective date can create bottlenecks if you have a large legacy item catalog.
How to comply in Metrc: create new Items with Item Brand
Where to go: In Metrc, navigate to Admin and select Items, then choose Add Item.
Required fields (as described by Metrc): Include Item Name, Item Category, Unit of Measure, Item Brand, THC content, Unit Weight, Public Ingredients, and Allergens.
Practical takeaway: Treat Item Brand as a core part of item setup (similar to category and unit of measure) so your team does not build new items that fail validation after May 15, 2026.
API note for integrators: retrieving Item Brands
Metrc included an API reference for retrieving active Item Brands by facility, which is relevant if you use an integration, build internal tools, or maintain a middleware layer between Metrc and your ERP/POS.
Endpoint: GET /items/v2/brands
Purpose: Retrieve a list of active item brands for a specified facility.
Key parameter: licenseNumber (the facility license number)
Optional parameters: pageNumber, pageSize (Metrc notes pagination is disabled by default and can be enabled up to 20 records per page)
Integration impact: If your software creates or updates items, ensure your item-creation payloads and data mappings can populate Item Brand for applicable “Each” items, and ensure your brand list is synchronized so staff select valid values.
Day-to-day operational impact for cannabis operators
Item catalog governance becomes more important: Many compliance issues start with inconsistent item setup. Requiring Item Brand increases the need for controlled item creation, review, and de-duplication.
Staff workflows will change: Expect added steps for inventory admins creating new items and for teams cleaning up legacy item records. Plan training so staff understand when Item Brand is required (final form, “Each”).
Downstream accuracy improves: When Item Brand is consistently applied, reporting, audits, and product identification across transfers and retail operations becomes more reliable.
Timeline planning: Because existing items must be updated, operators should plan time before May 15, 2026 to avoid disruption to packaging, product setup, and sales-related workflows that depend on item records.
Packaging and retail labels: where Item Brand meets compliance
While Metrc’s bulletin focuses on the Metrc item record, “brand” information often appears on packaging and retail labels and may be used operationally when mapping products to retail menus and ensuring accurate product identification.
DistruLabels: DistruLabels is a 100% free tool for creating compliant packaging and retail labels, and it can help teams keep label data aligned with Metrc product records—especially when you need consistent identifiers to support Metrc Retail ID compliance and day-to-day label printing.
DistruERP: For larger operators that need complete supply chain management, DistruERP is Distru’s comprehensive Cannabis ERP platform designed to support end-to-end operations (including inventory, order workflows, and data consistency) alongside Metrc compliance requirements.
Where to get help and official resources
Metrc Support Portal: Submit requests through Support.Metrc.com (also accessible from within Metrc via the Support dropdown). First-time access typically requires your state, facility license number, and a valid email to set a password.
Metrc Learn: Metrc Learn provides structured training programs by facility type and experience level.
Metrc API support: For API-specific questions, contact api-info@metrc.com.
Compliance note: This article summarizes Metrc’s NY_IB_0014 bulletin and operational considerations; always follow the latest OCM rules and Metrc guidance for your license type and product categories.
