Staying Compliant with the
California Bureau of Cannabis Control in 2023
METRC, which stands for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking and Compliance, is the cannabis governance solution providing end-to-end tracking and tracing for all cannabis supply chain activities to dozens of states in the United States and helping ensure a closed, legal ecosystem.
The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) licenses and regulates all commercial cannabis activity across the state. It is responsible for enforcing all California regulations, including California’s Cannabis Track-and-Trace system (CCTT).
The CCTT system is an online program that all licensees must use statewide to record the inventory and movement of cannabis and cannabis products from seed to sale, including cultivation, manufacturing, retail, and testing.
The DCC has mandated the use of Metrc as the designated seed-to-sale tracking system for all commercial cannabis activity.
Metrc is now the leading track-and-trace solution in the cannabis industry. Established in 2011, the system provides state regulators with a traceable history of every single cannabis-based product sold in their jurisdiction—from cultivation and production to transportation and the final retail sale.
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Industry leaders from Distru, Trym, and Meadow walk you through the entire Cannabis supply chain from Seed to Sale.
The DCC requires that all cannabis businesses be registered and using Metrc’s track and trace system. This applies to all medical marijuana commercial licensees including:
If you’re not already using Metrc, you’ll find a list of helpful resources below that can get you started. Once you’re licensed and up and running, take a look at our Seed to Sale software to see how you can streamline your operations and simplify the entire process, saving you time and money.
Metrc is the most prevalent track and trace system in the cannabis industry. It helps both businesses and state regulators track products, improve compliance and discourage improper market behaviors. The main goals of implementing Metrc in California are to:
Metrc is now the leading track-and-trace solution in the cannabis industry. Established in 2011 in Colorado, the system provides state regulators with a traceable history of every single cannabis-based product sold in their jurisdiction—from cultivation and production to transportation and the final retail sale.
Since it’s required as part of virtually everything you do, Metrc will sit at the core of your daily operations. Staying compliant is a complex and critical part of operating a cannabis business in California.
In case you’re wondering where the name came from, Metrc is an acronym for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance.
A major part of seed to sale tracking is Radio Identifications Tags (RFID tags). These tags are single-use and attach a unique identifier to plants and packages to track every item individually throughout its lifecycle.
As the name suggests, plant tags are attached to each plant so we can always trace exactly which one a product came from.
Plant tags include:
With all of this info tracked, at any point in the produce cycle, you can also trace everything back to the exact plant and location it came from.
Metrc package tags
Similar to plant tags, a package tag gets attached to every package. Each package can contain only one type of product and is given a unique 24-digit number to identify it with.
The cost of Metrc tags in California
Plant tags cost 45c each while package tags cost 25c each.
How to purchase Metrc tags
Both plant and package tags are purchased direct from Metrc. Once logged in, you’ll find ‘Tag Orders’ under the Admin menu in the top right hand corner.
No, there are no Metrc alternatives allowed in California at all. Every cannabis business, recreational or medical, must use Metrc and remain compliant at all times.
That said, they do allow third party applications, like Distru, to help you stay compliant and streamline your workflow. We don’t replace Metrc, we leverage automation and a more user-friendly interface to make those Metrc tasks easier to manage.
Metrc contact information
info@metrc.com
support@metrc.com
Phone: 1-877-566-6506
Official Metrc resources
Official Metrc California information
California Cannabis Track-and-Trace FAQ
Guide: What is Metrc?
Metrc support and training
Government resources
California Cannabis Portal
Cannabis Program - California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Water Boards Cannabis Cultivation - California Water Boards
California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) - Measurement Standards
Creating a Cultivation Plan - CDFA
California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) support desk:
info@cannabis.ca.gov
Phone: 1‑844‑61‑CA‑DCC (1‑844‑612‑2322)
Distru offers a robust integration with Metrc’s API, enabling cannabis operators in California to easily manage their business in Distru while staying fully compliant with the state-mandated track and trace requirements.
Request a DemoMetrc is a cannabis traceability solution providing end-to-end supply chain tracking and reporting for governmental regulatory bodies and cannabis operators.
Metrc allows real-time tracking and tracing of cannabis. Licensees are able to attach unique, serialized tags or UIDs (unique identifiers) to every plant and/or package. A cannabis plant is then tracked all the way from seed to final sale to consumer using these tags which accompany the plant throughout its lifecycle.
Yes, it is mandatory for all cannabis licensees to use the CCTT-Metrc system to record, track, and maintain information about their cannabis and cannabis product inventories and activities. This includes:
For more information, visit the DCC website.
Metrc is an acronym for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance
To become Metrc certified, you must attend Metrc training sessions and pass a 40 question multiple choice test about the software functionality and terminology.
You can go to the Metrc California partner website to access the training schedule. You will need a license or application number to attend the Metrc training sessions. If you need to submit or renew an application, go to the DCC website.
Once certified, you can apply for different API endpoints that your company needs, like Plants, Plant Batches, Strains, Rooms, Harvests, etc, by requesting the API keys from Metrc. You will need to pass the sandbox API test for each endpoint to get production API access.
Overall, the process looks like this:
California is Distru’s largest market with software being provided to 150+ companies. Distru has been operating in California for over 6 years offering Cultivation, Distribution, Manufacturing, and Micro-Business licensees software to streamline supply chain and compliance.
We’ve assisted all types of cannabis companies—both small and large— including CAM Distribution and 420 Kingdom.
We've seen it all before, and we're here to help.