Table of Contents
- METRC Maryland
- Requirements to use METRC
- Maryland Cannabis Laws Compliance
- Tips and Best Practices
Understanding METRC Maryland: A Comprehensive Guide for Cannabis Businesses
As many states rethink the legalization of marijuana, an interesting debate between recreational vs. medical use has arisen.
The state of Maryland legalized medical cannabis in 2014, and voters approved adult-use marijuana in 2022, with sales set to begin in July 2023. Like many other states, Maryland utilizes the Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance system (METRC) as the state’s cannabis tracking system.
Below is a comprehensive overview of the METRC system in Maryland.
METRC MARYLAND
METRC is a seed-to-sale tracking system specifically designed for the regulation of legalized cannabis. Combining advanced software, radio-frequency identification technology (RFID), and a secure database, METRC utilizes real-time reporting to track and trace a cannabis seed from its growth and harvest to the processing, testing, transportation, and eventual retail sale of the finished product.
The METRC system uses RFID tags embedded with a unique chip that is attached to products or containers. These tags are human-readable and also emit a signal that can be picked up by a special reader, transmitting that information to a central database where it can be analyzed.
METRC Requirements: Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Registration
Every business owner with a cannabis license in Maryland is required by the MMCC to participate in the statewide tracking program. While METRC is in charge of implementing the technical and operational aspects of the system, it’s the commission that manages the overall program, including compliance and enforcement of the Maryland cannabis laws.
Once an MMCC application has been received, prospective Maryland cannabis licensees will be required to take and pass a knowledge-based test of the METRC system in order to get their license. After that, employees of growers, distributors, and dispensaries will also be able to go through training sessions and webinars in order to bring a more thorough understanding of the program and its functions.
Transparency and Compliance with Maryland Cannabis Laws
METRC plays an essential role in helping states not only secure their cannabis markets, but build public trust, enhance compliance, and ensure health and safety. The valuable data and insights provided to growers, processors, retailers, and regulators through transparent real-time reporting can allow those associated with Maryland’s cannabis industry to:
- Tighten security of the regulated cannabis market
- Simplify product recall
- Document chain of custody
- Ensure proper tax revenue accounting
- Ease inspection, auditing, and reporting burdens
METRC Tips and Best Practices
There are two ways for a cannabis business owner who has, for instance, successfully gone through the Maryland dispensary application process to make sure their compliance reports from their point of sale are sent to METRC:
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- Manual Reporting to METRC – data needs to be exported from your cannabis POS via a CSV file, formatted correctly, and then uploaded manually to METRC. The method provides some control over reporting, but it’s time-consuming, labor-intensive, and susceptible to human error.
- Reporting to METRC via API Push – Software solutions with an API can push or pull information from one system to another. A controlled API push, specifically, allows a cannabis business owner the ease and convenience of automatic integration while also allowing for the double-checking of data before it’s reported to regulators.
Third-Party Integration
365 Cannabis is a validated third-party vendor for METRC in Maryland. 365 Cannabis offers inventory control and tracking that is capable of interfacing with METRC to track cannabis from seed to sale.
We will continue to update this page regularly as new legislation is passed or if updates occur. We encourage you to always check the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission website for the most up-to-date and detailed information.