IndicaOnline Prepares for METRC Reporting Compliance Integration

California is still awaiting the implementation of Franwell’s METRC Reporting System for licensed cannabis retailers. The online tracking system provides complete transparency of the supply chain for the medical and recreational marijuana industry. METRC is already in effect for Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Maryland, and Michigan.

The State of California is mandating that all licensed cannabis retailers report inventory and sales figures so regulators can use the system for industry oversight. Additionally, METRC will provide marijuana dispensaries with data regarding sales and inventory that can help improve performance.

As key component of cannabis compliance, dispensary data will need to be submitted on a daily basis. This process could potentially double the workload of licensed retailers and add hundreds of man hours annually.

Fortunately, one benefit to using the METRC reporting system is that it does support third party vendor integration. Cannabis software developers must complete a training course to qualify for the API (Application Programming Interface) integration.

In preparation for integration, IndicaOnline has taken the training classes and passed the METRC certification test. Our software developers have been working diligently ever since, to ensure a smooth transition for cannabis retailers once METRC reporting is initiated. Part of our mission is to provide simple solutions for dispensary owners and employees as such we’re offering managed compliance integration with METRC.

While many cannabis software providers will promise METRC integration, it is important to understand the different degrees of integration.

Simple Compliance Integration

This type of integration provides the most basic protocols of METRC reporting. Marijuana point-of-sale software that uses simple compliance integration has been approved for track-and-trace communication with METRC but the functionality is subpar and requires a fair amount of manual data entry.

Below are a few indications that your dispensary POS software only uses simple compliance integration.

• The certified administrator must login to METRC to submit reports.

• Error messages pop-up when attempting to submit .CSV files.

• Dispensary staff must manually add METRC identification numbers to the POS system.

• Several steps are necessary to complete daily sales and inventory reports.

METRC API Integration

While this certainly a more advanced level of integration, there are some elements of compliance that will still need to be managed and monitored. Using API integration will significantly decrease the amount time spent on inventory and sales reporting however there is still room for human error.

Below is a brief list of what marijuana dispensaries can expect from a METRC API integration.

• Exportable reports for daily METRC submissions.

• Purchase orders sync with METRC API.

• Manual login for adjusting and closing batches.

• State compliance not guaranteed.

Managed Compliance Integration

This is the most comprehensive integration with the METRC reporting system. Managed compliance reporting automates much of the reporting process and allows cannabis retailers to continue focussing on sales and customer service. Dispensary owners can bypass manual data entry and avoid logging into the METRC system all together.

Below are some benefit of using dispensary POS software capable of managed compliance integration.

• Sales and inventory reports sync in real-time with METRC API

• All purchase orders sync automatically

• Automated sales adjustments and batch closures

• Guaranteed compliance reporting

• Logging into METRC not required

IndicaOnline plans to implement managed compliance integration in the coming months to ensure cannabis retailers avoid infractions and unnecessary fines. Sign-up for a free 14-day trial to get familiar with the many ways our cannabis software can help boost your dispensary sales.