3 min read

4 Reasons Cannabis Dispensaries Need Legal Marijuana Scales

December 20, 2017

One of the most frequently used pieces of hardware in a cannabis dispensary is the scale. Legal marijuana scales require a certification from NTEP (National Conference on Weights and Measures). Operating your dispensary with a non-certified NTEP scales could potentially lead to inaccurate weighing and a possible violation of state and local regulations.

Today we’ll cover a few reasons your dispensary should invest in quality legal marijuana scales and provide some valuable information on commonly used models.

Point-of-Sale Integration

Using a legal for trade scale is imperative for all marijuana dispensaries. All NTEP certified scales come standard with the capability to integrate with your dispensary POS software. Retailer staff must simply connect the scale to the POS unit using a RS-232C Interface cable.

Integrating your NTEP certified marijuana scales with your cannabis POS system will allow budtenders to precisely weigh and price flower to the miligram. One of the most trusted and widely used marijuana scales is the A&D FX-1200iN scale. This model boasts a compact super hybrid sensor that provides a lightning  fast, one-second weighing response time. It also utilizes a specially designed internal shock absorber that offers protection from vertical or transverse overloading.

It’s very important to remember to calibrate your scale once you connect it to your dispensary POS system. This will ensure all marijuana flower is accurate weighed and priced at the point-of-sale. The A&D FX-1200iN scale has proven so reliable, IndicaOnline offers this model at an affordable price point for clients who are concerned about compliance and compatibility.

Adding Inventory

Weighing new product purchased from marijuana vendors is a mandatory protocol for all cannabis retailers. Entering precise weights for multiple batches is paramount to maintaining an accurate inventory. Legal marijuana scales play a vital role in ensuring that all batches processed in the supply chain are measured exactly.

Adding inventory to your stock used to require manual data entry, however, this process is prone to human error. One incorrect number or careless decimal placement, could lead to a snowball of inaccuracies at the point-of-sale. Fortunately, using integrated legal marijuana scales will automatically input the correct weight for you. This will prevent any inventory discrepancies and allow you to add multiple batches of cannabis in less time.

Avoid Product Loss

Product loss is an area where many dispensaries can improve. While theft by customers and sometimes staff members can account for a large majority of product loss, using legal marijuana scales will reduce product loss from inventory to sale.

Ensuring that each increment sold is accounted for down to the milligram will allow budtenders to keep inventory counts current. Losing product due to a miscalculation by an inferior scale can be detrimental over an extended period of time. NTEP certified scales provide a sort of insurance policy that once calibrated correctly, precise product measurements are a certainty.

Maintain Compliance

Lastly, operating a cannabis retailer without legal marijuana scales could lead to hefty fines for regulation or state reporting infractions. Discrepancies in the amount of product sold can easily result in a compliance violation.

Any product sold by weight, including precious stones, must be sold using scales that are legal for trade. This is why it is imperative for marijuana dispensaries to use NTEP certified scales to measure the amount of cannabis in each transaction.

IndicaOnline understands the importance of using industry standard marijuana scales, and offers the A&D FX-1200iN scale as an add-on that is guaranteed to be compatible with our dispensary POS software. Contact us to find out more about our marijuana scale integration.