Regulatory compliance is often the first thing that comes to mind when running a successful cannabis retail operation. In most US states, this means managing compliance regulations through government-contracted software systems like Metrc and BioTrack.
In order to stay compliant, dispensaries are expected to submit information on the products they’ve sold into these systems. The process can be challenging to navigate for cultivators and dispensary owners alike, but it’s essential for maintaining the legal cannabis framework. State governments must balance public health and safety with the business needs of the regulated cannabis industry.
If your dispensary is in one of the 19 states currently partnered with Metrc, maintaining compliance at your dispensary could be daunting and complicated depending on the technology you're using. Luckily, cannabis compliance is at the heart of Dutchie POS—offering a seamless two-way integration and best-in-class support that makes Metrc compliance a breeze for cannabis dispensaries. In this post, we’ll discuss:
First thing’s first.
Metrc is a cloud-based reporting system that tracks the production of cannabis and cannabis products from seed to sale.
Metrc collects all data on cannabis materials via Unique Identifier Numbers (UIDs) on growing plants, as well as the resulting packages of cannabis products. As these change hands in the supply chain, each transfer is recorded in Metrc’s cloud system—allowing for the tracing of steps from seed to sale. Metrc’s ultimate goal is to increase safety and transparency in the cannabis industry.
Many cannabis POS systems either don’t support real-time reporting to Metrc, or only support it in a limited number of states.
Manual Metrc syncing can hamper your operations because it affects inventory and data accuracy. So even if your state doesn’t require it, real-time sync with state traceability is a must-have for accurate inventory reporting and smooth dispensary operations.
Updated inventory at all times: End of day uploads are not ideal because, until the data is uploaded, the inventory in the state traceability system will not reflect that day’s sales, transfers, changes, etc. — resulting in inaccurate inventory reporting. Accurate inventory is the foundation on which good business operations are built, especially in a highly-regulated industry like cannabis.
In states that pull purchase limit information from the state traceability system, not having real-time sync means that customer and patient purchase limits may not be up-to-date as sales that occurred that day will not be reflected until that night or the next day. This could result in overselling which is a big compliance concern or, in the cultivation context, it could result in inaccurate plant counts, having more plants than your license allows, etc.
Dutchie POS syncs with Metrc via a 2-way API that automatically pushes all transactions, adjustments, and corrections to the Metrc tracking system. Our real-time reporting transmits sales days to Metrc within hundredths of a millisecond to one second after the sale is completed. Time of sale is always reported as of the time of checkout.
Unlike "end of day" reporting, which forces retailers to manually upload reports themselves, Dutchie's 2-way API syncs with Metrc in real-time and eliminates time-consuming and error-prone workflows. Plus, in states that mandate real-time Metrc reporting, only POS systems with live-sync Metrc capability can satisfy compliance requirements.
Even if connection issues arise, Dutchie POS has a batch reporting system built into Metrc—so when Metrc is down, we continue to push transactions and other inventory data while the system comes back online.
Dutchie POS's real-time integration with Metrc increases operational stability, provides peace of mind, and helps you maintain compliance by automatically reporting actions performed in Dutchie POS to Metrc.
With the Dutchie POS Metrc integration, you can:
Ready to explore Dutchie POS? Contact us for a demo today.
Dutchie is the leading technology partner for cannabis retailers of all sizes. With a range of solutions covering point of sale, payments, ecommerce, insurance, and more, Dutchie empowers dispensaries to run efficiently, scale their operation easily, stay compliant, and offer outstanding experiences to the customers who rely on them.
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