Messy MTRCs: New York Compliance Rollout Sparks Petition
New York’s adult-use market is being reshaped by the forced rollout of Metrc, the state’s new track-and-trace system for licensed operators. On paper, it’s about compliance, transparency, and consumer safety. In practice, it’s grinding the supply chain to a halt and putting operators — big and small — into a chokehold of forced adaptation and rising costs.
Now, the industry is pushing back.
Petition To Stall Rollout
As of publication, over 130 operators have signed a formal petition calling for a halt or reset of New York’s Metrc implementation. The complaints aren't just noise — they reflect systemic issues that are impacting cultivators, processors, labs, distributors, and retailers across the board.
The petition calls for a reset, clearer rules (not just vendor guides), and aligned deadlines across license types — so supply chains can move without being strangled.
Grievances in the petition:
Unplanned Costs: Operators were onboarded under BioTrack. Now they’re being told to switch to Metrc and foot the bill for tags, training, and integrations — with no formal rule change or support.
Tag Shortages: Every plant, bulk pack, and unit needs a unique tag. But operators report delays and shortages, freezing inventory.
No Time to Transition
The switch happened mid-season. Operators already invested in BioTrack now face compressed Metrc deadlines.Lab Bottlenecks: Labs are required to upload test results into Metrc, but delays in lab onboarding are jamming the entire system.
Confusing Guidance: Instead of clear OCM rules, operators are told to rely on vendor trainings, creating regulatory gray areas.
Stranded Inventory: Processors and cultivators are required to be Metrc-ready — but retailers got deadline extensions. That means product can’t move legally.
Market Disruption: Frozen inventory. Missed orders. Layoffs. Burned cash. The rollout is paralyzing operations.
Fuel on the Fire: Operators were already hurting from low margins and untracked competition. Metrc is tipping many toward collapse.
No Impact Analysis: Lawsuits argue the state failed to evaluate how Metrc would hit small businesses — and rolled it out anyway.
The Timeline You Can’t Ignore
Here’s how it’s rolling out:
December 17, 2025: All licensees must be credentialed and have their inventory entered into Metrc. No excuses. No system access = no transfers.
January 12, 2026: Retailers must finish logging all pre-existing inventory. You can still sell your legacy stock for now, but any new deliveries after this point have to be Metrc-tagged.
February 28, 2026: Product leaving a distributor must have a Retail Item UID — a scannable QR code tied to test results.
March 31, 2026: Every unit at the retail level must have a Retail UID and show “TestPassed” status in Metrc. That’s the full lockdown.
Miss any of these milestones and your supply chain grinds to a halt.
Why This Hits Harder Than You Think
For small operators, the cost of tags, training, and new workflows is a lot. Each tag — whether it’s for plants, packages, or retail units — runs $0.10. That sounds small until you’re tagging 10,000+ items across your facility, printing labels, onboarding staff, and syncing everything to a POS.
To make things worse, not every POS system plays nice with every traceability platform, and integrations vary wildly from state to state. A system that runs smooth in Colorado might choke in New York. This isn’t just frustrating — it’s operationally dangerous.
Retailers get the shortest runway. They must be credentialed in Metrc by December 17, but they get until January 12 to log all existing inventory. After that, they:
Can’t receive new inventory unless it’s Metrc-compliant
Must match all units to Package UIDs
Must ensure all incoming goods are tagged and tested by March 31
While retailers don’t need to buy the Retail Item UIDs themselves, they still need to verify that every unit from a distributor has one — and that it links to a passed test. No tag, no sale.
Pro Tip: Start With Clean Your Plates
Whether you’re a micro or an MSO, get your data right from the start. Standardize your categories. Use consistent names. Match your SKUs to your physical products. Don’t wait until the system forces your hand and your paying for duplicate tags.
We’ve included a free sample category list on our site to help get your digital house in order — and starting next year, we’ll be dropping training videos on inventory systems, workflows, and how to play the compliance game without losing your mind.
At the end of the day, it’s still the same rules: Make sure the money and the counts are right — the rest is fun.
View the petition https://c.org/Kd8djPXNvk
