In mid-December 2019, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission circulated notice that they were seeking applicants from the Oregon Cannabis industry to fill positions that had opened in the state of Oregon’s Metrc users group.
From December until January 12th, over 200 Oregonians applied in hopes of gaining a position in the important group.
Erin Purchase, the Director of Operations at Kind Leaf Pendleton received congratulatory notice February 6th that out of those 200 applicants, she was chosen to participate as a member. Since the inception of Kind Leaf, Purchase has been an integral part in the development and progression of the brand into one of Oregon’s largest cannabis retailers, and compliantly tracking the State’s largest selection of cannabis products.
Member selection is determined by a number factors including:
• Well rounded representation across all license types;
• Ability to communicate process-driven solutions effectively;
• Industry knowledge applied to compliance tracking software;
What is the Metrc User Group?
According to the Metrc Oregon Wiki, the Metrc User Group is comprised of approximately 60 industry members and staff partners (OLCC/Metrc).The purpose of this group is to identify, prioritize, and vote on enhancements to the OLCC’s Cannabis Tracking System (Metrc). The Metrc User Group is the representative body of licensees, medical registrants, and individuals using the Cannabis Tracking System. The Metrc User Group has been meeting since June 2017 and meets 3 to 4 times annually at the OLCC Headquarters In Milwaukie.
What Is Metrc?
“METRC” is an acronym that stands for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance. Metrc is a track and trace software program. Metrc is meant to monitor and verify cannabis inventories and product transits in real time for all licensed cannabis businesses in the industry. Metrc consists of a simple-interface web application, web-hosted services, a mobile application for on-site inspection by regulatory inspectors, as well as a mobile application licensee use in select states.
Metrc has the ability to integrate with other systems such as BioTrackTHC, Green Bits and other on-site programs through the use of the Metrc API, which offers an additional way of industry reporting into Metrc. The Metrc API is customized to each states rules or regulations and can vary based on the individual state requirements. This software is ready to evolve and update at anytime, with the help of regualtors and end-users
The Metrc Cannabis Tracking System (CTS) is an integral part the OLCC’s responsibility to ensure that recreational marijuana products can be tracked in the regulated market. Every OLCC Recreational Marijuana licensee is required to participate in the CTS.
Metrc is responsible for the technical and operational components of the CTS; the OLCC is responsible for CTS statutory and regulatory issues.
Franwell provides licensees with training sessions and webinars to provide a thorough understanding of the CTS. Prospective licensees will be required to pass a test on their knowledge of the CTS before the OLCC issues their license.
Steve Marks, OLCC
Currently 12 states and Washington DC utilize Metrc, of those areas, few are meeting to make sweeping and effective changes to the CTS. Oregon is leading the way by creating important user features like the Oregon Metrc Wiki as mentioned above, creating online access to Lab reporting and changing how certain products are regulated and reported to ensure complete consumer safety.
Kind Leaf Journal 