Oklahoma: How to Transition to Metrc from OMMA Reporting

Oklahoma, are you ready for Metrc?

Metrc was chosen to replace the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) as Oklahoma’s seed-to-sale tracking system. After a legal setback, the restraining order that blocked Metrc’s initial implementation has been lifted.

If you’re a cannabis business owner in the state of Oklahoma, the time has come to transition to Metrc. All medical marijuana commercial licensees have until Thursday, May 26, to become fully compliant with the Metrc statewide seed-to-sale tracking system.

Here are the key dates and information related to Oklahoma’s Metrc system transition:

• February 25, 2022: OMMA, Metrc, and Plaintiffs reached an agreement allowing Metrc to move forward as the state’s seed-to-sale system.

• May 26, 2022: All Oklahoma dispensaries must be compliant with Metrc.

• May 27, 2022: OMMA will focus the bulk of its enforcement authority on cannabis businesses that are not Metrc compliant.

• August 24, 2022: Dispensaries must sell or legally dispose of all non-Metrc tagged cannabis products in their inventory.

This post will help you switch to Metrc, including how to use the system, what changes to make to your workflows, expected challenges, and resources for using your new track and trace system.

How to get started with Metrc

Follow these steps to begin your Metrc onboarding process:

1. Get familiar with Metrc and watch their training videos.

2. The license owner or key administrator is required to complete Metrc’s New Business Training.

3. The license owner will receive their first-time login for a Metrc account and must log in within 48-hours through the Metrc portal.

4. Request Metrc plant tags, package tags, and other UID tags. Metrc charges $0.45 per plant tag and $0.25 per package tag. The Metrc tags will take 7-14 days to arrive.

5. Add your employees to Metrc and ensure they have the correct permissions that match their position.

6. Document the physical receipt of requested Metrc UID tags.

7. Assign and apply the UID tags to your cannabis products.

8. Access the Beginning Inventory Guide within Metrc which outlines steps to enter initial plant and/or package inventory into the system.

If Metrc is completely new to you, or you don't understand why you need to use it or how it works, start by reading Metrc 101: How to Keep Your Dispensary Compliant.

Changes to your daily workflows

The day-to-day operations of your cannabis business will change when you’re onboarded to Metrc. Here's what you’re going to need to change:

• Start purchasing marijuana products exclusively from Metrc-approved vendors.

• OMMA has confirmed that Metrc will replace the monthly reporting structure. Licensees must continue all monthly reporting using the OMMA Monthly Reporting Template through May 31. The last template with activity through May 31 is due June 15. Metrc will meet the monthly reporting requirements and the template will no longer be necessary for all tagged sales, transports and waste disposal after May 31.

• Dispensaries must continue to report any untagged sales using the OMMA Monthly Reporting Template through Aug. 24.

• Establish clear naming conventions for your cannabis products to avoid any discrepancies when reporting to Metrc.

• There’s no room for error with Metrc, so ensure your cannabis business is organized and your employees are well trained. Set up clear dispensary SOPs to make sure your day-to-day workflows run efficiently.

• Oklahoma requires a live sales push to Metrc. This means that your POS software must be able to report to Metrc immediately after each sale in real time. Make sure your dispensary point of sale has a direct integration with Metrc. Most, but not all, vendors do this.

Standardize your dispensary data

A standardized product catalog is crucial for Metrc compliance. It’s the source of truth for every inventory item that touches your store and creates a uniform way of showing products in your reporting.

To make your transition as smooth as possible, conduct a full data audit. Specifically look at your product naming conventions, varieties, and batches.

There are four key components to properly naming your inventory:

1. Brand name

2. Strain name or flavor

3. Type or texture

4. Total mg amount

Put together, here's what the cannabis inventory naming convention template looks like in practice:

{Brand Name} {Strain Name or Flavor} {Type or Texture} {Total mg Amount}

Consistency is key in product naming. Decide on a method and stick with it. Then apply all new product naming conventions, either through a bulk upload or by manually deleting old products and/or renaming existing products to fit the new naming convention.

How to prepare your inventory for Metrc

OMMA is granting dispensaries the option to either sell, waste out, or get current inventory out of their system that is not tagged in Metrc before August 24. However, this is going to be a large labor expense.

Dispensaries should take the time and effort to properly tag their products with Metrc labels in order to ensure compliance and minimize waste.

Here are the steps for properly ordering and tagging your products:

1. Order Metrc tags under the "Admin" tab in Metrc.
2. Physically receive your tags in the mail.
3. Virtually accept your tags in your Metrc environment and assign each tag to specific inventory.
4. Ensure that you never run out of tags – set up workflows to continually order more tags when needed.

Next, you'll need to decide on what strategy you want to implement to manage your Metrc inventory. There are two main options:

1. Serialization – A 1:1 ratio between 1 Metrc package tag and 1 case is used, essentially meaning that each case will have its own Metrc tag. This strategy will mean more tags but less labor for physical inventory management.
2. Batch tagging – Multiple cases of one SKU are recorded under a single Metrc package tag. This strategy means less tags but can create problems for inventory management and reconciliation.

Learn more about Metrc tags and inventory from RMCC.

Best practices for continued Metrc compliance

Once you get logged in, trained, and start transacting under Metrc’s seed-to-sale tracking system, the work isn’t over. You need to maintain full compliance at all times with Metrc for the foreseeable future.

Here are some tips for staying compliant with Metrc long-term:

• Understand how to reconcile inventory discrepancies in Metrc. You’ll run into discrepancies and need to fix them ASAP to avoid penalties. Read this blog to learn how to fix 6 common inventory discrepancies.

• Take advantage of the resources available to you. For Flowhub customers, the Help Hub has several articles and how-to videos specifically about running the Metrc Discrepancy Report, understanding the different Metrc discrepancies and resolving them quickly.

• Make sure your dispensary point-of-sale system integrates with Metrc. If your POS doesn't integrate, you'll spend several hours every day manually trying to stay compliant.

Are you ready to switch to Metrc?

While switching regulatory systems may seem daunting, Metrc is an excellent system that enables compliance and safety for the cannabis industry. Once you get to the point of normal operation on the traceability software, you’ll be glad you switched.

If you need any help gearing up for Metrc in the coming weeks or months, reach out to us. Flowhub was the first POS provider to integrate with Metrc. We have years of expertise on this topic. Plus, our new in-app Metrc Discrepancy Management workflow will save you hours per week managing inventory. Our team is ready to help you transition to Metrc and stay compliant at all times.

Request a demo to see how Flowhub can help today!

Additional resources

Metrc Oklahoma Official Page

6 Oklahoma Cannabis Laws You Must Know

Metrc 101: How to Keep your Dispensary Compliant

How Cannatopia Dispensary Transitioned to Metrc in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Metrc Implementation FAQ’s by RMCC

Metrc + Flowhub Youtube Playlist