Registration is now open for Oklahoma medical marijuana business licensees to take mandatory Metrc seed-to-sale training, said Tulsa medical marijuana attorney Stephen Cale. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) made the announcement on February 23rd.
TIMELINE | METRC NEXT STEPS OVERVIEW FROM THE OMMA
Here is a summary of a “next steps” overview from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. Get the full “next steps” overview from the OMMA.
Initial Training Signup. Beginning February 23rd, medical marijuana business licensees can sign up for the Metrc New Business Training Course. The OMMA says that Metrc training and credentialing of businesses into their user accounts must be completed by March 26, 2021.
Training and Credentialing Access into Metrc Accounts (4 Weeks). Beginning March 1st, Metrc will have daily training classes for employees, managers, and owners. Training is required prior to credentialing in order to gain access to the Metrc system.
Each licensed facility must have an administrator in the Metrc system in order to complete credentialing. An administrator must be an owner or designated manager. Each Metrc administrator must take the new business training course at least once.
All facility employees must be trained to use the statewide track and trace system. The OMMA strongly recommends that each employee planning to operate in the Metrc system take the new business training course to ensure they know how to accurately utilize the system.
Beginning Inventory (5 Weeks). Once licensees have Metrc accounts, they will have access to the Beginning Inventory Guide. This outlines the steps to enter initial plant and/or package inventory into the system.
The OMMA says that for current licensees, the last monthly report that must be submitted to OMMA will the March report, filed in April. After that time, “full operation and tracking within Metrc will satisfy a licensee’s monthly reporting requirements.”
Fully Operational in Metrc by April 30th. Licensees will report all inventory transactions directly into Metrc going forward.
THE INVENTORY TRACKING SYSTEM REQUIREMENT
Oklahoma medical marijuana licensees have long been required to use an inventory tracking system, Tulsa medical marijuana attorney Stephen Cale said. Under OMMA regulations, an “inventory tracking system” means a required tracking system “that accounts for the entire life span of medical marijuana, from either the seed or immature plant stage until the medical marijuana or medical marijuana product is consumed, used, disposed of or otherwise destroyed.”
THE OMMA’S ADOPTION OF THE METRC SYSTEM
The OMMA announced in September 2020 that it signed a contract with Metrc to implement a state-wide seed-to-sale tracking system. This system will track marijuana plants and products from a plant’s growth stage through sale to patients.
At the time of the announcement, then OMMA Interim Director Kelly Williams said in a press release that the Metrc system “will greatly expand our compliance capabilities and improve the effectiveness and speed of any future recall efforts. It will also allow us to detect unusual patterns that may indicate product diversion.”
INTEGRATION FOR THOSE USING OTHER TRACKING SYSTEMS
According to the OMMA, other tracking systems used at an individual-level by licensees can integrate with Metrc. All commercial licensees in the state will be required to either integrate with or input their information into the Metrc system.
WORKING WITH THE CALE LAW OFFICE
The Cale Law Office is dedicated to the practice of medical marijuana law and criminal defense. Our mission is to achieve the best possible results for our clients through hard work, attention to detail, and aggressive representation. This is done while maintaining the highest level of professionalism, integrity, and ethical standards.
We have helped numerous people set up marijuana businesses and acquire their commercial medical marijuana licenses. If you want a medical marijuana business license, marijuana compliance auditing, or need legal representation in the Oklahoma medical marijuana industry, call the Cale Law Office at 918-771-7314. Your initial consultation is free. Or, you can contact us through the web.
Tulsa medical marijuana attorney Stephen Cale is the founder of Cale Law Office, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has been serving people with legal needs for more than 21 years.
Cale works with a number of marijuana-related organizations. He is a Legal Committee member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Additionally, he serves on the board of Green Country NORML, a Tulsa chapter of NORML. He also serves as a board member for, and is on the Standard Operating Procedures steering committee for, OK4U Approved, a medical marijuana patient union and trade organization.