New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), in partnership with Metrc, the state’s seed-to-sale compliance provider, today announced a series of measures designed to support New York’s cannabis businesses as they transition to the state’s new track-and-trace system.
OCM announced that Metrc will provide, at no cost, 20 million retail item unique identifiers (UIDs) to licensed processers, offsetting the initial expenses of implementation and helping ensure a smooth shift to Metrc’s seed-to-sales system.
Seed-to-Sale tracking follows cannabis from planting through harvest, processing, packaging, laboratory testing, and final sale. These UIDs are essential for product traceability and consumer protection and a critical tool in strengthening New York’s regulated cannabis supply chain.
As s previously announced, Licensees have until December 17 to register and become credentialed in the Metrc system and enter all of their existing inventory. Following weeks of outreach from dispensary owners who expressed concerns about the tight transition timeline and its impact on holiday sales and business operations, the OCM acknowledged that December is a peak season for consumer demand.
In response, with continued phased roll-out retailers have until January 12, 2026, to enter their existing inventory into the Metrc system. However, licensees must still complete Metrc credentialing by December 17.
“The transition from BioTrack to Metrc was sudden, not just for retailers, but for the OCM as well,” Susan Filburn, OCM Acting Executive Director. “We heard loud and clear from operators across the state, especially retail licensees preparing for the holiday season, that more support, and flexibility were needed. These steps reflect our commitment to listening to the industry, addressing real operational concerns, and ensuring that integration into Seed-to-Sale does not come at the cost of lost sales or business stability.”
As part of this expanded support, Metrc will provide 20 million Retail Item UIDs distributed evenly across all processors. Each processor will receive 30,000 Retail Item UIDs, which are applied to individual cannabis products to enable seamless tracking from production to sale, at no cost through 2026. Metrc will coordinate the issuance of these UIDs so processors can order them via their normal workflow without additional steps.
“What OCM is doing is a game-changer for New York’s cannabis market,” said Michael Johnson, CEO of Metrc. “By providing these UIDs at no cost, we’re helping processors, retailers, and regulators adopt a system that improves efficiency, strengthens compliance, and delivers transparency to consumers. It’s a win for the entire supply chain.”
Protecting Retail Sales
In an email to retail dispensary licensees, OCM announced that while all retail licensees must register with Metrc by December 17, licensees will now have until January 12, 2026, to enter all existing inventory into the system.
This ensures retailers can:
• Continue selling current inventory uninterrupted,
• Avoid losing revenue during the critical holiday season, and
• Integrate Metrc more efficiently and accurately.
Benefits of New York’s Seed-to-Sale System
Once fully implemented, the statewide seed-to-sale system will provide:
· Expanded consumer information: A Retail UID QR code lets consumers access more product details than can fit on packaging, including laboratory test results and recall information.
· Enhanced supply-chain visibility: OCM and Metrc are enabling processors and brands to see detailed data on where and when products move and sell—information that typically isn’t available to licensees—supporting stronger analytics and real-time decision-making.
· Streamlined retail operations: Retailers can intake inventory directly into their POS systems without printing or applying individual unit barcodes at the retail tier.
· Improved product authenticity: The Retail UID helps protect against illicit or counterfeit activity by adding transparency across the supply chain and creating a consistent look, feel, and verification method for all regulated cannabis products.
· Cash on Delivery list (COD): As part of the implementation Metrc is creating reporting functionality to flag businesses with delinquent payments for potential inclusion on the COD list.
· User Interface: Metrc’s solution includes a user interface, meaning that licenses are no longer required to use a third-party software system to report inventory into the seed-to-sale system.
Ongoing Training & Technical Assistance
OCM and Metrc continue to offer in-person education events, license-specific webinars, and step-by-step guidance to assist businesses throughout the transition. This builds upon previous Office support, including $250,000 in tag-fee assistance distributed earlier this year.
For more information on New York’s Seed-to-Sale system, visit: cannabis.ny.gov/seed-to-sale.
