By Andi Anderson

The State of Illinois has announced a new vendor for its cannabis seed-to-sale tracking system as part of its effort to enhance security, compliance, and industry efficiency. 

The state has selected Metrc, a scalable and secure system, to replace the current BioTrack platform. The transition is expected by summer 2025.

Metrc offers radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, allowing for more accurate and automated tracking of cannabis products. These tags will be provided at no cost to businesses under specific conditions, reducing the burden of manual audits and allowing regulators to focus more on health and safety inspections.

Illinois officials, including Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer Erin Johnson, expressed enthusiasm for Metrc’s ability to ensure a secure and well-regulated cannabis market.

Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Mario Treto, Jr. emphasized the platform’s ability to integrate seamlessly with dispensary systems, benefiting both businesses and consumers.

Metrc CEO Michael Johnson highlighted Illinois’ status as a leading cannabis market, noting that the system will boost supply chain transparency and support social equity initiatives. This partnership aims to provide historically underserved businesses with better access to resources for growth and compliance.

Cannabis businesses will receive further details from their licensing agencies regarding reporting requirements and available training. BioTrack will remain in place until Metrc is fully implemented. Currently, Metrc operates in 27 jurisdictions, ensuring robust training and support for Illinois’ transition.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-larisa-shpineva