In the cannabis industry, state compliance throughout the supply chain is essential. This is where track and trace software, such as Metrc and Biotrack, come into play. Both solutions are designed to meet the specific needs of cannabis governing bodies, capturing crucial data points and enabling regulatory adherence.
Metrc is a track and trace software mandated by the government in 23 states across the U.S. Its purpose is to monitor the movement of cannabis products along the supply chain. The system requires businesses to record basic data points such as plant cultivation, harvest, inventory management, sales, and manufacturing processes. Metrc provides businesses with visibility into their product movement and inventory levels, ensuring that they are compliant with regulatory requirements and streamlining reporting. While it is widely used by state regulators, it is ultimately designed to benefit the government, providing them with accurate data on the cannabis industry and its stakeholders.
Biotrack, on the other hand, is a software solution for cannabis regulators. Its state-mandated integration can be supplemented with third-party software that allows businesses to track product movement, manage inventory levels, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Biotrack emphasizes compliance and transparency throughout the supply chain, providing businesses with reporting functionalities to generate accurate reports for compliance purposes.
One of the key differences between Metrc and Biotrack is how they handle product tags. With BioTrack, you do not receive tags for your products. Instead, you print your own tags using the BioTrack software. After BioTrack assigns a random number, you print it onto your own tag. These tags usually only contain a barcode, and they are self-printed. This can be a more affordable solution, however, it can also be more time-consuming and labor-intensive to print and attach tags to all products.
On the other hand, Metrc provides tags that you attach to items before you enter them into the system. Metrc's tags are RFID enabled and have a unique identifier that is linked to the product's information. These tags must be ordered from Metrc and in some states, there may be a cost associated with ordering them. While this can be more expensive than printing your own tags, it can also be more efficient and less labor-intensive, especially for larger businesses.
Another difference between the two solutions is how they handle post-harvest materials. Metrc requires all post-harvest materials to have an identifier, while BioTrack only requires this when creating end products for retail sale. In terms of clones, each clone is individually tagged in BioTrack, while in Metrc, you have the ability to group clones into batches of 100. Additionally, in Biotrack, plants are automatically moved between growth phases, while in Metrc, plants are manually moved between growth phases.
In summary, while both Metrc and Biotrack are state-mandated track and trace software solutions used in the cannabis industry that facilitate regulatory adherence, they have notable differences. Metrc provides RFID-enabled tags and emphasizes government data collection, while Biotrack allows businesses to print their own tags and emphasizes compliance and transparency. Other differences include tag and clone management, and growth phase tracking.
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