Seed-to-sale

Seed-to-sale tracking systems comprehensively document individual cannabis plants and derivative retail products moving through the supply chain from initial seed or clone to final sales. This transparency measure helps states monitor legal cannabis markets. The most common platform, METRC, provides real-time inventory monitoring through a centralized database accessible by regulators. Every plant receives a unique serial tag, barcode or RFID chip that follows it from seed through cultivation, harvest, trimming, testing, processing, packaging, transport, and finally sale. This universal oversight allows inventory discrepancies, bottlenecks, product diversion or contamination issues to be swiftly identified and addressed. However, the system does require significant ongoing data entry and carries hefty licensing fees that are sometimes passed onto consumers. While cumbersome, mandated seed-to-sale tracking brings accountability and supply visibility that enables cannabis business activity in legalized states. It provides assurance that inventory sold through licensed channels meets safety standards.