David Eagleson, VP of Product at Metrc – Interview Series

David led Metrc’s Customer Success and Implementations team, tripling its size, launching seven new state programs, and supporting growth in 17 markets—all while maintaining a 100% contract renewal rate. He later transitioned to Director of Product, where he drove growth initiatives like Metrc Connect and Retail ID and oversaw expansion into nine additional states.

Metrc is a leading cannabis traceability system that uses RFID tags and cloud-based software to track products from cultivation to sale. Trusted by over 29 U.S. states, it helps regulators and businesses ensure compliance, enhance safety, streamline reporting, and prevent product diversion.

What inspired the development of Metrc Retail ID™, and how does it with your broader vision for enhancing supply-chain transparency in cannabis?

This aligns with our broader vision of extending transparency across the cannabis supply chain all the way to the consumer. Cannabis has been ahead of many other industries when it comes to traceability, and we see Retail ID as the next logical step that not only supports compliance but also unlocks new value for businesses and consumers alike.

Retail ID™ was rolled out in late 2024 and is already tracking over 1 million items weekly across 21 markets—what challenges did you encounter during this rapid launch?

As with any new product, one of the biggest challenges we faced was driving adoption, given that Retail ID aims to establish a new standard for product identification across the cannabis industry. Standards only work when they’re widely adopted. So from day one, we knew this had to be a collaborative effort involving key partners, solution providers, and forward-thinking operators.

The cannabis ecosystem is highly fragmented, with businesses and technology platforms managing a range of competing priorities. Therefore, convincing stakeholders to invest in a long-term solution that prioritizes transparency and consumer trust has required us to clearly articulate the value beyond short-term gains. That’s been a challenge, but it also opened the door to deeper conversations about shared responsibility and the collective progress we can make in regulated cannabis.

With integrations into ERP/POS systems like Blaze, Dutchie, and Canix, how do you ensure seamless interoperability and data integrity across platforms?

We’ve been fortunate to work with forward-thinking technology partners who share our vision of improving supply chain transparency and consumer trust. To ensure seamless interoperability, we intentionally designed Retail ID to align closely with our existing integration architecture, which is something these partners were already familiar with.

By building on established integration patterns, we significantly reduced the learning curve and shortened development timelines. This approach made it easier for partners to embed Retail ID into their existing workflows without disruption, while also preserving the integrity and consistency of data across platforms.

How is labor reduction (roughly 2,000 hours saved per retailer annually) measured and validated? What feedback have you received from early adopters?

We partnered with retail operators to map their current workflows for receiving and labeling incoming inventory. On average, we found it can take up to a minute per unit to manually label products so they can be tracked in their POS systems. When scaled across thousands of units per week, this process can consume dozens of staff hours and sometimes require multiple team members days of time just to receive product shipments.

By automating and standardizing product identification through Retail ID, we’ve eliminated that manual labeling step. For a typical retailer, that translates to an estimated 2,000 hours saved annually, which can now be redirected toward higher-value activities, like customer engagement and education.

Early adopters have validated this impact, sharing that the shift has not only freed up staff resources but also improved accuracy, reduced intake errors, and allowed them to focus more on delivering personalized customer experiences.

Are there plans to expand label formats or add more metadata to support different types of cannabis products and use cases?

Absolutely. Retail ID was designed with extensibility in mind, and any data point currently used by operators to identify or differentiate their products can potentially be incorporated into the label’s metadata. Our initial focus has been on core product identifiers and lab testing data, which represent the most universally relevant fields for compliance and consumer trust.

However, we’re actively gathering feedback from both retailers and regulators to understand which additional data points would add the most value. As the industry evolves, we plan to expand the metadata and label offerings to support a broader range of information that accommodates the varying product types coming into the market.

Besides COAs and potency, are there plans to expose additional metrics (e.g., harvest date, grow method, appellation) to consumers via QR scans?

Yes. We fully expect to apply feedback directly from users into additional metrics that can be stored in the QR codes that are deemed valuable for consumers, industry stakeholders, and regulators alike.

Critics note that consumers may not fully trust lab-testing; how does Metrc ensure credibility and clarity in communicating product safety?

Consumer skepticism is valid around lab testing, but it can also often stem from a lack of clarity – not just about what the data shows, but what it means. Before we can expect full trust, we need to foster a shared understanding of the information being presented.

Retail ID addresses this first by providing direct access to verified lab results. One of our next goals is to demystify lab data and help consumers understand what different metrics (like cannabinoid content or contaminant thresholds) actually mean in terms of product safety, quality, and experience.

As we evolve the platform, we’re exploring educational layers that can guide consumers through this information in a more intuitive way. Ultimately, we believe transparency plus education is the foundation for long-term trust in both lab testing and regulated cannabis as a whole.

How does Retail ID™ enhance recall efficiency and assist regulators in identifying affected products swiftly?

Metrc has long played a critical role in helping regulators execute swift and targeted recalls through our end-to-end traceability system. Regulators can already identify affected batches and place associated products on recall across the supply chain with precision.

However, a key gap existed at the consumer level. Once a product left the store, it became significantly harder for regulators or consumers to quickly confirm whether it was affected by a recall. Retail ID closes that gap. Because each unit is assigned a unique QR code linked to its supply chain and lab history, the status of that product can be dynamically updated in real time. If a recall is issued, scanning the QR code can immediately notify the consumer or dispensary staff that the item is affected without needing to cross-reference multiple systems or databases. This real-time visibility enhances public safety, streamlines the recall process, and strengthens trust between regulators, operators, and consumers.

With competitors like Lucid Green offering QR-based transparency tools, how does Metrc differentiate Retail ID™ and address concerns about ecosystem access?

Retail ID stands apart because it’s built directly on top of the traceability infrastructure Metrc has developed and scaled across the regulated cannabis industry for over a decade. Unlike standalone QR-code solutions, Retail ID doesn’t require duplicative data entry or manual updates because it leverages the verified product, lab, and supply chain data already reported into the Metrc system.

We’ve heard consistent feedback from users of other QR-based tools that those systems often require additional labor, don’t integrate cleanly with other cannabis tech solutions, and fail to provide meaningful insights back to the brands doing the heavy lifting. Retail ID was designed to eliminate those friction points.

To address concerns about ecosystem access, we’ve taken an open approach. Metrc has extended its public APIs to support a range of label printing solutions and partnered with major POS and ERP platforms. Our goal isn’t to lock operators into a single toolset, but to empower them with flexible, interoperable solutions that drive industry-wide transparency and efficiency.

For brands or retailers considering early adoption of Retail ID™, what advice would you give to maximize its benefits?

The biggest advice we give to early adopters, whether it be brands or retailers, is to prioritize open, proactive communication across your supply chain. With varying state regulations and evolving business requirements, alignment between stakeholders is critical to realizing the full benefits of Retail ID.

For brands, we recommend working closely with your retail partners to communicate your commitment to transparency and efficiency. Let them know you’re adopting Retail ID as part of a broader effort to raise the standard for consumer trust and operational simplicity.

For retailers, you want to see the benefits of Retail ID on your shelves, like faster intake, accurate labeling, and better consumer engagement. So let your brand partners know by sharing your expectations and directing them to the adoption resources we’ve made available at www.metrc.com/retailid.

Ultimately, early adoption works best when it’s a shared commitment and that alignment helps drive real transformation across the industry.

Thank you for the great interview. Readers who wish to learn more should visit Metrc.