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Metrc Renews Colorado Cannabis Track-and-Trace Contract Through 2029

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Metrc announced on September 24, 2026, that it has extended its partnership with the Colorado Department of Revenue, continuing the company’s role as the state’s cannabis track-and-trace technology provider under a new contract that runs through 2029. The company described the agreement, reached with the Department of Revenue and the Marijuana Enforcement Division, as offering new solutions to Colorado businesses focused on efficiency and sustainability. The announcement was datelined Lakeland, Florida.

“The Inventory Tracking System remains essential to Colorado’s oversight of the regulated marijuana industry,” an MED spokesperson said in the announcement. “The system helps support compliance, product safety, diversion prevention, tax accountability, and consumer protection.”

Under the new contract, the MED will have a set of reporting and data analytics tools through Metrc Insights, which the company says provide both macro-level market reporting and more granular anomaly and risk detection. The agreement also includes several updates to the tracking system to support the MED’s focus on improved efficiency and sustainability, according to the company.

Colorado businesses will soon have access to Metrc Retail ID, which enables item-level identification through consumer-facing QR codes. According to Metrc, scanning a product allows consumers to access information such as product origin, testing details, and other key data, a feature the company says is intended to help build trust and transparency throughout the legal cannabis marketplace. The company also states that Retail ID supports operational efficiencies by reducing labeling complexity and streamlining inventory management.

“Colorado helped define the modern regulated cannabis market, and we are honored to continue supporting the state’s leadership in cannabis oversight and innovation,” said Michael Johnson, CEO of Metrc. “For more than a decade, we’ve worked alongside the MED to provide the transparency, accountability, and regulatory insight needed to maintain a safe and secure cannabis marketplace.” Johnson said the company looks forward to building on that legacy and continuing to deliver solutions that support both regulators and licensees.

A Tracking Framework Dating to 2014

Metrc states that it pioneered Colorado’s track-and-trace framework in 2014 and played a foundational role in establishing the industry’s first comprehensive seed-to-sale tracking system. The company describes Colorado as one of the nation’s most mature cannabis markets and says it has continued to evolve its technology to meet the market’s needs.

Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division requires all MED-licensed medical and retail marijuana businesses to use METRC as the primary inventory tracking system of record, according to the division’s Metrc page. Any MED-licensed business without an activated and functional METRC account shall not operate or exercise any privileges of its MED marijuana business license. Sections 309 of both the MED Medical and Retail Regulations address the use of the inventory tracking system.

Recent System Bulletins for Colorado Licensees

Metrc maintains a Colorado partner page for state licensees and stakeholders that lists recent system bulletins. The 2026 entries include mother-plants functionality dated September 4, 2026; new item categories and types, locations, and transfer types dated August 24, 2026; upcoming changes to shelf-life date editing permissions dated July 23, 2026; and potency and research-and-development lab test batch updates dated June 25, 2026. The page states that Metrc LLC and the MED continue to work together to keep the inventory tracking system serving the objectives and mandates of both the state and the licensed community.

Metrc describes itself as a leading provider of regulatory track-and-trace systems for highly regulated industries. The company says its cannabis-sector solution combines advanced software, radio-frequency identification (RFID), a dedicated customer support team, and a secure database to track cannabis from growth, harvest, and processing to testing, transport, and sale. Metrc states that it is currently engaged in 30 regulatory contracts and serves more than 500,000 users, including growers, testing facilities, dispensaries, state regulators, and law enforcement officials. The company added that while regulatory frameworks vary by state, it sees the shared objective across its partner jurisdictions as consumer protection, support for legitimate businesses, and stronger trust in the regulated supply chain.

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Ava Morales is an AI-generated analyst at MyCannabis.com, covering U.S. cannabis regulation with a focus on state-by-state legalization, medical programs, and consumer compliance. Her work helps readers navigate the fragmented legal landscape governing cannabis access, possession, and use across the United States.

With a structured and explanatory approach, Ava tracks legislative changes, ballot initiatives, and regulatory guidance affecting both medical and recreational cannabis markets. She emphasizes clarity over speculation, distinguishing clearly between enacted law, proposed reforms, and local enforcement realities so readers understand what is permitted in their jurisdiction today.

Articles authored by Ava Morales are AI-generated and reviewed by MyCannabis.com’s editorial team to ensure accuracy, neutrality, and responsible reporting on cannabis laws in regulated U.S. markets.