Metrc, a provider of regulatory track-and-trace systems for highly regulated industries, will enable direct-to-consumer product recall notifications in the state of California. The company said the functionality, launched in partnership with the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), is designed to improve public safety and supply chain transparency.
“By pairing recall notifications with Retail ID, California is making it easier than ever for consumers to get instant, verified information about the safety, testing and legitimacy of their products,” said DCC Director Nicole Elliott. “This is more than a public health safeguard; it’s about setting a new standard for transparency that others can follow. Businesses embracing this technology are advancing consumer safety, building trust, and demonstrating the forward-thinking values that have long defined California’s leadership in this space.”
Retail ID, a QR code-based solution, launched in the California market in November 2024. Since its launch, adoption has grown among brands, distributors, and retailers such as Embarc and Nabis. Metrc said pproximately 20% of California’s weekly product volume is now identified with a Retail ID™ QR code.
With this latest enhancement, consumers can now instantly determine whether a cannabis product has been recalled by scanning the Metrc Retail ID QR code on the package with a smartphone. In addition to confirming that a product is produced in the regulated market and lab tested (capabilities already available), users now gain real-time access to recall notifications, delivering a new benchmark for public safety and transparency in the legal cannabis industry.
In addition to the recall functionality, Metrc has released further updates enabling a broader set of licensees to adopt and benefit from Metrc Retail ID. Under California’s testing-in-final-form requirement, brands can now apply Metrc Retail ID labels to products and link them to lab results once testing is complete.
