New York’s pivot from their initial BioTrack announcement, to their implementation of Metrc just months later, has required cannabis operators to absorb new requirements, timelines, and workflows in a relatively short period of time. While much has already been communicated by OCM and Metrc, many licensees are still working through what the transition means in practice, especially as it relates to costs, operational changes, and day-to-day compliance.
This post focuses on what matters most right now: the key dates that define the transition, how GrowFlow supports Metrc migration in New York, and the open questions and industry impact operators continue to navigate.
Some of the most important milestones in New York’s Metrc transition have already passed. We’re including them here so operators can quickly reference what was required and identify next steps if anything was missed.
| Date | Applies to | Requirement |
| August 5, 2025 | All licensees | OCM paused the original seed-to-sale deadline while continuing evaluation following the Metrc/BioTrack partnership announcement |
| November 7, 2025 | License administrators | Credentialing and onboarding activities began for Metrc access |
| December 10, 2025 | Retail licensees | OCM issued updated retail-specific guidance and clarified inventory expectations |
| December 15, 2025 | Industry-wide | OCM and Metrc announced expanded support, including a retail UID allocation for processors |
| December 17, 2025 | All active licensees | Deadline to complete Metrc credentialing |
| December 17, 2025 | Cultivation, processing, distribution, labs | Existing inventory required to be entered into Metrc |
| December 17, 2025 | Processor → distributor transfers | Retail Item IDs required for applicable transfers |
| January 1, 2026 | Retail dispensaries | Deadline to enter existing retail inventory into Metrc |
| February 28, 2026 | Distributor → dispensary transfers | Retail Item IDs required for applicable transfers |
As part of New York’s Metrc implementation, licensees are required to work with several types of identifiers used for compliance tracking:
Retail IDs are a notable part of New York’s approach. They extend tracking to the individual unit level and include consumer-facing QR codes that link to product information, laboratory results, and recall data.
Metrc has published per-tag pricing for each identifier type. In recognition of implementation costs, OCM and Metrc announced an allocation of 20 million Retail Item IDs to licensed processors, distributed evenly and available through 2026.
This identifier structure, and the introduction of unit-level tracking, directly influences operational workflows and cost considerations across the supply chain. It is notable that New York is the only state to require licensees to pay for Retail IDs.
As operators move beyond initial setup and into daily use, several common themes continue to surface across the New York market:
New York’s requirement to apply identifiers at the unit level introduces significant additional cost considerations that scale with volume. Operators across the supply chain are evaluating how these costs factor into pricing, production planning, and ongoing compliance.
Identifier pricing is set by Metrc, but GrowFlow reduces operational friction by supporting accurate inventory and product setup from the start, and making it easy to order, print and attach Retail IDs.
OCM and Metrc have announced an allocation of Retail Item IDs to licensed processors to help offset initial implementation costs. Operators are now mapping that allocation against their actual unit volumes to understand how long it will last, and what ongoing compliance looks like beyond the initial rollout. The additional cost of purchasing Retail IDs will likely drive increased wholesale prices, resulting in increased prices downstream for the end consumer.
GrowFlow supports customers by ensuring inventory and product data are accurate within Metrc, allowing operators to know their Retail Item ID needs in advance, and plan for ordering the right number of tags at the right time.
Because Metrc requirements apply at the license and location level, operators with multiple activities or facilities are working through how labeling, tracking, and reporting responsibilities are handled as products move through their operations. This has acutely impacted Microlicenses, increasing the number of steps and the time it takes to get product from processing to retail.
GrowFlow works directly with customers to map their Metrc licenses to the appropriate GrowFlow accounts, and to confirm which licenses and locations are active. GrowFlow is particularly focused on helping micro-license holders to understand these workflow changes, clarify responsibilities, and reduce confusion.
The transition to Metrc followed shortly after the BioTrack-Metrc partnership announcement, leaving many operators implementing new workflows while continuing active operations. As a result, some teams are still refining their understanding of requirements as they move into steady-state use.
For GrowFlow customers, structured migration steps, clear checklists, and guided scheduling help operators start out compliantly and move forward confidently — even if steps were completed out of sequence. Because GrowFlow was designed for licensees’ operational workflows, they can continue to operate their business while the Metrc requirements are handled in the background.
Not every operator completed credentialing, inventory entry, or setup at the same pace. Many businesses are now focused on confirming their current compliance status and identifying the most direct path to alignment based on available guidance.
GrowFlow’s team works with customers to review where they are in the process and determine next steps without unnecessary rework. Whether they were ahead of the game before the Metrc transition, or are catching up with their compliance requirements, GrowFlow will meet them where they are and be a reassuring partner along the way.
GrowFlow supported New York operators through a structured and automated Metrc migration process designed to reduce manual effort and confusion. This included guided preparation through a Migration Checklist, coordinated migration scheduling, accurate inventory and product setup, and ongoing support to help operators understand where they are in the process and what steps come next.
Further, GrowFlow is the first integrator to be fully integrated with the Retail Item ID! New York Processors can generate and print labels in a single step, directly in GrowFlow’s intuitive label generator - including the required Item ID QR codes with unique, consecutively-numbered identifiers, alongside your other label content. This eliminates the need to double-print labels, or to switch between Metrc and a third party tool.
GrowFlow will continue working with our New York customers beyond migration and through ongoing compliance alignment, and we’ll share updates as new information becomes available. If you have questions about your Metrc setup or next steps, our support team is available via chat to help.