Package Tag
The unique identifier assigned to a cannabis package in the state track-and-trace system — typically a 24-character METRC tag — that follows the product through every transfer, repackaging, and sale until it is fully consumed or destroyed.
What a package tag is
A package tag is the unique identifier assigned in the state track-and-trace system to a specific package of cannabis or cannabis product. In METRC states, the tag is a 24-character alphanumeric string, often physically printed as a barcode or RFID label attached to the package itself.
Every operational event affecting that package — a weight change, a repackaging, a sale to another licensee, a destruction — is recorded against the tag in METRC.
Tag lifecycle
- The tag is generated in METRC when the package is created (from harvest, from a parent package, from inbound transfer).
- The package weight, item type, and source are recorded against the tag.
- Subsequent operations (repackaging, sale, conversion) reference the original tag and create child tags where applicable.
- The tag is "finished" when the package is fully consumed, sold to a consumer, or destroyed.
Why it matters to compliance
Inventory reconciliation centers on tags. The physical weight in the room must match the weight recorded against the tag in METRC. Variances must be explainable and documented. An unreconciled tag is one of the easiest things for an inspector to find and one of the hardest to defend after the fact.
Compliance is the entry point. The platform is the destination.
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