New York is set to switch on statewide seed-to-sale “track-and-trace” this December, bringing the $1.5-billion legal market into line with most regulated U.S. states. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has announced a transition to Metrc as the state system, with a target of having businesses credentialed and inventory live in the platform by mid-December 2025 (OCM cites December 17, 2025). Regulators say they’ll continue to update the timeline as rollout proceeds. READ MORE: Office of Cannabis Management)
There’s a wrinkle worth flagging: in early September, industry outlets reported that after BioTrack’s government division deal and New York’s pivot to Metrc, full go-live could slip into early 2026. A later OCM bulletin, however, reaffirmed the December 2025 integration target, which is the current line from the state. In short: plan for December onboarding, but be aware some reporting anticipates staggered implementation into 2026. READ MORE: MJBizDaily
Quick refresher: what “track-and-trace” does
Track-and-trace logs every regulated cannabis event—from planting to harvest, testing, transfers, and retail sale—into a state database. Metrc provides the software and serialized tags that let regulators and licensees monitor inventory, audit movement, and investigate anomalies (e.g., diversion or product recalls). The platform is already the dominant standard nationally. READ MORE: Metrc
Operators typically pay modest monthly access fees and purchase plant/package tags. Across states, common pricing lands around 0.45 per plant tag and 0.25 per package tag, though exact fees vary by jurisdiction and periodic updates. (Example schedules published by state partners and Metrc FAQs illustrate those averages.)
Why New York’s move matters now
1) Tighter compliance & cleaner data. A unified system reduces mismatched spreadsheets and batch-to-batch blind spots. That makes recalls faster, audit trails clearer, and enforcement more surgical—key for NY as it continues cracking down on the unlicensed market and normalizes rules after a turbulent start.
2) Leveling the playing field. Metrc’s uniform rulesets can reduce compliance arbitrage among operators. Consistent tagging and transfer logs help discourage diversion, which indirectly supports legal retailers competing with illicit storefronts.
3) Financing and insurance. Many lenders and insurers look for robust inventory controls. State-verified seed-to-sale records can improve underwriting comfort and asset monitoring, potentially lowering the cost of capital over time. (This is a well-documented benefit of statewide STS adoption observed in other Metrc markets.)
4) Operational discipline. Whether you use an ERP/POS that integrates to Metrc or log directly, the discipline of unit-level tracking typically reduces shrink, clarifies COGS, and streamlines purchasing—especially for multi-site licensees. READ MORE: Flowhub
Who else is already doing this?
Plenty. Metrc is mandated across a large swath of U.S. programs, including California, Colorado, Oregon, Michigan, Missouri, Maryland, Maine, Montana, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Minnesota (and more), with Illinois announcing its Metrc contract in 2025. These official state partner pages and notices illustrate the breadth of adoption.
BioTrack, historically New York’s planned vendor, still holds or has held state compliance contracts in jurisdictions such as Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia. Market coverage has been shifting following recent deals between the companies, which contributed to New York’s vendor switch.
Industry reporting in August–September 2025 characterized Metrc as the clear footprint leader (contracts in ~29 jurisdictions), with BioTrack maintaining a smaller set of state deals after a corporate restructuring of its government division.
What December looks like for New York operators
Credentialing & training. Expect official Metrc onboarding, credential distribution, and required training modules ahead of (or concurrent with) December cut-over. OCM’s bulletin targets “full integration of all licensees” by the end of December—so allocate staff time and SOP updates now.
Systems integration. If you already run a POS/ERP (Dutchie, Cova, Flourish, Flowhub, etc.), confirm Metrc API support, build your product catalogs to match Metrc naming and units, and run a sandbox test. POS providers are publishing NY-specific checklists for the BioTrack → Metrc transition.
Tag budgeting. Budget for tags and monthly access where applicable. Reference costs in other Metrc states as a planning proxy (states often land in the ~0.45 plant / 0.25 package band, with monthly license access fees near ~40–46). Exact New York tag pricing will be specified during on-boarding, but these benchmarks help with cash-flow planning.
Data hygiene. Clean up SKUs, unify unit measures, and reconcile inventory now so the opening balance you push to Metrc is accurate. Bad opening data is the #1 reason operators struggle after go-live.
SOPs & training cadence. Map who does what (receiving, finishing, packaging, destruction, adjustments, transfers) and document “Metrc-first” steps. Build an internal playbook for daily reconciliations and exception handling so you don’t build a compliance backlog.
Risks & realities
Timeline uncertainty. As noted, some outlets reported the switch and vendor deal could push functionality into early 2026. OCM’s own guidance, however, still instructs operators to prepare for December credentialing. The safest posture is to proceed as if December is the working date while staying alert to official updates.
Workflow lift. Seed-to-sale discipline is a culture change. Tag handling, package creation, and transfer manifests add touches to your day. Many operators find the trade-off worth it: fewer surprises, better inventory truth.
Cost optics. Tag fees sound small, but they scale with canopy and throughput—and don’t include labor time. Multiple states publish the same ballpark pricing, and industry analyses highlight the cumulative impact for high-volume cultivators. Build that into pricing and production planning.
What it means for the New York industry
A cleaner market signal. Once every legal gram is serialized, regulators can differentiate compliant operators from illicit storefronts more decisively, improving enforcement targeting without casting a net over the entire market. That clarity tends to boost consumer trust—especially around testing integrity and recall readiness.
Better retail experience. Consistent inventory visibility reduces out-of-stock pain, improves sell-through, and supports smarter assortment decisions—all things NY retailers will need as competition and foot traffic increase. Integrations also enable faster, compliant e-commerce and delivery updates.
Smoother interstate comparisons. With the same compliance backbone used by big markets (CA, MI, CO, etc.), New York brands can recruit talent and adopt best practices more easily. Vendor education and operator playbooks already exist; NY can leapfrog some growing pains by borrowing what’s worked elsewhere.
Investor confidence. Institutional capital prefers verifiable controls. A functioning STS strengthens the narrative that NY’s regulated market is maturing—useful for M&A, credit facilities, and insurance renewals.
Bottom line
December is poised to be the on-ramp to a fully traceable New York cannabis market, with Metrc as the state system and OCM targeting December 17, 2025 for credentialed, inventoried participation. While some industry reporting cautions that certain functions may spill into 2026, operators should act now: align your POS/ERP, train teams, scrub data, and budget for tags and compliance overhead. The payoff is a market with higher integrity, faster recalls, better inventory truth, and stronger consumer confidence—key pillars as New York scales from a bumpy start toward a durable, competitive ecosystem.