What Is Seed-to-Sale Tracking?

Nevada requires every legal cannabis product to be tracked through its entire lifecycle — from the moment a seed is planted or a clone is cut, through cultivation, harvest, processing, laboratory testing, packaging, distribution, and final retail sale to a consumer. This comprehensive chain of custody is managed through the METRC (Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance) system, which the Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) operates as Nevada's official seed-to-sale platform.

How METRC Works

Every cannabis plant in Nevada's legal market receives a unique RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag at the earliest stage of its life cycle. As the plant moves through each phase — vegetative growth, flowering, harvest, trimming, drying, curing, extraction, manufacturing, and packaging — the tag is scanned and the data is recorded in METRC. This creates an unbroken digital record of each plant and every product derived from it.

Here is what happens at each stage:

• Seed or clone: Each plant is tagged with a unique identifier and entered into METRC by the cultivation facility.
• Cultivation: Growth milestones, nutrient inputs, and environmental conditions are logged.
• Harvest: The harvested material is weighed and recorded. New package-level tags are assigned to processed batches.
• Processing and manufacturing: If the harvested flower is turned into edibles, concentrates, tinctures, or other products, each transformation is tracked as a new package in METRC with its own unique tag.
• Laboratory testing: Samples are sent to one of Nevada's 8 licensed independent testing labs. Test results — potency, contaminants, and safety data — are uploaded directly into METRC and linked to the batch.
• Distribution: Transport manifests are generated in METRC before any product moves between licensed facilities. The manifest records what is being transported, from where, to where, and by whom.
• Retail sale: When a consumer purchases a product at a dispensary, the sale is recorded in METRC, closing the loop on that specific product's lifecycle.

What Consumers See

As a consumer, you will not interact with the METRC system directly. But the system's output is visible on every product you purchase:

• Batch or lot number: Printed on the product label, this number ties the product back to a specific production run in METRC. If a safety issue arises, the CCB can use this number to trace every unit from that batch and issue a recall if necessary.
• Testing results: The potency percentages (THC, CBD) and safety certifications on the label reflect testing data uploaded to METRC by the independent lab that analyzed the batch.
• Chain of custody: Although consumers do not see the full chain, the batch number guarantees that every step — from cultivation to the shelf — has been recorded and is available to regulators for audit.

Why Seed-to-Sale Tracking Matters

The METRC system serves three critical purposes:

1. Consumer Safety

If a product is found to contain contaminants — pesticides, heavy metals, microbial organisms, or residual solvents — the CCB can identify every other product from the same batch, determine which dispensaries received them, and issue targeted recalls. Without seed-to-sale tracking, identifying and pulling contaminated products from the market would be far slower and less precise.

2. Preventing Diversion

Tracking every gram of cannabis from cultivation to sale prevents legal product from being diverted to the illicit market and prevents illicit product from being introduced into the legal supply chain. Any discrepancy between what was harvested and what was sold triggers a compliance investigation.

3. Ensuring Tested Products

Because METRC requires testing data to be linked to each batch before it can be released for sale, the system ensures that no untested product reaches dispensary shelves. This protects consumers from products that have not been verified for potency accuracy and contaminant safety.

CCB Compliance Audits

The CCB conducts approximately 700 compliance audits annually across Nevada's cannabis licensees. Every licensee must be audited at least once per year. During audits, inspectors verify that METRC records match physical inventory — confirming that what the tracking system shows is consistent with what is actually on site. Discrepancies can result in civil penalties, license suspension, or revocation.

The CCB operates the METRC seed-to-sale tracking system, conducts approximately 700 routine audits annually, and requires every licensee to be audited at least once per year.

CCB Biennial Report 2025

Nevada has 8 licensed independent testing laboratories, 128 cultivation facilities, and 100 production facilities — all tracked through METRC.

CCB Biennial Report 2025