What Metrc records and what it does not
Track-and-trace captures quantity, package identity, movement and disposition. It does not capture cost. The accounting system supplies value, and the reconciliation between the two is what produces a defensible inventory balance.
The data that matters to accounting
A handful of Metrc records drive nearly all accounting entries in a licensed facility.
- Package creation and repackaging events
- Transfer manifests between licensed facilities
- Sales and retail dispensing records
- Adjustments, waste and destruction events
- Harvest and production batch records
Building the reconciliation
Export package quantities at period end, compare them against the perpetual inventory subledger by item and location, investigate variances above the agreed threshold, and record adjusting entries with the corresponding Metrc event referenced in the support.
Where variances come from
Late transfer entries, adjustments made in one system and not the other, unlogged samples, moisture loss recorded inconsistently and receiving errors account for most differences. Each has a process fix once identified.
Why accountants should care about compliance data
An inventory balance that cannot be tied to track-and-trace cannot be defended, and inventory is the only shelter 280E leaves. Metrc discipline is tax discipline in a different uniform.
Frequently asked questions
Does Missouri require Metrc?
Yes. Missouri's regulated program uses Metrc for statewide seed-to-sale tracking, and licensed facilities must maintain accurate records within it.
Who should own reconciliation internally?
It works best as a joint responsibility, with inventory or compliance staff producing the data and accounting owning the reconciliation and the adjusting entries.
