Colorado Extended Cannabis Track-and-Trace Contract

The partnership with Metrc will now continue through 2029 to maintain state regulatory compliance standards.

Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Organic Food

Isometric editorial illustration of a shipping container in a greenhouse, representing the state regulatory supply chain system. — The Colorado Department of Revenue has extended its cannabis track-and-trace contract with Metrc through 2029 to maintain state supply chain compliance. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Colorado Department of Revenue has extended its partnership with Metrc, the company managing the state's cannabis track-and-trace system. This agreement ensures that industry-wide safety and compliance oversight will remain in place through 2029.

Why it matters

The system is essential for maintaining product safety, preventing illicit diversion, and ensuring tax accountability. By extending this contract, the state preserves its established framework for monitoring the legal cannabis supply chain.

Metrc has maintained Colorado's track-and-trace framework since 2014, currently operating 30 regulatory contracts across the United States. While the system supports over 500,000 users, the specific performance metrics associated with the new extension period remain to be established.

The players

Metrc

A provider of track-and-trace software and RFID technology used by state regulators to monitor the legal cannabis supply chain.

Colorado Department of Revenue

The state agency responsible for overseeing cannabis industry compliance, tax collection, and product safety protocols.

The details

The track-and-trace system utilizes a secure database, software, and RFID technology to monitor cannabis products from initial growth and harvest through processing, testing, and final sale. Businesses in Colorado will also gain access to Metrc Retail ID technology, which uses QR codes for item-level identification to further support consumer protection.

Metrc pioneered the track-and-trace framework in Colorado in 2014.
The contract extension was announced on September 24, 2026.
The new partnership term continues through 2029.

Health Landscape

This extension maintains the continuity of Colorado's track-and-trace framework, which serves as a foundation for cannabis safety standards. It represents the state's sustained reliance on specialized digital monitoring to manage a complex consumer market.

Consumers benefit from the increased use of item-level identification through QR codes, which helps verify product testing and safety history. If you have concerns about the sourcing or safety of a specific item, you can use these digital tools to confirm its regulatory compliance.

The takeaway

The continued use of this track-and-trace system ensures that legal cannabis products remain subject to strict safety and compliance checks. Consumers should look for product-specific QR codes as a way to verify the information tracked during the cultivation and testing process.