Tracking

Tracking, in the cannabis context, is the broader discipline of assigning unique identifiers to plants, harvest batches, production lots, and packaged finished goods, and maintaining a documented chain of custody as product moves through the supply chain. While seed-to-sale systems enforce tracking at the regulatory level, tracking also encompasses internal lot and batch management, quality control documentation, and recall readiness. A batch (per California regulation) is a specifically identified quantity of cannabis uniform in strain, harvested at the same time, and cultivated using the same pesticides and agricultural chemicals. Connecticut uses the same basic concept. Unique identifiers include METRC's 24-digit RFID plant tags, BioTrack's 16-digit barcodes, internal package and lot numbers, and sample IDs referenced on Certificates of Analysis. Chain of custody documentation (transfer manifests) records who handled product, when, and under what conditions, and is mandatory for transport between licensees and between laboratory and producer. ASTM subcommittee D37.03 develops standards including WK64336 for post-harvest batch sampling. → See also: METRC, BioTrack, Seed-to-sale, COA