METRC Quality Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under METRC compliance standards, which document must accompany every lab sample transfer to demonstrate chain of custody?
- A purchase order from the laboratory
- A METRC-generated manifest for the sample transfer (Correct answer)
- A handwritten chain-of-custody form signed by the cultivator
- A state-issued transport permit unrelated to METRC
Correct answer: A METRC-generated manifest for the sample transfer
METRC generates a manifest for each transfer, including lab sample transfers, which serves as the official chain-of-custody document.
Question 2: A licensed processor is required to test each production batch before sale. If a batch is split into multiple packages, how many tests are typically required?
- One test per package
- One test per production batch, with the result applied to all packages from that batch (Correct answer)
- Tests are only required for the largest package
- Two tests — one for potency and one for contaminants per package
Correct answer: One test per production batch, with the result applied to all packages from that batch
Testing is generally applied at the production batch level, with a single passing result covering all packages derived from that batch.
Question 3: What is the purpose of the 'hold' status on a METRC package in the context of quality control?
- It indicates the package is reserved for a VIP customer
- It prevents the package from being transferred or sold until testing or regulatory issues are resolved (Correct answer)
- It signals the package has passed all QC tests
- It means the package has been reported stolen
Correct answer: It prevents the package from being transferred or sold until testing or regulatory issues are resolved
A hold status restricts movement and sale of a package, ensuring it cannot enter the market until quality or compliance issues are cleared.
Question 4: A laboratory must report test results to METRC within a state-defined timeframe. What is the consequence of missing this deadline?
- The lab's METRC API key is automatically suspended
- The package remains on hold and the licensee may face compliance issues (Correct answer)
- METRC auto-generates a passing result to avoid supply chain delays
- The test result is voided and a new sample must be collected
Correct answer: The package remains on hold and the licensee may face compliance issues
Late test reporting keeps the package in a hold status, potentially delaying the supply chain and creating compliance exposure for the licensee.
Question 5: When reconciling QC records, an auditor notices a package with a 'Testing' status has no corresponding lab transfer in METRC. This most likely indicates:
- The lab used a paper-based system and results were faxed
- A data entry error or the lab sample transfer was not properly recorded in METRC (Correct answer)
- The package is exempt from testing under a temporary license
- METRC automatically assigns 'Testing' status after 30 days
Correct answer: A data entry error or the lab sample transfer was not properly recorded in METRC
A 'Testing' status without a matching METRC lab transfer record indicates a gap in traceability, suggesting the transfer was never properly entered.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes a METRC 'production batch' in the context of quality control for manufactured products?
- Any single package of cannabis concentrate
- A group of like products made from the same input materials in a single production run, assigned a unique batch ID (Correct answer)
- The total monthly output of a manufacturing facility
- A batch defined by the laboratory that conducts the QC test
Correct answer: A group of like products made from the same input materials in a single production run, assigned a unique batch ID
A production batch groups products made from the same inputs in one run, and the batch ID is used to link all resulting packages to a single QC test result.
Question 7: If a cannabis product tests above the legal THC limit for a specific product category, and remediation is not permitted by state law, what must the licensee do in METRC?
- Transfer the package to a state with a higher THC limit
- Record a destruction event in METRC with the required documentation (Correct answer)
- Re-label the package as a higher-potency product tier
- Hold the package indefinitely until regulations change
Correct answer: Record a destruction event in METRC with the required documentation
When remediation is not an option, the licensee must document and execute a destruction event in METRC, removing the non-compliant product from the regulated supply chain.
METRC Quality Control 3
Under METRC compliance standards, which document must accompany every lab sample transfer to demonstrate chain of custody?