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The problem usually sounds something like this:

• METRC does not match the POS.
• The POS does not match the physical inventory.
• METRC and the POS match each other, but neither matches what is actually on the shelf.
• The team knows there is a discrepancy, but no one knows when or why it happened.

Inventory discrepancies can happen for many different reasons. Resolving them requires more than simply changing a number in METRC or your point of sale system. It also does not always require you to contact metrc support or notify the state

Before making an adjustment, you need to determine which quantity is correct, identify what caused the variance, decide which systems need to be corrected, and document the action your team takes.

This METRC inventory reconciliation checklist is designed to help dispensary teams organize that process, investigate discrepancies, and create a repeatable inventory control routine.

Why METRC Inventory Does Not Match

There is rarely one single cause behind inaccurate cannabis inventory. A variance may have started during receiving, during a sale, while moving inventory between locations, or because an earlier adjustment was completed incorrectly.

Common causes include:

• A package was received incorrectly.
• The wrong package was selected during a sale.
• A product was removed from the wrong package tag.
• A sale failed to transfer from the POS to METRC.
• A sales upload was rejected or only partially processed.
• A package split was recorded incorrectly.
• A return was not added back into inventory properly.
• Product was moved to another location without being documented.
• An employee counted the inventory incorrectly.
• An earlier adjustment corrected one system but not the other.
• Product was damaged, destroyed, lost, or stolen.

The goal of reconciliation is not simply to force the systems to match. The goal is to understand what happened and correct the appropriate records without creating additional compliance problems.

Start by Isolating the Inventory

One of the most important parts of an accurate inventory count is controlling movement while the count is taking place.

If employees continue receiving, selling, transferring, splitting, or relocating products while someone is counting them, the physical quantity can change before the count is compared to the POS and METRC.

For full inventory counts, take inventory one location at a time. A location might include:

• The dispensary sales floor
• The vault
• The intake or receiving room
• A delivery staging area
• A quarantine area
• A returns area
• A secure storage room

While that location is being counted, no inventory should be added or removed.

Your team should also avoid:

• Receiving new inventory into the location
• Transferring products into or out of the location
• Splitting packages
• Finishing packages
• Moving products between shelves or storage areas
• Making adjustments before the count has been verified

Once the location has been counted, compared, and verified, normal inventory activity can resume.

Use Cycle Counts to Catch Problems Earlier

A full dispensary inventory count can take a significant amount of time. It may also require temporarily limiting sales activity or assigning several employees to the count.

Cycle counts allow your team to count smaller portions of inventory on a recurring schedule instead of waiting for a full store inventory.

This makes discrepancies easier to investigate because your team is reviewing a smaller number of packages and a shorter period of transaction history.

Cycle Counts by Product Category

You can create a recurring schedule that assigns a different product category to each count.

• Flower
• Pre rolls
• Vape cartridges
• Concentrates
• Edibles
• Beverages
• Tinctures
• Topicals

For example, your team might count vape cartridges every Monday, flower every Tuesday, and edibles every Wednesday.

While a category is being counted, no inventory from that category should be added to or removed from the location being counted.

Cycle Counts by Brand

You can also perform cycle counts by brand. This can be helpful when a brand has a large number of SKUs, high sales volume, frequent deliveries, or a history of inventory discrepancies.

During a brand cycle count, your team should isolate all products from that brand within the selected location.

No products from that brand should be received, sold, transferred, split, or moved until the count is complete.

Cycle Counts by Location

Another option is assigning a different inventory location to each day or week.

The right cycle count schedule depends on your inventory volume, staffing, store layout, and the categories that create the most risk for your operation.

Decide How the Inventory Will Be Corrected

Once the source of a discrepancy has been identified, there may be several ways to correct it.

Depending on the situation, your team may need to:

• Manually adjust inventory in the POS.
• Manually adjust inventory in METRC.
• Correct both the POS and METRC.
• Upload inventory adjustments into METRC.
• Upload corrected sales transactions.
• Correct rejected or missing sales data.
• Reprocess a transfer, return, or package action.

For a small number of discrepancies, manually correcting each package may be manageable.

For a larger reconciliation, manual adjustments can be slow and increase the risk of data entry mistakes. In those situations, inventory adjustment uploads or sales uploads may be more efficient.

However, formatting files for METRC uploads can be time consuming. The file must contain the required fields, use the correct formatting, and accurately reflect the action your team is trying to record.

Before uploading anything, review the file carefully and confirm that it will correct the intended records without affecting packages that are already accurate.

METRC Inventory Reconciliation Checklist

This checklist helps your team identify discrepancies, investigate root causes, and document corrections in a consistent way.

Before You Begin

• Confirm the inventory location is isolated.
• Pause receiving, transfers, and package activity.
• Ensure POS and METRC are fully synced.
• Verify no duplicate counts are in progress.

Compare Inventory

• Compare physical count to POS.
• Compare physical count to METRC.
• Confirm package tags match.
• Verify correct locations and units of measure.

Investigate Variances

• Review receiving records.
• Check sales and returns.
• Review transfers and location changes.
• Check package splits and adjustments.
• Identify possible counting errors or loss.

Correct Inventory

• Determine which system needs correction.
• Apply adjustments carefully.
• Use uploads when appropriate.
• Document all changes.

Verify and Document

• Re-run reports after corrections.
• Confirm all systems match.
• Record root cause and corrective action.
• Track recurring issues.

The Most Important Rule

Never adjust inventory until you understand why the discrepancy exists. Adjustments should be the final step, not the first. It is also important to know the percentage of inventory your adjustments will be. Most states have a defined threshold for reporting inventory descrepencies. For example if you suspect theft, you will need to report it to the state. Or if it is more than 2% of your inventory you may need to notify METRC support or the state. Other specific types of adjustments may require you contact metrc support.

When You Need METRC Support

Training is important, but it does not always prepare your team to investigate complex discrepancies across multiple systems.

METRC support and POS support can help explain system functionality, but they may not be able to fully investigate your operational workflows or reconcile large discrepancies.

That is where hands-on METRC support becomes valuable.

Beyond the basics of METRC Support, The Helpful Content provides practical support for cannabis operators, including:

• METRC training
• Inventory reconciliation
• POS and METRC troubleshooting
• Adjustment planning and uploads
• SOP development
• Ongoing operational support

If your inventory does not match and your team is not sure where to start, we can help you identify the issue, correct it properly, and build a process that prevents it from happening again.