Lab Compliance and Inventory
Cannabis dispensary cycle count checklist for routine inventory review
DispensaryVA Editorial TeamPublished
cycle countsdispensary inventoryinventory controlsMETRC
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Lab Compliance and Inventory
A cycle count is a scheduled check of a defined part of the inventory. It is useful because the team can investigate a small set of records while the details are still available.
Write down the date, location, counter, reviewer, area, and selection rule. A count can cover a shelf, package group, product category, or a sample selected from the inventory record. The selection rule matters because a convenient sample may miss the records most likely to need review.
Pause movement in the count area when the operating procedure allows it. If sales, receiving, or transfers continue, record the time and the transactions that could affect the comparison.
For each item, record the product name, package or lot identifier, physical quantity, recorded quantity, unit of measure, and count time. Use the source system's identifier rather than a shortened label that could describe more than one package.
The METRC and POS reconciliation guide explains the broader comparison. The daily closeout checklist is a useful place to assign any exception that remains open after the count.
When the numbers differ, recount the item with a second person if the procedure calls for it. Then review receiving, transfers, sales, returns, adjustments, quarantines, and damaged product. Record the evidence that supports the cause instead of choosing a cause from a dropdown without checking the source.
Do not silently overwrite either number. Keep the original count, the system value, the approved adjustment if one is made, and the person who authorized it.
The reviewer should sign only after checking the count sheet and the source records. Every unresolved difference needs an owner, next action, and review date. If a product is quarantined or otherwise restricted, use the applicable written and regulatory procedure before moving it.
The Metrc official site is a primary reference for the track-and-trace platform. State rules and system procedures can differ, so operators should confirm the requirements that apply to their license.
The schedule should follow the operator's control design, inventory risk, and applicable requirements. A written schedule is easier to review than an informal promise to count when time allows.
Use the documented selection rule. It may prioritize high-value products, recent movements, recurring exceptions, or a rotating area of the store.
Only through the approved adjustment process. Preserve the observed quantity and the evidence for the change.