Marijuana track-and-trace company Metrc continues its legal tangle with Missouri state officials over the right to charge “tag fees” to medical cannabis dispensaries.
In the latest development, Metrc wants a Missouri appellate court to overturn a lower court’s decision that would prevent the Florida-based company from charging fees for radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, Law360 reported.
The dispute dates to 2019, shortly after Metrc was awarded a $5 million contract by the state after a competitive bidding process.
Almost immediately, a rival protested to the state that Missouri’s deal with Metrc could contain hidden costs.
State regulators rejected the notion, saying Metrc’s contract did not allow the company to charge tag fees to MMJ licensees.
Metrc later sued in court, claiming that Missouri’s medical marijuana program rules do allow such fees.
The track-and-trace dispute is one of several controversies dogging a Missouri medical marijuana program that has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, Missouri faces hundreds of licensing appeals and investigations into possible misconduct by state regulators.
