Seed-to-sale problem halts recreational sales at Boston-area marijuana store

A Boston-area marijuana store had to temporarily stop selling adult-use cannabis flower because of an issue with Massachusetts’ seed-to-sale traceability system, Metrc.

Alternative Therapies Group (ATG) in Salem halted recreational cannabis sales because the store’s inventory data had become corrupted in Metrc, The Boston Globe reported.

It’s unclear when ATG will resume recreational sales. The company announced on its website Wednesday it is “currently unable to serve recreational customers,” but the dispensary remains open for medical patients.

The executive director of the state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), Shawn Collins, said the system “remains fully functional” and problems experienced by ATG are the fault of the dispensary, according to the Globe.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The glitch prevented the store from transferring adult-use cannabis inventory from the company’s grow and product manufacturing operation to the dispensary, according to ATG.
• ATG also sells cannabis-infused concentrates and edibles.
• This follows news that fellow East Coast state Maine has selected Metrc as its vendor for recreational marijuana traceability.
• Last fall, issues with Metrc caused headaches for medical cannabis companies in Maryland and resulted in lost sales.