The Cole Memo

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Illinois Begins Transition to Metrc for Cannabis Tracking; BioTrack Shutdown Set for July 1

On May 16, 2023, Metrc announced that Illinois intended to award the company a contract for its cannabis seed-to-sale tracking system.

A press release from the State of Illinois on February 4, 2025, confirmed that the state will transition to Metrc this summer, replacing BioTrack.

According to new implementation documents shared by Metrc, the phased rollout will begin April 1, 2025, with testing labs and transporters, followed by cultivators, infusers, and dispensaries in late April and May.

Licensees will receive state-funded RFID tags, with ordering available April 28. According to Metrc, details of the tag ordering process will be communicated to each licensee over the next few weeks. In-person and virtual trainings will be provided.

Below are key dates and deadlines from the Metrc implementation plan for Illinois:

  • April 1, 2025: Credentialing opens for Testing Labs and Transporters
  • April 25, 2025: Credentialing opens for all license types
  • April 28, 2025: RFID tag ordering begins
  • May 25, 2025: All testing must transition to Metrc
  • June 17, 2025: Full market migration deadline (all licensees should be migrated to Metrc and operational)
  • July 1, 2025: BioTrack system shuts down

For more information, visit metrc.com/partner/illinois or view the full implementation plan provided by Metrc below.

Welcome-to-Metrc-IL-implementationDownload

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#250 – Illinois Is Still Arresting People for Weed, Even After “Legalization” – The Cole Memo

Cole is joined by recurring guest Phil to break down Part 1 of ColeMemo.com’s overview of Illinois’ 2025 annual cannabis report, a required compilation of updates from state agencies covering licensing, enforcement, public health, and revenue. They discuss IDFPR reporting that 93 dispensaries received operational licenses, the agency’s description of Metrc entering its post-launch phase, and a discrepancy in reported craft grow license counts across state reports and press releases. Most of the conversation focuses on the Illinois State Police section, including Chicago’s arrest heat map, the first year-over-year increase in Cannabis Control Act arrests since legalization, and how hemp and THCA products have complicated prosecutions. Cole and Phil also discuss ISP’s push for phlebotomy training to speed up DUI cannabis blood draws, K9 policy changes, gaps in expungement tracking, and what the data suggests about cannabis-related criminal enforcement continuing in Illinois despite legalization. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/01/13/e250/
  1. #250 – Illinois Is Still Arresting People for Weed, Even After “Legalization”
  2. #249 – A Year in Review – Recapping 2025 Illinois and Federal Cannabis News
  3. #248 – Live smoke session: Cole returns for the New Year!
  4. #247 – What could rescheduling mean for cannabis policy?
  5. #246 – Cannabis Is Legal in Illinois, So Why Are People Still Being Arrested

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Cole Preston

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