LAKELAND, Fla., June 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Metrc, the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory technology systems in the U.S., announced a new contract with the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians (“Twenty-Nine Palms”), a federally recognized Native American tribe located in Southern California, representing the first track-and-trace contract with a Tribal government. Metrc will support the regulation of Twenty-Nine Palms’ cannabis market.

Twenty-Nine Palms has worked extensively to establish diversified economic development and business enterprises on its sovereign lands which are managed by its Business Development Committee and overseen by its elected Tribal Council. Through these efforts, the Tribe employs over 700 local citizens, invests in and contributes significantly to the surrounding community, and supports the Tribe’s self-determination goals through self-governance.

As a part of its focus on providing growth and prosperity opportunities for future generations, Twenty-Nine Palms has exercised its sovereign authority to implement a comprehensive regulatory framework providing for the licensing of commercial cannabis activities on Tribal lands. Integration with the Metrc system creates streamlined operational and compliance practices, creating a consistent and transparent foundation for trade among tribal licensees across the industry’s supply chain.

Metrc’s robust track-and-trace platform will provide the ultimate transparency for Twenty-Nine Palms to ensure regulatory compliance, help combat the illicit market, and safeguard the health and well-being of consumers. This is accomplished by facilitating the data collection and regulatory insight for the Tribe’s cannabis market. The Metrc system enables the tracking of all activities impacting the status of a plant or the creation of cannabis-based products, including origin, testing results, handling, and chain-of-custody information, through the company’s unique RFID tag model and software-as-a-service (SaaS) system – this information is then easily accessible to regulators. Seamless data tracking in Metrc also helps optimize inventory control, accurately report sales data, and improve cultivation management.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Twenty-Nine Palms on this first-of-its-kind track-and-trace program,” said Michael Johnson, CEO at Metrc. “Our team at Metrc looks forward to working alongside the Tribal Administration to bolster its cannabis marketplace in the region, expanding its operational capabilities, strengthening its regulatory framework, and protecting the health and well-being of its consumers.”

Twenty-Nine Palms Tribal Chairman Darrell Mike added, “The partnership with Metrc is a major step forward in the Tribe’s efforts to develop a fully integrated cannabis economy on Tribal lands under a rigorous regulatory framework that both spurs economic development and ensures the production of high-quality cannabis products. Twenty-Nine Palms appreciates Metrc’s recognition of the Tribe’s sovereignty, and the implementation of its first-class track-and-trace platform on Tribal lands will help the Tribe realize its economic and regulatory goals.”

Metrc holds exclusive government contracts in every region of the U.S., and has a particularly strong presence in the West, where it holds contracts with California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Dakota. While these areas have diverse regulatory frameworks, each jurisdiction shares the common goal of ensuring safe legal cannabis markets.

About Metrc
Metrc is the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory technology systems in the United States. Our solution combines advanced software, radio-frequency identification (RFID), a dedicated customer support team, and a secure database to track cannabis from growth, harvest, and processing to testing, transport, and sale. Metrc is currently engaged in 25 government contracts and serves more than 400,000 users, including growers, testing facilities, dispensaries, state regulators, and law enforcement officials. We are proud to play a leading role in ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s legal cannabis market.

About the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians trace their origins back to the Chemehuevi, a peaceful and nomadic Tribe whose territory once covered parts of California, Utah, Arizona, and Southern Nevada. In 1867, a group of Chemehuevi settled at the Oasis of Mara in Twentynine Palms. The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians are their descendants. Today, the Tribe’s lands consist of two Reservations, which are located near the town of Twentynine Palms and the City of Coachella. The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians will continue to focus on providing opportunities of growth and prosperity for the Tribe’s future generations. For more information about the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, its culture, heritage and traditions please go to https://www.29palmstribe.org.