New DCC Cultivation Checklist: What Farmers Need to Do

July 8, 2026

The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has updated regulations for sanitation and METRC effective July 1, 2026. View rulemaking documents.

Clean first, then sanitize. “Clean” means removing visible dirt, dust, debris, cannabis residue, and food residue. “Sanitize” means applying an approved sanitizer after the surface is already clean. Use a product that meets 40 CFR 180.940 and follow its label. A household cleaner does not automatically qualify, so check the label.
Tools, daily and between batches. Scissors, funnels, sieves, sifters, and trimming tools get cleaned and sanitized each day they are used, and again before moving from one harvest batch to the next.
Equipment, daily. Anything that touches unpackaged cannabis (trimming, sorting, and rolling machines, tables, countertops, tarps, trays) gets cleaned and sanitized each day it is in use.
Containers. Clean and sanitize, or drop in a new single-use liner, before each use. Keep clean bins separate from dirty bins.
Handwashing or gloves. Wherever unpackaged cannabis is handled, provide either a handwash station (potable running water, soap, paper towels or a dryer, and a trash can) or single-use, food-safe, non-latex gloves.
No animals. Keep animals out of indoor areas with unpackaged product and out of outdoor processing and packaging areas. Remove any animal waste within 30 feet of plants or harvested cannabis immediately. Manure used as fertilizer is fine.
Pesticide check. Pull anything unlabeled, old, unknown, or poorly stored off the licensed premises.

Name every batch. Each harvest batch that is hanging, drying, or curing needs a unique name recorded in track and trace.
Separate and label. Keep batches physically apart with tape, rope, visible gaps, or separate racks or containers. Label each batch area so it reads clearly standing next to it, and label any container with the batch name. The label must match what is recorded in Metrc.
Record right away. For each batch, report wet weight (taken right after harvest), cannabis waste weight, the unique name, and the initiating date (the day the first mature plants were cut). Enter all required cultivation activities within 3 calendar days.
Package tags within 24 hours. Once a batch finishes its onsite processing, assign a package tag within 24 hours. Affix it to the container. If several containers share one UID, tag one, label the rest with the UID, and keep same-UID containers together.
Finish only when done. Mark the harvest finished in track and trace only after the whole batch is dried, trimmed, cured, and packaged.

Diagram matches reality. Canopy areas must be labeled, measured, and described, and each shelving level counts toward the total canopy square footage.
Flowering stays in the canopy. If a plant outside the canopy starts to flower, tag it, move it into a designated canopy area, and report it in track and trace without delay.
Process in approved areas only. Process harvested cannabis only in areas marked for processing on the diagram, or move it to a licensed processor, manufacturer, or distributor through a licensed distributor.

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