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Trade Samples

Trade Sample Rules Updated for 2026 

Guidance on the new trade sample rules that went into effect January 1, 2026. 

✅ An updated Trade Sample Guide for clear, step-by-step guidance
✅ Helpful FAQ section that covers common questions about the changes required by the passage of 2025 Senate Bill 558, which amended OAR 845-025-1330.

Note: Both “Quality Control” (QC) samples and traditional trade samples are now considered the same category - trade samples. Tracking requirements remain largely unchanged, except you no longer need to record the name of the permittee receiving a sample. Information on creating and recording trade sample and quality control sample packages can be found on the OLCC Metrc Wiki.




Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


The licensee providing the trade samples is responsible for complying with the limits in OAR 845-025-1330(4)​. The amount of samples that can be transferred is proportional to the number of worker permit holders to whom the receiving licensee will provide the samples. Licensees providing trade samples should communicate with receiving licensees to ensure they do not exceed these limits. Transferring samples without prior communication about the number of worker permit holders receiving the samples could result in a violation of the rules. 
Yes, retailers may return trade samples to the licensee they received them from. They may also destroy them as long as they are recorded and disposed of in accordance with OLCC rules. Licensees also have the option to reject manifests that contain too many trade samples.​
Yes, retailers may designate marijuana items as trade samples. If a retailer wants to use an entire “regular” package they receive as strictly trade samples, they must convert the package to trade samples in CTS. If a retailer wants to convert a portion of a given package to trade samples, they should create a new package tag from the primary package and designate it as a trade sample in CTS. Labeling rules still apply for any product being designated a trade sample: “TRADE SAMPLE NOT FOR RESALE” in bold, capital letters attached to the trade sample, product identity, UID, and net weight or contents of the trade sample. ​

No. If the 10 units are under a single tag, each worker permit (W/P) holder receiving a sample should be documented in CTS (using their W/P #) and the corresponding unit deducted from the quantity of the tag. The manager may make a single adjustment and record all 10 W/P numbers in a single note and finish the package if all 10 samples are distributed at the same time.​

The sample language in ORS 475C.211 & OAR 845-025-1330 does not address personal sharing. In the context of the trade sample rules, the language intends for the samples to be distributed to employees of licensees within the established limits. Providing marijuana items to other adults outside of the OLCC-regulated market is an individual choice and individuals should evaluate the risks associated with such a choice. Once transferred to an employee, a trade sample is subject to the same limits as any other marijuana item owned by an individual for personal use.​

No. Quality control (QC) trade samples are for “in-house” purposes only and cannot be transferred to another license. QC samples should be adjusted from the licensee’s CTS account with the receiving worker permit number and not manifested to another licensee. See Trade Sample Guide​ for details.​​​​​

Depending on the activity performed (removing defective units from the batch, pulling units for in-house testing, etc.), items set for destruction should be tracked as “waste” or “spoilage” in the CTS. The “in-house” quality control adjustment reason should be used solely to track samples provided to worker permit holders to be removed from the licensed premises.​

In Metrc, a process lot is synonymous with “production batch”. The “P.B. No.” column in the package grid contains this information. Detailed information can be found by clicking the magnifying lens icon on the package listing. Use this method if the grid shows “multiple”. See the Trade Sample Guide​ for details.​

The “Src. H’s” column in the facility package grid contains this information. Detailed information can be found by clicking the magnifying lens icon on the package listing. Use this method if the grid shows “multiple”. See the Trade Sample Guide for details. ​





Contact
olcc.marijuana@olcc.oregon.gov