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The Cannabis IT Readiness Checklist

Fifteen questions every dispensary, cultivator, and processor in a METRC state should be able to answer about their technology and compliance. Red, yellow, and green rubric. The one next step to take for each. About twenty minutes to complete.

No email. No popup. No nonsense. The PDF opens in a new tab the moment you click.

PDF · 11 pages · 0.2 MB

Cannabis IT Readiness Checklist

Tagestry labels · PryceHawk market data · Surveillance · Network and cyber · Operations

15 scored questions across 5 domains
Red, yellow, and green rubric per question
"Next step" for every answer
Self-score page + 30 / 90-day action plan
METRC retention rules for PA, OH, and other states

by KawaConnect, and we run Tagestry (METRC labels) and PryceHawk (cannabis market data)

What you get

METRC labels and compliance

Validated label printing, COA-to-package linkage, multi-state compliance matrices. KawaConnect runs Tagestry, the METRC-validated label platform covering all 28 jurisdictions.

Market intelligence (PryceHawk)

Cross-store pricing, undercut alerts, wholesale brand tracking. PryceHawk currently tracks roughly 900 dispensaries across Ohio and Michigan on nine platforms.

PA and Ohio specifics

Per-state retention windows, MFA on banking and METRC, EDR on POS endpoints, inspection-ready export drill. The pieces that bite first.

OUR PROMISE

We did not put this behind an email form.

Download the full cannabis IT readiness checklist without giving us anything. No popup interrupts you. No “sign in to continue.” No dripped chapters. If you want the editable bonus pack (scoring sheet plus action plan template) emailed to you, the form below is optional.

BONUS PACK · OPTIONAL

Want the editable scoring sheet and action plan emailed to you?

The checklist is the main thing and you already have it. If you want the editable scoring sheet (CSV) and one-page action plan template sent to your inbox, drop whatever fields you are comfortable sharing below. Every field is optional except the email address itself.

We will not sell your email, run drip campaigns, or follow up beyond two emails. Your information is stored on our servers only and used to reply to you.

A few honest answers

Why is this free with no email required?

Because hiding an 11-page cannabis IT checklist behind a form is a cheap way to buy email addresses, and we would rather earn the conversation. If the checklist is useful and you want to talk to us, we are easy to find.

Are these questions actually relevant for a METRC operator?

Yes. KawaConnect builds Tagestry, the METRC-validated label platform that serves cannabis operators across all twenty-eight METRC jurisdictions. We also run PryceHawk, a cannabis market intelligence platform tracking roughly 900 dispensaries across Ohio and Michigan. The rubric reflects what we actually see at audit week and in daily competitive operations.

What about state-specific surveillance retention?

The checklist calls out the strictest applicable rule wherever you operate. Pennsylvania currently requires up to two years on certain footage types; Ohio runs about six months; Oregon is ninety plus thirty. The question is whether your retention meets the worst-case rule across every state you hold a license in.

What happens if I do give you my email?

You get one email right away with the editable bonus pack (scoring sheet plus action plan template). One week later, we send a short follow-up asking if the checklist was useful and offering a no-pitch 30-minute call. That is the entire sequence.

Can I just talk to someone now?

Yes. Call (412) 556-7007, email [email protected], or send a message from the Contact page.

PREFER A CONVERSATION?

A no-pitch, 30-minute cannabis-IT readiness call.

Walk us through your answers. We point out what we would fix first and roughly what it costs. No slides, no contract, no follow-up unless you ask.

QUESTIONS

Questions about cannabis IT readiness

Why do cannabis businesses need a dedicated IT readiness checklist?

Cannabis businesses need a dedicated IT readiness checklist because they work under strict regulation, including METRC seed-to-sale tracking, which raises the stakes for data accuracy, security, and uptime well beyond a typical small business. A labeling error, a missing backup, or a surveillance gap is not just inconvenient here, it can become a compliance problem during an audit. Dispensaries, cultivators, and processors also run point-of-sale, camera systems, and networks that all have to stay reliable and secure at the same time. The Cannabis IT Readiness Checklist covers 15 questions written for exactly this environment, spanning Tagestry labels, PryceHawk market data, surveillance, network and cyber, and operations. Working through them helps an operator confirm that the systems, compliance tooling, security, and backups behind a regulated operation are in place and audit-ready. The questions use plain language, so owners and managers can answer them without an IT background and still see where the real risks are.

Who should use the Cannabis IT Readiness Checklist?

The Cannabis IT Readiness Checklist is built for dispensaries, cultivators, and processors, and for the owners and managers responsible for their technology and compliance. Its 15 questions are written in plain language and centered on cannabis-specific concerns like METRC workflows, label printing, surveillance, and the networks behind point-of-sale, so you do not need an IT background to work through it. It suits a single-location dispensary just as well as a multi-site cultivator, and it is useful whether you handle IT in-house or lean on an outside provider. Because KawaConnect both consults for cannabis operators and builds Tagestry, our METRC label software covering all 28 METRC jurisdictions, and PryceHawk, our cannabis market data service, the questions reflect how these businesses actually run rather than generic office advice. If you already work with an IT partner, the checklist is still a practical way to confirm that compliance-critical systems are covered.

How does this relate to METRC compliance and label printing?

Reliable, accurate METRC data and labels are central to cannabis compliance, so the checklist devotes part of its 15 questions to confirming your systems genuinely support them under audit conditions. It asks whether your labeling pulls live, correct data, whether printing is dependable across devices, and whether backups and security protect that compliance data, since a single mislabeled package can create a regulatory problem. The goal is to surface weak points before an inspector or a failed print does. For the label side specifically, KawaConnect builds Tagestry, our compliance-grade METRC label software that covers all 28 METRC jurisdictions, normalizes each state’s per-state quirks automatically, and syncs natively with METRC data before printing to Zebra, TSC, and Epson ColorWorks devices. So the checklist helps you diagnose where METRC and labeling stand, and Tagestry is the tool we offer to close that gap once you know it exists.

Can KawaConnect support cannabis operators after the checklist?

Yes. KawaConnect provides managed IT, helpdesk, endpoint security, networking, surveillance, and cannabis-specific IT and METRC support for operators across Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and the surrounding Tri-State region, alongside our Tagestry and PryceHawk products. Once the checklist shows your gaps, we can help close them, whether that means tightening METRC and labeling workflows, securing point-of-sale and camera networks, hardening accounts, or putting tested backups in place, with a typical one-business-day reply on standard requests. We work both on site and remotely, so most issues can be handled without disrupting the sales floor or grow. Because we build Tagestry, which covers all 28 METRC jurisdictions, we can support the compliance side end to end rather than handing it off. To turn your checklist results into a plan, reach our team through the contact page or call +1 (412) 556-7007, or see our ongoing IT support options for regulated operators.