LAKELAND, Fla., Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metrc, a leading provider of regulatory track-and-trace systems for highly regulated industries, is kicking off 2026 with renewed focus on innovation and enterprise-grade product development. Last year, the company made significant strides in modernizing its platform and enhancing the user experience under the leadership of BJ Fox, who joined Metrc as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) in 2025.
Fox brings over 25 years of technology leadership at global organizations, including Microsoft, PayPal, and Verisign, where he built and scaled mission-critical systems serving hundreds of millions of users. His appointment was announced in conjunction with a series of significant product updates that reflect the company’s accelerated pace of innovation under his leadership. These recent advancements include the debut of a refreshed Metrc User Interface (UI) and a spotlight on the Metrc Industry Sandbox, which has been available in nearly all Metrc markets since October.
"The cannabis industry has reached an inflection point where operators are looking for their compliance software to do more for them, evolving beyond basic requirements to provide greater reliability, performance, and an intuitive experience," said Michael Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Metrc. "BJ's track record of building enterprise-grade platforms represents exactly the caliber of leadership required to take Metrc to the next level and is an affirmation of our commitment to our users."
Fox, who joined the company in 2025, has already played a critical role in accelerating key user-focused initiatives, including the refreshed UI. As CTO, he oversees product and technology strategy, drives innovation, and further enhances the reliability and performance of the nation’s most widely used cannabis track-and-trace platform.
"What drew me to Metrc was the opportunity to apply decades of experience building enterprise systems to an industry that's been underserved by technology," said Fox. "This platform processes an extraordinary volume of regulatory data, literally billions of records supporting legitimate commerce and public safety. The operators using our system every day deserve the same quality of tooling they'd get from any major SaaS platform. That's what we're building."
Building on this strengthened leadership, Metrc has unveiled a modernized UI designed to enhance usability and establish a strong foundation for future product advancements. To support a smooth transition, Metrc has implemented an option for users to switch between the classic and updated UI at their own pace.
Metrc is also spotlighting the Metrc Industry Sandbox, a highly requested, risk-free environment pre-configured with state-specific settings to mimic real compliance environments, offering a deep, hands-on learning experience without real-world impacts or consequences.
These releases were built upon a year of accelerated delivery of high-value features and product developments requested directly by operators and regulators, which are now available in most markets.
"These recent releases represent intensive collaboration with licensees and regulators across our 30 contracted markets," Fox added. "Every feature shipped reflects hundreds of hours of user research, testing, and iteration. We're moving from reactive development to strategic product management, anticipating needs before they become pain points."
Fox’s hiring renews Metrc’s commitment to elevating reliability, performance, and user experience during a pivotal moment for the broader cannabis ecosystem. As legal markets mature and consolidate, operators increasingly demand enterprise-grade technology that can scale with multi-state operations, integrate with modern business systems, and provide the reliability required for regulatory compliance.
About Metrc
Metrc is a leading provider of regulatory track-and-trace systems for highly regulated industries. In the U.S. cannabis sector, the company’s 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 30 regulatory contracts and serves more than 500,000 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.
Metrc Media Contact:
Mattio Communications
metrc@mattio.com
