A DCC inspection isn't random. Inspectors follow a structured review process, and while the specifics vary by license type and inspection trigger, the areas they focus on are predictable. Operators who understand this pattern can prepare accordingly — not by cramming before a visit, but by building systems that keep them ready at all times.
The Walk-Through: What They're Observing
Before an inspector asks for a single document, they're observing your facility. The physical walk-through isn't just a tour — it's an assessment of whether your operation matches what your documentation says.
Security and Access Control
Are limited-access areas actually limited? Can the inspector see where access boundaries are? Are cameras positioned to cover the areas your security plan says they cover? Is the footage actually recording and retained for the required period? These aren't trick questions — but operators who haven't reviewed their security layout since their initial application often have gaps between their plan and their reality.
Storage and Segregation
Product storage areas get close attention. Inspectors look at whether quarantined product is actually separated from saleable inventory — not just labeled differently on the same shelf. They check whether storage conditions match your SOPs: temperature ranges, light exposure, product-specific requirements. The physical organization of your facility tells a story before anyone opens a binder.
Track-and-Trace Tags
Every visible product should have a traceable tag that matches your METRC records. Inspectors will spot-check — pick a package, read the tag, and ask to see the corresponding entry in the system. If there's a delay or a mismatch, that's noted. If the pattern repeats across multiple items, it becomes a finding.
The Records Review: Where Most Findings Come From
The majority of DCC findings aren't about what inspectors see on the floor — they're about what they see (or don't see) in your records.
Inventory Reconciliation
Inspectors typically ask for recent reconciliation records. They're looking for: Are you reconciling on the required schedule? Are discrepancies documented with root cause analysis? Are corrective actions recorded? An operator who can produce organized reconciliation records with clear documentation for every discrepancy is in a fundamentally different position than one who hands over a stack of count sheets with no context.
Transfer and Manifest History
They'll pull a sample of recent transfers and check whether your manifests match your METRC entries, your receiving logs, and your physical inventory. The chain of custody should be traceable end-to-end without gaps or contradictions.
Waste Disposal Records
Waste documentation is high-scrutiny because unaccounted cannabis leaving the facility raises diversion concerns. Inspectors verify that waste logs include all required fields — weight, method, witness, source batch — and that the documentation was created at the time of disposal, not retroactively.
Employee Training and SOPs
Inspectors may ask to see training records for specific employees and compare them against your SOPs. They're checking whether your team has been trained on current procedures — not just onboarding-day procedures from two years ago. SOPs that don't match current practices are a red flag, not a safety net.
What Separates a Routine Visit from a Problem
Inspectors understand that no operation is perfect. Isolated errors are expected and typically result in minor notes. What escalates a visit is patterns: the same type of error across multiple records, the same fields left blank, the same processes done inconsistently. Patterns suggest systemic issues, and systemic issues get deeper scrutiny.
The operators who handle inspections well aren't the ones with zero problems — they're the ones whose records show they found problems, investigated them, and took documented corrective action. That's what operational control looks like from the outside.
Building Inspection-Ready Operations
Inspection readiness isn't a project you do before a visit. It's the result of daily operational practices: consistent reconciliation, real-time documentation, standardized procedures, and systematic monitoring. When those systems are in place, an inspection is a review of records you already have — not a scramble to assemble records you should have had.
The goal is an operation where the system tells the story — clearly, completely, and without requiring anyone to explain or reconstruct from memory. That's the standard, and it's achievable for any size operation with the right processes in place. If you're not sure whether your current documentation would hold up, that's a conversation worth having before an inspector has it for you.