Effective April 2025, the LCB has consolidated Vendor and Educational Samples into a single category: Trade Samples. This update streamlines the process for providing product samples for sales negotiation and budtender education.

To accurately track and report Trade Samples in GrowFlow and CCRS, you must first create a designated Trade Sample Product or Product Template. We recommend creating these as Product Templates, as this allows you to easily generate Trade Sample Products for any strain in the future.

1. Go to Admin > Products > Templates

2. Click ➕Add New Templates

3. Select the relevant Traceability Type and Category (e.g., Usable Marijuana, Concentrate, Infused Product)

4. Enter a descriptive Product Name

5. Enter the sample size and any additional product details relevant to the Trade Sample

6. Click the Trade checkbox

7. Once all product details are entered, finish by clicking Create Product Templates

To ensure accurate and compliant reporting of Trade Samples on CCRS manifests, you must first create designated Trade Sample Products or Templates in GrowFlow. Once created, you can send samples by either packing them to order or pre-packing them.

To create Trade Samples from bulk inventory during order fulfillment:

1. Click Orders > New Order or New Pre-Order

2. Locate the bulk inventory you wish to use for the Trade Sample

3. Click ➕ in the Products column for that inventory line

4. Locate the Trade Sample Product or Template you previously created. These will be easily identifiable by the checkmark in the Sample column.

5. Enter the desired number of Trade Sample units you are sending in the Qty column

6. Proceed with previewing, confirming, converting, manifesting, and transferring the order using your standard GrowFlow workflows

If you have existing pre-packaged inventory that meets the requirements for a Trade Sample, you can sub-lot those units into a dedicated Trade Sample Product or Template before adding them to an order.

1. From the Inventory Overview, locate the pre-packaged inventory you want to use as a Trade Sample

2. Click Edit > SubLot on the line item

3. Enter the number of Trade Sample units you wish to create in the Units/Weight to Deduct field

4. In the Change Product field, type "trade sample" to quickly find and select the Trade Sample Product or Template you previously created

5. If using a Trade Sample Template, select the strain

6. Select a room

7. Click Split to create the new sub-lotted Trade Sample inventory

8. You can now add these Trade Samples to an order and proceed with labeling, manifesting, and transferring the order using your standard GrowFlow workflows.

If you prefer to prepare Trade Samples in advance:

1. On the Inventory Overview, click Convert

2. Select Pre-Packaged Items

3. Under What are we making?, choose the relevant Product Category for your Trade Sample

4. Under What kind?, type "trade sample" to quickly locate and select the Trade Sample Product or Template you previously created.

5. If using a Trade Sample Template, select the strain

6. Enter the desired number of units you are pre-packaging as Trade Samples

7. Locate the inventory you will use to create the Trade Samples and enter the corresponding amount in the Amount to Use field.

8. Click Preview and then Confirm to finalize the conversion

9. The pre-packaged Trade Sample inventory is now available. You can add these units to an order and proceed with labeling, manifesting, and transferring the order using your standard GrowFlow workflows.

GrowFlow can assist with the WA requirements for labeling Trade Samples.

The GrowFlow Default Retail Labels will automatically print Trade Sample when the product is designated as a Trade Sample in your product catalog.

If you utilize custom label templates, you will need to make the following adjustments to ensure accurate Trade Sample labeling:

1. Remove the following dynamic fields from your custom label templates.

2. Add the following dynamic field to the desired location on your custom label template. This will now correctly display "Trade Sample" for designated products.

Use the GrowFlow Default lLabel, titled 1x2 Trade Sample - Not for Resale, for printing for the mandatory additional label required on all Trade Samples.

If you need to adjust the size or content of this label to fit your specific packaging needs, click the Copy button next to the default label to create a customizable version. You can then edit the copied label as needed.

We've provided a simplified list of key changes based on the new regulations in Washington. However, we recommend reviewing the official rule amendments for Cannabis Samples in WAC 314-55-096, as the LCB maintains the most up-to-date rules and any subsequent changes. It is always best practice to educate yourself on the official regulations.

All samples provided to retailers are now classified as Trade Samples. This consolidation simplifies the previous categories of Vendor and Educational samples.

These samples are intended to:

Each trade sample must:

The limits on the amount of trade samples offered to cannabis licensees are now based on calendar quarters.