Incidents, Recalls, and Compliance Actions
If a safety issue, product violation, theft, or compliance failure occurs, OCM expects immediate action. Delayed or incorrect responses are treated as enforcement issues and can lead to fines, license conditions, or suspension.
This page explains what must be reported, how recalls work, and what happens when OCM takes action.
What This Covers
- What counts as a reportable incident
- How and when to report incidents to OCM
- Recall obligations and procedures
- OCM enforcement actions and responses
What Counts as a Reportable Incident
Any event that threatens public safety, violates OCM rules, or compromises inventory must be reported.
Common reportable incidents include:
- Sale to an underage customer
- Expired, mislabeled, contaminated, or unsafe products
- Security breaches, break-ins, or theft
- Customer injury or adverse reaction
- Significant inventory loss or unexplained discrepancies
- Equipment failures affecting compliance, including:
- POS
- Cameras
- METRC
- Storage or access controls
Retailer responsibilities for incident response are defined in regulation.
How to Report an Incident
Incidents must be submitted through OCM’s official reporting system.
You will be required to provide:
- Summary of what occurred
- Date and time of the incident
- Individuals involved
- How the issue was discovered
- Immediate corrective or containment steps taken
- Supporting documentation, which may include:
- Photos
- Logs
- Batch or lot numbers
- Surveillance footage
OCM may request additional information. All records must be preserved.
Recalls
Recalls may be voluntary or mandated by OCM. Retailers must follow the same procedures regardless of how the recall is initiated.
Core requirements:
- Remove affected products from sale immediately
- Quarantine affected inventory
- Notify customers as directed by OCM
- Submit a formal recall report
- Maintain a recall log documenting:
- Dates
- Actions taken
- Product disposition
- Dispose of recalled products using compliant destruction methods
Failure to follow recall procedures is a separate violation.
OCM Enforcement Actions
If OCM determines that a violation occurred, enforcement actions may include:
- Written warnings
- Cease and desist orders
- Monetary penalties
- License suspension or revocation
- Requests for audits or investigations
Retailers are typically given a short response window. All documentation related to the incident must be retained.
What Operators Usually Miss
- Equipment failures can be reportable incidents
- Inventory discrepancies trigger enforcement review
- Delayed reporting is treated as noncompliance
- Recall documentation is reviewed during inspections
When This Comes Up
- Customer complaints or injuries
- Failed inspections
- Inventory audits
- Product quality issues
- Security incidents
What Happens If You Ignore This
- Escalated enforcement
- Higher fines
- License conditions or suspension
- Mandatory audits or investigations
Related Pages
Source Material
