A former executive at Metrc, Inc., a major provider of cannabis tracking systems that is active in Maine, has filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit accusing the company of enabling illegal marijuana diversion and retaliating against him after he raised concerns about the alleged practice internally.

The lawsuit could have serious implications for Maine, where Office of Cannabis Policy Executive Director John Hudak is already facing a Government Oversight Committee investigation for his own ties to Metrc, as well as for several contracts the firm holds with the state. The probe, unanimously approved by the committee in February, centers on Hudak’s past business relationship with a Metrc executive and his role in negotiating a lucrative contract amendment between Maine regulatory office and the company.

In a 21-page complaint filed April 4 in U.S. District Court in Oregon (see below), Marcus Estes alleges that Metrc and its subsidiary Metrc ID, LLC fired him after he reported what he believed to be evidence that the company was “participating in a conspiracy” with California cannabis regulators to allow the flow of cannabis into the illicit market.

[RELATED: Maine Cannabis Chief Investigated Over Potential Conflict of Interest with METRC…]

Estes, who was hired as an executive vice president after Metrc acquired his blockchain tracking startup in 2023, claims the company’s flagship “radio-frequency identification” (RFID) tracking system fails to meet contractual obligations...

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