Generate Your GS1 DataMatrix Quickly and Easily
This applies to licensed producers, retailers, jurisdictions and distributors. Get ready now to meet the Implementation Deadline in 2025.
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Planning Your Transition to GS1 DataMatrix?
The Right Barcodes, The Right Data, Right Now!
Since cannabis legalization in 2018, GS1 Canada has been facilitating collaboration between industry stakeholders across the country for alignment on standards-related requirements for an efficient, safe and traceable cannabis supply chain.
GS1 standards support an efficient, safe and traceable cannabis supply chain by:
- Providing trusted global barcodes
- Enabling globally unique product identification
- Supporting regulatory compliance
- Providing quick access to bilingual product data and images
What You Need to Know About Launching Cannabis
A comprehensive guide on bringing your products to market and growing your business.
Ask the Barcode Experts Webinar
Master the GS1 DataMatrix Toolkit for Cannabis - Your Guide to 2025 Implementation
As cannabis industry timelines progress, join us for a mid-year checkpoint to assess your readiness and learn what's changed.
June 4 | 1 - 2 PM (ET)
Join Our Work Group and Help Shape the Cannabis Industry
Collaborate with Canadian cannabis stakeholders on hot topics to help shape the future of the industry.
Get Started with a GS1 Canada Subscription
A GS1 Canada subscription includes an annual licence that enables you to create the unique Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN) for your products. These unique product identifiers are mandatory in all provinces. Subscription fees are based on the number of GTINs you need, and start at $26.75 for one GTIN.
The number of GTINs you need depends on the number of cannabis products you plan on selling. A unique GTIN is required for every size and variation of your product.
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Industry Managed Solutions for Cannabis
GS1 Canada collaborates with Canadian industries to tackle common challenges in supply chain and business processes, providing streamlined access to accurate, bilingual, and standardized data and images. As requested by the industry, Industry Managed Solutions are developed through these collaborations as non-proprietary and designed for businesses of all sizes, focusing on operational efficiency with flexible content capture, loading, and sharing options tailored to Canadian industry needs. To start using any of our industry solutions, you must be a GS1 Canada subscriber.
The Industry Managed Solutions currently used in the cannabis industry include:
New Item Setup
Streamline Product Listings with a Centralized Data Distribution Platform
This helps licensed producers to efficiently manage and share trusted bilingual product data with retailers, wholesale distributors, and regulators, ensuring everyone has access to the same accurate information from a single, secure location.
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Marketing Content
Professional Bilingual Product Images to Promote Online and In-Store
Images are captured using global product image standards, ensuring consistent lighting, angles, backgrounds and perspectives. Once registered, your images can be centrally managed and shared with multiple retailers and wholesale distributors.
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Enabling Success for Canada’s Cannabis Stakeholders
Licensed Producers
Efficiently meet retail and regulatory data requirements
Be confident that you are loading the specific product data and images that distributors and retailers need for their listing processes and other business functions, while meeting Canadian regulatory requirements.
Retailers and Wholesale Distributors
Enhance customer experiences and improve operations
Efficient access to trusted data means improved inventory management, ability to quickly help your customers make more informed purchase decisions and enhanced trust and transparency.
Regulators and Jurisdictions
Track and trace with GS1 standards
GS1 standards enable access to required regulatory data and provide visibility throughout the cannabis supply chain, helping to increase safety and reduce illicit market activities.
Solution Providers
GS1 standards enable interoperability and efficiency for cannabis businesses
Seamless system integration allows you to provide scalable and compliant hardware and software to your cannabis customers.
Transitioning to the GS1 DataMatrix
In 2018, the initial focus for cannabis stakeholders was to harmonize the various barcode requirements across jurisdictions into one barcode. As a result, in 2019, the cannabis community approved the adoption of the GS1 DataBar Expanded and GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked as a short-term solution and the GS1 DataMatrix as a long-term solution. The transition to this next generation 2D barcode, the GS1 DataMatrix, is now underway.
Check Out When Jurisdictions Will Start Accepting GS1 DataMatrix (Document link opens in new tab.)Benefits of the GS1 DataMatrix
- Unmatched Scanning Capabilities: Built-in error correction enables scanning - even if the barcode is partially damaged or torn – enabling smoother operations throughout the supply chain. The GS1 DataMatrix can be scanned in any direction.
- Compact Yet Comprehensive: More product information can be encoded in a much smaller footprint. The small size of the GS1 DataMatrix is also ideal for small packages, including concentrates, extracts, and topicals, streamlining access to critical supply chain data while conserving valuable packaging space.
- Enhanced Efficiency and Safety Across the Value Chain: Track product movements, from cultivation to distribution, fostering transparency and consumer trust.
Learning Resources
- Cannabis GTIN Management Standard Rules Clarification Guide (Document link opens in new tab.)
- E-learning Module (Subscribers Only)
- 2D Barcode Technical Details
- GS1 DataMatrix FAQ for Canadian Cannabis Community (Document link opens in new tab.)
- Barcode Scanning Equipment Selection Criteria (Document link opens in new tab.)
- Learn More About the Benefits of 2D