For many years (since 2014) the API for Metrc (the cannabis reporting engine in Colorado and other states) would NEVER return any useful data at all, simply an empty JSON array. So after each operation, one would have to query the search endpoint for plants or inventory to discover the new items -- and hope you could positively identify which one was the new one you were looking for.

That and not supporting B2B transactions via their API. They would alternately claim it's for security or that the States were not asking for it. States would tell other software vendors that Metrc coludn't do it. Neither party could move the ball.

Only now, in 2023, have they started responding with the ID of the newly created items (why not a fully inflated record of what was just created) and working to support B2B.

These state run APIs, from a for-profit corporation, are not good for the public (they hide, or cannot handle important laboratory testing data) and they are not good for the licensees, especially the small businesses. And there is no accountability -- agency points to vendor & vendor points to agency.

Sadly, getting these State agencies to understand the beauty of distributed/federated systems -- and the difficutly for small businesses to respond to RFPs -- keep us from having nice things.

End of rant.