Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Formul8, pricing, data privacy, and technical details
Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Formul8?
Formul8 is an AI platform built specifically for the cannabis industry. It provides 13 specialized AI agents that understand cannabis regulations, formulation science, extraction techniques, operations, marketing, and more. The platform includes a chat interface (F8Chat), a compliance dashboard for Metrc, an operations command center, and a knowledge base powered by 7,000+ community forum threads.
How is Formul8 different from ChatGPT?
Formul8's agents are trained on cannabis-specific knowledge that general-purpose AI assistants lack. Key differences:
- Domain expertise — 13 agents specialized in compliance, formulation, operations, marketing, sourcing, patents, and more
- Cannabis regulations — RAG-backed knowledge of state-specific regulations across all 50 U.S. states
- Community knowledge — 7,061 threads from Future4200.com, the cannabis industry's leading technical forum
- Metrc integration — Direct connection to Metrc track-and-trace systems with AI-assisted compliance
- Industry vocabulary — Understands cannabis terminology (packages, manifests, track-and-trace, COAs, batch records) natively
ChatGPT can answer general questions about cannabis. Formul8 provides actionable, state-specific, citation-backed guidance for licensed cannabis operators.
Who is Formul8 for?
Formul8 serves cannabis professionals across the supply chain:
- Cultivators and growers
- Extractors and processors
- Product manufacturers (edibles, topicals, tinctures, beverages)
- Dispensaries and retailers
- Testing laboratories
- Multi-state operators (MSOs)
- Social equity license holders
- Cannabis consultants and attorneys
Do I need a cannabis license to use Formul8?
No. Anyone can sign up for a Free or Pro account to use the chat agents and knowledge base. Metrc Dashboard features require Metrc API credentials, which are available to licensed facilities with active Metrc accounts.
Features and Agents
How many agents does Formul8 have?
Formul8 has 13 specialized agents. The number available to you depends on your subscription tier:
- Free/Pro: 3 agents (Formul8 General and Formulation — science queries are also handled by the Formulation agent)
- Operator: 6 agents (adds Compliance, Marketing, MCR)
- Team: All 13 agents
See the Agent Catalog for details on every agent.
Do I need to select which agent to use?
No. Formul8 automatically routes your question to the most appropriate agent based on keywords and intent. The agent that handled your question is identified in the response. If you want a different agent's perspective, rephrase with domain-specific keywords.
What is the Future4200 knowledge base?
Future4200.com is the largest online community for cannabis extraction and processing professionals, with thousands of technical discussions about equipment, techniques, and troubleshooting. Formul8 has indexed 7,061 threads from this forum into a searchable knowledge base. When you ask a question, relevant threads are automatically retrieved and cited in the response. This is available on all tiers, including Free.
What is the web search feature?
When enabled via the Search toggle, supported agents (Compliance, Formulation, Patent) can search the live web for current information. This is useful for recent regulatory changes, new research, and current market data. Results are cited with source URLs in the response.
Can Formul8 write to my Metrc account?
Yes, through the Metrc Dashboard (Operator and Team tiers). The AI Copilot can execute Metrc operations, but every write operation follows a Preview, Confirm, Execute workflow — nothing is written to Metrc without your explicit confirmation. Every action is logged in an immutable ActionLog for audit purposes.
What Metrc operations are supported?
The Metrc Dashboard and MCP tools support 65+ operations across packages, plants, plant batches, strains, harvests, transfers, sales, lab results, and items. This includes creating, updating, and querying records in all major Metrc API categories.
Data and Privacy
Does Formul8 train on my conversations?
No. Your conversations are not used to train Formul8's AI models. Conversation data is stored for your session history and is isolated to your account.
Where is my data stored?
- Conversation data: MongoDB, hosted on Railway
- Account and billing data: PostgreSQL on Supabase
- Metrc data: Fetched in real time from the Metrc API; Formul8 does not permanently store your Metrc data
- Token usage: Tracked in Supabase for billing and analytics
Is my Metrc API key secure?
Yes. Metrc API credentials are stored as server-side environment variables. They are never exposed to the browser or included in API responses. All communication with the Metrc API occurs server-side over HTTPS.
Can other users see my data?
No. Data is isolated at the organization level. Each organization's conversations, usage data, and Metrc data are accessible only to members of that organization.
Does Formul8 comply with SOC 2 or HIPAA?
Formul8's infrastructure is hosted on Railway, Vercel, and Supabase, all of which maintain their own compliance certifications. For specific compliance requirements, contact support@formul8.ai.
Compliance and Accuracy
How accurate is the compliance information?
Formul8's Compliance Agent draws from a curated knowledge base of state regulations, supplemented by web search for the most current updates. However, Formul8 is an AI assistant — not a licensed attorney or compliance officer. Always verify critical compliance decisions with a qualified legal professional.
The platform provides:
- State-specific regulatory guidance with citations
- Proactive alerts for compliance gaps (Metrc Dashboard)
- Web search for the most recent regulatory changes
Which states does Formul8 cover?
The Compliance Agent has knowledge of cannabis regulations across all 50 U.S. states. However, the depth of coverage varies:
- Deep coverage: California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Michigan, Massachusetts, Oregon, and other established markets
- Standard coverage: All other states with legal cannabis programs
- Expanding: The knowledge base is continuously updated as regulations change
Are the Future4200 answers accurate?
Future4200 answers reflect community knowledge — they are sourced from forum posts by experienced cannabis professionals. The AI agent synthesizes and cites relevant threads, but community advice should be evaluated critically, especially for safety-critical or compliance-related decisions.
Does Formul8 guarantee compliance?
No. Formul8 is a tool that assists with compliance research and monitoring. It does not guarantee compliance with any specific regulation. You are responsible for ensuring your operations meet all applicable legal requirements. Formul8's agents cite their sources so you can verify information independently.
Billing and Pricing
How much does Formul8 cost?
| Tier | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0/month |
| Pro | $20/month |
| Operator | $100/month |
| Team | $800/month |
See Pricing & Plans for the complete feature comparison.
Is there a free trial?
The Free tier serves as a perpetual trial — no credit card required, no time limit. You get 3 agents, 5 messages per conversation, and access to the Future4200 knowledge base. This is sufficient to evaluate the platform before committing to a paid plan.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel from the Dashboard at users.formul8.ai. Access continues through the end of your current billing period. After that, your account reverts to the Free tier.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
Your conversation history is preserved and accessible at the Free tier level. Metrc Dashboard and Command Center data access is suspended until you resubscribe.
Do you offer annual billing?
Annual billing is available for Pro, Operator, and Team plans. Contact support@formul8.ai for annual pricing.
Are there discounts for social equity operators?
Formul8 supports social equity initiatives in the cannabis industry. Contact support@formul8.ai to discuss available programs.
What payment methods do you accept?
Formul8 accepts all major credit and debit cards via Stripe. All billing is in US Dollars (USD).
Technical
What API format does Formul8 use?
Formul8's API is OpenAI-compatible. If your application works with the OpenAI Chat Completions API, you can point it at Formul8 by changing the base URL. See the API Reference for details.
Can I use Formul8 with Cursor or Claude Desktop?
Yes. The Formul8 MCP server provides 65+ METRC tools accessible from Cursor, Claude Desktop, and other MCP-compatible AI assistants. See the Integrations Guide for setup instructions.
What browsers are supported?
F8Chat and all Formul8 web applications are tested on the latest versions of:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari
- Microsoft Edge
Is there a mobile app?
Formul8 is a web-based platform accessible from any mobile browser. There is no dedicated native mobile app at this time.
What is the API rate limit?
Rate limits depend on your tier:
| Tier | API Calls/Month |
|---|---|
| Free | 100 |
| Pro | 1,000 |
| Operator | 5,000 |
| Team | 50,000 |
See the API Reference for per-endpoint rate limit details.
Troubleshooting
I cannot sign in
Formul8 uses Google OAuth for authentication. Ensure you are signing in with a Google account. If you are having trouble, try:
- Clearing your browser cookies for formul8.ai domains
- Using an incognito/private browsing window
- Checking that third-party cookies are enabled for the sign-in flow
The agent gave incorrect information
Use the in-chat feedback button to report the issue. This creates a tracked issue that the Formul8 team reviews. Include as much context as possible (your question, the incorrect answer, and what the correct answer should be).
My responses are slow
Response times depend on the complexity of your question, whether web search is enabled, and current server load. Typical response times:
- Simple questions: 2-5 seconds
- Complex questions with RAG: 5-10 seconds
- Web search enabled: 10-20 seconds (varies by number of sources retrieved)
If responses are consistently slow, check your internet connection and try again. If the issue persists, contact support@formul8.ai.
I hit my message or API limit
- Free tier (5 messages per conversation): Start a new conversation, or upgrade to Pro for unlimited messages
- API call monthly limits: Wait for the next billing cycle, or upgrade to a higher tier
- Contact support@formul8.ai if you need a temporary limit increase
Contact
- Support email: support@formul8.ai
- In-app feedback: Use the feedback button in F8Chat
- Documentation: You are reading it
Last updated: 2026-02-18