MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
Recent summers have delivered record temperatures to all of California, including both the southern and northern regions, and 2021 has been no exception.
With such extreme environmental temperatures up and down the state, one possible recourse that doesn’t require increasing air conditioning capacity is to use either shade cloth or a greenhouse whitewash to control excessively hot environmental conditions, both ambient temperatures as well as radiant temperature.
A whitewash consists of coating the greenhouse glass with one or more coats of non-permanent, white, washable paint. Operations that use automated glass cleaning machines can fill those systems with whitewash instead of a cleaning solution. Some larger scale operations can also apply whitewash by helicopter.
While the goal of whitewashing is to reduce radiant temperatures, it also impacts the amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) light reaching the crop. If light levels drop below target levels, consider washing off the paint and applying fewer coats or a more diluted paint mix. Ultimately, growers must weigh the risks of heat exposure against loss of light when determining how much light and radiant heat they want to take out of the greenhouse.
Shade cloth comes in a multitude of configurations; it offers various percentages of shading capabilities (e.g., 10%, 20% or 30% shading, meaning the cloth will block that amount of light from entering the greenhouse).
Like whitewashing, shade cloths do reduce the amount of light that reaches the crops. Thankfully, shade cloths can be pulled up during peak sunshine hours and removed as the sun sets to minimize the loss of light while maximizing the reduction of radiant heat.
Tim Houseberg’s ambitions for hemp are nearly as expansive as the opportunities for the plant itself.
After a nearly 30-year career with the Cherokee Nation in environmental protection and financial services, Houseberg has spent the past three years building a hemp-related non-profit and genetics company, conducting multiple studies on the plant, and forming numerous partnerships across the hemp sector. It’s all been to support his ultimate vision of bringing tribal sovereignty to his community and others.
But Houseberg’s latest hemp initiative may be his most ambitious yet.
In September, Houseberg’s newest venture, Native American Cannabis Alliance (NACA), announced it had signed three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Indigenous farmers from tribes including Mohawk Nation, and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Nations.
NACA is a joint venture between Houseberg and Everscore Inc., a startup direct-to-consumer marketplace for THC and CBD products.
Houseberg and Sampson say the MOUs will open up access to 500,000 acres of tribal farmland for not just growing cannabis and hemp, but also creating manufacturing campuses to process the crops grown on that land.
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) is hosting a “listen and learn” session Oct. 20 to engage with the industry and get public and licensee feedback on the new draft rules before they are finalized.
The LCB proposed the draft rules to update its cannabis quality control sampling and testing requirements, according to a press release from the LCB.
According to the session agenda, the meeting will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. PT, dive into the rulemaking process and the conceptual draft rules, and discuss attendee feedback, suggested revisions, and the next steps.
Below are details from the press release regarding how to virtually join the session:
Attendees can join on their computer or smartphone using this Microsoft Teams link.To listen to the meeting on the phone (audio only): Dial: +564-999-2000 and type in the phone conference ID: 241 255 30# The phone option is intended only for listening to the session. To participate and contribute to the forum, attendees must join online via Microsoft Teams.If you plan to join the session online, the LCB has a few reminders:
The LCB will structure online participation to allow one speaker at a time through a hand-raising feature on Microsoft Teams.If there are difficulties with audio or visual elements of Microsoft Teams, please be patient with the LCB as they work to address them.Attendees can also provide feedback to the LCB via email at @[email protected].
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 12, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Cresco Labs, a vertically integrated multistate operator and the No. 1 U.S. wholesaler of branded cannabis products, announced the conversion of One Plant dispensary to its Sunnyside national retail brand, following approval from the Florida Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU).
Effective immediately, eight One Plant locations in Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Orlando-Fern Park, Jacksonville, Ocala, Port St. Lucie and St. Petersburg have transitioned to Sunnyside. This August, Cresco Labs opened its first full-concept Sunnyside in Fort Lauderdale. Additional locations are planned to open this year.
“We’re thrilled to bring Sunnyside to the Florida cannabis market and have picked a fantastic partner in One Plant, known for cultivating some of the highest quality cannabis products,” said Cris Rivera, Florida Regional President at Cresco Labs. “Sunnyside will bring welcome aesthetic changes to existing retail locations. Similar to our stores across the country, our Sunnyside Florida stores will provide the same great products from One Plant and Cresco Labs’ House of Brands, an easy, online ordering experience and knowledgeable wellness advisers who will meet our customers wherever they are on their cannabis journey.”
Sunnyside elevates the value cannabis dispensaries can bring to a community. Stores feature a bright, upbeat and welcoming aesthetic. Wellness advisers are knowledgeable across forms and usage frequency to help customers wherever they are on their wellness journey.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBSD) Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) and other deputies seized nearly 64,000 illegal cannabis plants in weeks four, five and six of “Operation Hammer Strike.”
The operation is designed to discover unlawful cannabis cultivations in San Bernardino County, Calif.
RELATED: 1,335 Pounds of Processed Illegal Cannabis Discovered in California
In week four of the operation from Sept. 20-24, investigators and MET agents served 24 search warrants for various locations across six cities in San Bernardino County: Lucerne Valley, Wonder Valley, Apple Valley, Pinon Hills, Phelan and Newberry Springs, according to a press release from SBSD headquarters.
Investigators arrested 33 suspects and discovered over 16,000 pounds of illegal cannabis plants, nearly 6,000 pounds of processed cannabis, and liquidated 101 greenhouses and one electrical bypass. Deputies also found seven guns and $41,000 cash.
In week five of the operation from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, MET served 26 search warrants for different locations within the same cities as week four in addition to Twentynine Palms.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Oct. 13, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – FabricAir Inc., the original manufacturer of fabric HVAC duct, introduces the FabricAir Rack Flow System, the agricultural industry’s only air delivery system for multitier grow racks that doesn’t use sheet metal duct or plenums.
Rack Flow consists of fabric duct, high-efficiency fans, variable speed controllers, and a suspension system of stainless-steel cables and powder-coated mounting brackets. The system is designed for multitier cannabis growing as it delivers conditioned ambient air through the racking into the plant canopy to prevent yield-restricting microclimates.
Rack Flow is the only multitier rack air delivery system designed by an air distribution manufacturer. The lightweight system is adaptable to all rack brands and compatible with any lighting grid. FabricAir guarantees the grow industry’s highest CFM/watt efficiency. The system serves racks up to 64 feet long.
Rack Flow ducts are supplied with conditioned ambient air from two high-efficiency, ETL-listed, Energy Star fans. Growers can adjust the air flow to accommodate different stages of grow cycles. Fans come standard with variable speed digital controllers, are easily integrated with grow automation systems (GAS) and are compatible with feedback controls. Rack Flow’s fans are controllable using 0-10V or pulse wave modulation (PWM) formats. Rack Flow uses two premium antimicrobial, flame-retardant and durable fabric cloud ducts that span the length of the rack.
Rack Flow outperforms other rack air delivery systems because of the following advantages:
Uses a proprietary linear venting that produces uniform, predictable airflow and velocitiesDoesn’t use metal plenums or ductwork that are labor intensive to install and clean ECM fans cut power consumption by up to half versus conventional AC fansFans conform to UL–507 and CSA C22.2 standardsCan be quickly disassembled, laundered and reassembled up to six times faster than conventional systemsOther benefits of Rack Flow are:
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada & Boulder, Colorado, USA [Thursday, October 14, 2021] - PRESS RELEASE - Canopy Growth Corporation and Mountain High Products, LLC, Wana Wellness, LLC and The Cima Group, LLC (collectively, “Wana” and each, a “Wana Entity”) have announced that they have entered into definitive agreements providing Canopy Growth with the right, upon federal permissibility of THC in the U.S., to acquire 100% of the outstanding membership interests of Wana, the No. 1 cannabis edibles brand in North America by market share.
Wana manufactures and sells gummies in the U.S. state of Colorado and licenses its intellectual property to partners, who manufacture, distribute, and sell Wana-branded gummies across the U.S., including California, Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, and Florida, giving Wana a total footprint of 12 U.S. states currently, and across Canada. Wana expects to have license agreements in place in more than 20 U.S. states, including in future adult-use markets in New York and New Jersey, prior to the end of calendar 2022.
Strategic Benefits
Strengthens Canopy Growth’s U.S. Ecosystem: Wana’s leadership position and ongoing expansion across the U.S. bolsters Canopy Growth’s product, brand, and geographic exposure to the U.S. cannabis market upon federal permissibility.Dominant Edibles Category: The gummies category is one of the fastest growing segments in both the U.S. and Canadian cannabis markets accounting for more than 71% of all edibles purchased. Based on Canopy Growth’s consumer research, edibles are expected to continue to serve as the primary point of entry for new consumers into the THC category and as such having a leadership position in the gummy category is critical.Market Leadership in the Edibles Product Category: Wana is the leading cannabis edibles brand in North America based on market share, with the largest multi-market presence of any independent edibles brand across the U.S. gummy market, and No.1 share of the Canadian gummy market, respectively.Increases Exposure to U.S. Cannabis Market Upon Federal Permissibility: Upon exercising its right to acquire Wana, Canopy Growth will own and operate Wana’s vertically integrated facility in Colorado as well as its rapidly growing licensing division, which currently covers 11 states and is expected to cover more than 20 states by the end of calendar year 2022. This expands upon the coverage provided by the company’s existing right to acquire Acreage Holdings, Inc., a U.S. multi-state operator, and the company’s conditional ownership interest in TerrAscend Corp., another U.S. multi-state operator. Profitable and Highly Scalable Business Model: Wana has a profitable business with a track record of generating strong revenue growth and category-leading gross and EBITDA margins. Wana’s proven licensing model provides an opportunity to scale the brand ahead of U.S. federal permissibility. Further Strengthens Canopy Growth’s Leading House of Brands: Wana is the No. 1 cannabis edibles brand in North America and will complement Canopy Growth’s diversified product portfolio across the recreational cannabis industry.“As we establish Canopy Growth as the world’s leading cannabis company, acquiring the No. 1 cannabis edibles brand in North America will serve to strengthen our market position in both Canada and the United States,” said David Klein, CEO, Canopy Growth. “The right to acquire Wana secures another major, direct pathway into the U.S. THC market upon federal permissibility, and in Canada we’ll be adding the top-ranked cannabinoid gummies to our industry-leading house of brands. We’re confident in the future growth of the edibles category and the tremendous opportunities with Wana.”
“Today’s announcement reflects the culmination of more than a decade of hard work, dedication and vision put forth by our employees and partners, as well as an unwavering commitment to the plant and -our customers,” said Nancy Whiteman, CEO and co-founder of Wana Brands. “We have long considered what the next phase of our growth might look like, and this deal is not only a great testament to our focus on bottom line growth and fiscal diligence, but also to the value we believe Wana can bring to Canopy and its shareholders now and in the future. We have met many partners along the way over the past 11 years, but none have felt like the best and right fit until today. We are incredibly humbled and honored to be part of what Canopy Growth is building in terms of the future of this industry.”
Compliant packaging and labeling can get tricky in a highly regulated industry like cannabis.
This became evident last month, when the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) issued recalls for mislabeled cannabis tinctures produced by Cura CS LLC and sold under the company’s Select brand. Curaleaf, Cura’s parent company, acknowledged that the company mixed up its THC and CBD tinctures, ultimately labeling the THC drops as containing only CBD and labeling the CBD drops as containing 17.25 mg of THC per serving.
RELATED: Mislabeled Cannabis Products Result in Hospitalizations, Lawsuits in Oregon
California-based cannabis operator Papa & Barkley also produces both CBD- and THC-based products, and Guy Rocourt, the company’s co-founder and chief product officer, has worked diligently to avoid this kind of product mix-up.
Here, Rocourt offers tips to streamline the packaging and labeling process when producing both THC and CBD product lines.
Participation in Missouri’s medical cannabis industry will be fully open to out-of-state operators.
U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled last week to make her temporary injunction against the state’s residency requirement permanent, The Kansas City Star reported.
RELATED: Missouri Federal Judge Prevents State From Enforcing Residency Rules
In 2018, Missouri voters approved legalization through Amendment 2, a ballot measure that required potential cultivators, dispensaries and manufacturers to be majority owned by residents who have lived in Missouri for at least one year prior to filing license applications.
Missouri’s first medical cannabis cultivation facility became operational in June, 2020, and the retail market opened Oct. 17, 2020, when the state’s first two dispensaries began serving patients.
Two months later, Mark Toigo, a cannabis investor from Pennsylvania, filed a federal lawsuit to strike down Missouri’s requirement that medical cannabis licenses be reserved for businesses majority owned by state residents.
DENVER, Oct. 12, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Flowhub, the cannabis retail point-of-sale (POS) platform for dispensaries, announced the closing of $19 million in strategic funding, bringing the total amount of capital raised to nearly $50 million with a valuation of over $200 million. The financing was led by venture firms Headline and Poseidon, and included a personal investment from world-renowned rapper, entrepreneur and entertainment mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.
With the additional funding, Flowhub will accelerate expansion into emerging markets, further develop its dynamic product line and grow its social equity program. Launched in June 2021, Flowhub's social equity program invests in those who have been adversely impacted by the war on drugs. Per the program, eligible social equity business owners receive Flowhub's POS software discounted at $4.20 for up to three years, the mobile Stash and Greet apps, the View app and free implementation. To date, Flowhub has awarded more than $1 million worth of software products to eligible cannabis entrepreneurs via this program.
"We are thrilled to announce this capital raise. Headline is an incredible Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, Poseidon is a pioneer investor in the cannabis industry and Jay-Z is a cultural and creative global force no matter the industry he is involved in," said Kyle Sherman, founder and CEO of Flowhub. "I couldn't think of a better group to be working with as we take this company to the next stage. This funding not only underscores the significant value that Flowhub provides to our customers, but also the maturation of the cannabis industry at large. We remain committed to developing innovative products that help our retail customers run better businesses."
Flowhub processes more than $3 billion in cannabis sales annually and is trusted by over 1,000 dispensaries. Built specifically to serve the highly regulated cannabis industry, Flowhub helps dispensaries operate compliantly, effortlessly expand and deliver exceptional guest experiences. By automating the compliance process that cannabis retailers have to deal with on a daily basis and helping dispensaries sell smarter, Flowhub is working to enable a future where cannabis is accessible to every adult on planet Earth.
Recently, Flowhub appointed Leandre Johns as Chief Operating Officer. The former Uber executive was brought in to help shape the business for the next stage of growth. The company also announced a recent integration by Weedmaps to streamline online ordering for consumers and Flowhub-powered cannabis retailers.
To learn more about or apply to Flowhub's social equity program, please visit flowhub.com/social-equity-program.
Mislabeled cannabis products have resulted in hospitalizations and lawsuits in Oregon after customers thought they were ingesting CBD wellness drops that actually contained THC.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) issued a recall Sept. 21 for a product produced by Cura CS, LLC and sold under the company’s Select brand. The product was labeled as a hemp-derived CBD tincture but contained “undisclosed levels of THC,” according to an OLCC press release.
The OLCC then expanded the recall Sept. 21 to include a Select tincture that was labeled as containing 1,000 mg of THC because the drops do not actually contain any detectable THC.
Curaleaf, which acquired Cura in 2019, has acknowledged that the company somehow confused the two tinctures and mislabeled them, according to The Chronicle.
The OLCC told the news outlet that 13 people reported ingesting the mislabeled drops. At least three visited emergency rooms and at least one was hospitalized, according to The Chronicle, and the incidents have resulted in four lawsuits against Curaleaf.
Arizona’s 26 social equity licenses for adult-use cannabis dispensaries will be tied to applicants who have recently lived in qualifying ZIP codes, the state’s Department of Health Services (ADHS) announced Oct. 8.
To meet the geographic residency requirement, applicants must have had a physical address and lived in one of the 87 postal codes for at least three of the past five years.
While ADHS officials did not release details about their selection process—there are more than 500 ZIP codes in the state—the chosen areas appear heavily focused on or near Native American reservations, The Arizona Republic reported.
Social equity programs have been met with criticism and lawsuits in other states that have, or are trying to, adopt them. Illinois, where three lotteries were held in July and August, is unable to issue 185 retail licenses until a standing court order is lifted.
RELATED: Illinois Cannabis Retail Licenses Still in Limbo After Third and Final Licensing Lottery
Former ADHS Director Will Humble, who led the effort to implement Arizona’s medical cannabis program, told the Republic that he expects some who think they should be eligible for the 26 social equity licenses—but who later find out they are not eligible—to challenge the rules in court.
Smokable medical cannabis products are coming to Louisiana Jan. 1, 2022, and the state’s largest producer is gearing up to meet expected demand growth.
Good Day Farm, a Louisiana State University AgCenter partner, plans to pivot its operations north, from its current location in Baton Rouge to a 225,000-square-foot warehouse in Ruston later this month, The Daily Advertiser recently reported. The new site is 30 miles from the Arkansas border.
Good Day Farm President John Davis told the Advertiser the move to Ruston is intended to meet an anticipated demand increase for medical cannabis when the state’s program expands to include smokable products Jan. 1, 2022.
RELATED: Louisiana Governor Signs Smokable Medical Cannabis Bill
“It’s an exciting expansion, especially because it will create new jobs and place what has been an empty building back into commerce,” Davis said.
He said Good Day Farm’s move will initially create 50 new jobs and expects as many as 200 more jobs to be added at the Ruston location as the state’s market continues to mature.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Oct. 8 that would have allowed cannabis businesses to advertise on highway billboards.
Lawmakers introduced the legislation following a judge’s November 2020 ruling that cannabis billboards are illegal under California’s Prop. 64, and that state regulators exceeded their authority by allowing cannabis businesses to advertise on billboards along California’s interstate highways, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
The Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) then announced new rules for the advertisements that allowed cannabis billboards to remain on highways that are entirely within California’s borders. The regulations prohibited cannabis businesses from placing billboard advertisements on any interstate highway that crosses the state’s border, however.
Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Union City) then introduced the legislation to allow these advertisements in an effort to help California’s legal cannabis industry, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“We have not done enough to help the legal cannabis industry thrive,” Quirk told the news outlet. “The legal cannabis industry has a very limited and narrow set of marketing avenues available to them. Removing their ability to promote their legitimate business along hundreds of miles of roadway does nothing but help the illicit market.”
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission announced Oct. 8 that physician assistants and nurse practitioners can now recommend medical cannabis to patients, according to an NJ.com report.
“Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are an integral part of medical practices and are involved in patient care, diagnosis, and prescribing medicine,” Cannabis Regulatory Commission Executive Director Jeff Brown told the news outlet. “We are excited to implement the process for them to participate in the program to provide greater access to patients and to make the process more efficient for care provider offices.”
The change is part of Jake Honig’s law, which expanded New Jersey’s medical cannabis program and has been rolled out over the course of the last two years.
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners participating in the program will be held to the same requirements as doctors, NJ.com reported. They must be licensed and in good standing, and they must have a practice located in New Jersey.
There are 1,311 doctors in the state who are registered to recommend medical cannabis to their patients, NJ.com reported, and the program has more than 117,000 patients and 23 operational dispensaries.
Keynesian economics is dead. Yes, I mean the economist John Maynard Keynes, the once-famous and infamous economist who has inspired the model of the western world’s monetary and fiscal policies since the end of World War II.
What does Keynesian economics, or the idea that money should be managed by the government, wherein the economy is driven by mostly aggregate demand, and that people will buy more when they have more nominal money in their pocket, have to do with cannabis? Well, cannabis, like any other industry, is facilitated by money. And the money being invested into the cannabis industry meant to protect cannabis companies from the eventual consolidation of the industry is based solely on 75 years of “easy” money policy. The result being that larger firms with access to easy money will pick off weaker, smaller firms who cannot compete with multistate operators or large tobacco, alcohol, and pharma corporations when federal legalization arrives. The only defense for smaller cannabis firms is to fortify their balance sheets with “hard” money.
What do I mean by “easy” and “hard” money? First, money has three main characteristics. One, it is a store of value. This means that what an amount of currency buys today should buy, at a minimum, the same goods in the future. Two, it is a medium of exchange, meaning you can easily use it in a marketplace that accepts it in exchange for goods or services. Three, it is a unit of account, which allows for the calculation of profits, losses, and balances.
One example of “easy” money is the fiat or paper and coin currency issued by central banks and made legal tender by governments around the world. It is “easy” because money can be printed at will and there is no cap as to its issuance. On the other hand, “hard” money is not easy to produce and there is a cap, or at least a very low level of issuance regardless of the economic demand for it. Gold is an example of a historical hard currency.
To put it into econo-speak, “hard” money creation is inelastic to any price or demand signals. (In that regard, gold is an imperfect example as an increase in demand (leading to a price increase) would eventually lead to more gold-mining activity (increase in supply) to meet that demand and capitalize on the price increase.)
The Problem With “Easy” Money
When the government prints fiat money, it dramatically reduces that currency’s usefulness as a store of value. Who hasn’t heard their parents or grandparents say, “When I was a kid, you could go to the movies for 25 cents?” Now, movies cost $10 or more. The quarter obviously didn’t keep its store of value.
A number of advocacy groups and state legislative committees are gathering either signatures or intel on opportunities to legalize cannabis in 2022—for medical or adult use, depending on the individual state’s place in the great timeline of reform. See below for some of these recent stories.
We’re working on a feature that will take a close look at those attempts and suss out the likelihood of certain efforts.
But we’re curious about your perspectives, too. Is your U.S. state or country preparing to legalize cannabis to one degree or another next year? What are you doing to prepare for that?
Let us know. Feel free to send an email with your insights and your thoughts on the wave of reform—and whether you think you’ll catch it in 2022.
This process is ongoing, and it’s one reason why we put together the Startup and Expansion Guide in our August 2021 issue.
We’ve rounded up some of the key cannabis headlines from the week right here.
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is working with a local vendor to implement a cannabis analytic tracking system for when adult-use sales begin in the state next year.
RELATED: UPDATE: Gov. Ned Lamont Signs Adult-Use Cannabis Legislation
The electronic tracking system will capture and maintain records of all legal adult-use cannabis in Connecticut from seed to sale and monitor licensee activity, according to recent regulations released from the DCP.
"The system will create a barcode-like identifier for each cannabis product on the market, and producers, delivery companies, and retailers will have to enter into the system every time the product is transported, and eventually sold, creating a documented chain of custody," the Hartford Business Journal reported.
According to the regulations, all licensed cannabis businesses will have an account within the platform; however, companies can use an alternative tracking platform if it complies with Connecticut's system.
]]>The Ontario government introduced the Supporting People and Businesses Act Thursday to provide continued support to citizens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by modifying or reducing specific standards and regulations.
Part of the wide-ranging bill is a proposal to enable cannabis retail stores to offer delivery services and curbside pickup permanently.
According to the Ontario government website, the proposal would allow "retailers to continue supporting physical distancing and general public health directives."
High Tide, a Canada-based retail-focused cannabis company, announced its support of the government's proposal.
"Along with many other businesses, legal cannabis retailers have seen their bottom lines impacted by the pandemic," said Raj Grover, High Tide president and CEO, in a press release. "As lockdowns were put in place, the government of Ontario listened to legal cannabis businesses and allowed us to offer curbside pickup and delivery services to our customers on a temporary basis. This decision helped many smaller cannabis retailers stay afloat and limit layoffs, while providing the sector with an important tool to combat illicit market operators, many of whom began ramping up their unregulated delivery services as the pandemic hit.”
"I am pleased that the Ontario government has now decided to make the delivery allowance permanent," Grover added. "Through the pandemic, licensed cannabis retailers have proven that we can operate home delivery in a safe and secure manner that allows adults to have timely access to the regulated and quality-controlled products that they want, while ensuring that, unlike illicit market operators, access to youth is strictly forbidden."
]]>Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) will oversee the sale of all cannabis-derived THC products in the state starting Oct. 11.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation in July to regulate delta-8 THC, which has been sold by gas stations, online vendors and other retailers outside of Michigan’s regulated cannabis market without the licensing, testing and other regulations that govern Michigan’s licensed cannabis businesses.
Under the new law, all cannabis-derived THC products will be covered by state law and regulated by MRA beginning Monday, and the products will only be sold through licensed cannabis retailers after proper testing and approvals, according to a local 9 & 10 News report.
Regulators will review and analyze all “intoxicating substances,” including delta-8 THC and THC-O-acetate, under the new law to determine whether they need to be safety tested through MRA’s statewide monitoring system and tracked through Michigan’s seed-to-sale tracking system, 9 & 10 News reported.
“Michigan’s approach to cannabis is a model for the nation in regard to protecting its residents and making sure that those who consume these products do so in a safe manner,” MRA Executive Director Andrew Brisbo told the news outlet. “Moving forward, these intoxicating products will be removed from the unregulated marketplace and placed in a well-regulated and licensed system, restricted to adults, and monitored for safety."
