(Source: MIRS.news, Published 09/13/2024) The polices governing Michigan's cannabis industry may be loosening slightly after a draft of rules changes the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) is proposing was sent for review before the public comment period.
CRA Director Brian Hanna said during its Sept. 11 meeting that the rules draft was sent to the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearing and Rules at the start of September. Once returned, they will be published, starting 30 days of public comment.
He said some of the changes to the rules would include prohibiting the conversion of CBD to THC and not requiring pre-rolled to be tested after they have been manufactured.
The definition of temporary cannabis events would change and would only require a license if the event was selling product and not just using cannabis.
If one package of edibles contained several packs, there would be only one tag required.
Retailers would not need to have a separate lobby room under the proposed rules.
“You want a lobby, great. You don’t want a lobby, great,” Hanna said.
Hanna also said remediation would be addressed under the rule changes.
David Bye, president of Machine Holdings that owns 3 Lefts and Trap House Company, said he agrees with many of the proposed changes and said tightening up the administrative paperwork would be a boon, but he'd like to see more done under enforcement from the CRA.
“Tightening up the paperwork and the necessities of what needs to be done, you can have a better chance at enforcing your case when you do have some sort of violation,” Bye said.
He said the documentation changes on input and output to biomass would be a game changer, because it would let the CRA view history and be able to catch any illegal product being introduced into the system easier.
“We fought long and hard to get marijuana legalized so to legalize it and then bastardize it by pushing the black market and allowing foul play just seems counterproductive,” Bye said.
What didn’t appear in the rule changes that he said he thought would be beneficial, would be a clear spelling out of what violations would cause someone to have their license revoked.
“Sure, you’re going to have people try to skirt around things, it's just the nature of humans it seems like, but it would give people more of a concern than how the rules seem to apply now,” he said.
He said with the irrevocable rules clearly in the open, it could prevent some of the illicit purchases that have taken place in the state.
“If you are a little kid and you do something wrong, but you just get a strong talking to, the chances are you might still do it. If you know you’re going to get a smack on the tush, it might be a deterrent. If people know what the penalties are, it might be a better deterrent," he said.
He said, with the current over-saturation of the cannabis market and the historically low prices, enforcement is needed now more than ever.
“We need our state to step in and help us heal this industry,” Bye said.
