Over ninety minutes of testimony from cannabis companies across the state, Michigan regulators heard operators last Thursday morning express interest in standardized product labeling on product remediation and even interest in requiring a kill step for cannabis prior to packaging. The comments came as part of the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency’s quarterly meeting, where the agency also announced sharply declining flower prices, despite a rapidly increasing number of new licenses approved in the state.
The MRA had expressly asked for public comment on whether or not product remediation should be labeled on products, although it is already reported in Metrc for those who can look up by batch number.
Many smaller operators expressed frustration that dispensary budtenders are not aware of how to use Metrc to look up remediation, and aren’t even aware of remediation means for products.
“When I go into a dispensary and ask, ‘Where was this tested, was it remediated?’ 98% of the people at the counter don’t know, don’t even know how to open Metrc and find the [Certificate of Analysis]. They just show me the potency and the terpene profile,” testified Michael Venopinen, who runs a licensed grow facility in Michigan.
Discussion also rapidly moved from whether remediation should be labeled, to whether or not MRA should require all products to undergo a kill step, such as what consumer food products undergo, such as passing through an ozone chamber or undergoing radiation.
“We believe if a label is required on a product that has undergone a kill step, then the notification should be a piece of mind statement, not a label saying that it has been remediated,” said Jill Ellsworth, CEO of Willow Industries, a Denver-based cannabis purification company. Multiple testifiers ratified Ellsworth’s testimony later that day.
“It’s not a warning of risk. It is a notification informing consumers that product has undergone important quality assurance standards similar to that of food.”
MRA officials did not respond or comment on the testimony made Thursday.
In addition to hearing testimony, MRA director Andrew Brisbo announced the following new Michigan’s cannabis industry statistics:
- The retail price of flower has dropped 53%in the medical and adult use market since this time last year.
- Monthly sales by dollar amount totals are down 32% in the medical market and up 85% in the adult use market.
- Monthly flower sales by dollar amount are up 62% in the medical market, and up 342% in the AU market.
- Michigan has 1,256 active medical licenses and 1,271 active adult use licenses, the first time the state has had more active adult use licenses than medical, according to Brisbo.
- Michigan has had 529 social equity license applications for adult use, 438 prequalified and 108 active social equity licenses.
