After only three years in existence, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA), will be renamed the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. In an executive order targeting both linguistic inclusivity and organizational efficiency, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is consolidating the processing, distribution, and sale of marijuana and hemp into a single state agency. Currently, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) regulates the processing, distribution, and sale of hemp, while the MRA regulated those processes for marijuana.
Effective April 13, 2022, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency will regulate the processing, distribution, and sale of both hemp and marijuana, while oversight of hemp cultivation will remain with MDARD. The merger will bring hemp processing, distribution, and sale into the regulatory structure of the larger cannabis industry in Michigan. Governor Whitmer's goal in consolidation was to continue to grow the industry, create jobs, and "put Michiganders first by directing the large windfall of tax revenue from this new industry to make bigger, bolder investments in local schools, roads, and first responders."
At this point, it is unclear how this realignment of oversight roles will impact those CBD suppliers and vendors whose actions until this realignment were overseen by MDARD. We do, however, expect some amendments to regulations covering both hemp and cannabis sales after the new structure is implemented. Please watch for future updates from our cannabis industry specialists as those changes are adopted and rolled out.
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