The Cannabis Regulatory Agency will help Michigan grow the state’s economy and create jobs. | Shelby Ireland/Unsplash
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency will help Michigan grow the state’s economy and create jobs. | Shelby Ireland/Unsplash
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has taken action to consolidate the regulatory bodies within the State of Michigan that oversee cannabis and hemp processing, distribution, and sales to improve efficiency.
These administrative changes will help the state continue to grow the hemp and marijuana economy, create jobs, and invest in local communities, according to a press release from the governor's office.
"Consolidating multiple government functions into the newly named Cannabis Regulatory Agency will help us continue growing our economy and creating jobs," Whitmer said in the release. "And to be blunt-safe, legal cannabis entrepreneurship, farming, and consumption help us 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."
The governor's Executive Order 2022-1 renamed the Marijuana Regulatory Agency as the Cannabis Regulatory Agency and tasks it with regulating the processing, distribution, and sale of both hemp and marijuana going forward. Oversight of hemp cultivation will remain with the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD). This restructuring will allow for a more effective, efficient administration and enforcement of Michigan laws regulating cannabis in all its forms. The executive order was filed with the legislature and will take effect on April 13, according to the release.
It reads, "Changing the organization of the executive branch of state government is necessary in the interests of efficient administration and effectiveness of government."
The executive order also renamed the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs as the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the release said.
Currently, MDARD regulates hemp, while the Cannabis Regulatory Agency regulates marijuana.
Prior to serving as Michigan's governor, Whitmer was an attorney, educator, prosecutor, state representative, and senator. She resides in Lansing and is a lifelong Michigan native, according to her website.
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