BIG BROTHER NEEDS GUIDANCE ON COMMON SENSE MARIJUANA REGULATION: NOW MORE THAN EVER

By Ryan Wagner

Over the past few months, your social media feeds have undoubtedly been riddled with news stories surrounding the marijuana plant in its various forms. First, it was an all-out blitz against a "vaping epidemic," which not surprisingly began as an unfair attack upon nicotine products, then also-not-surprisingly turned out to be an issue with black-market THC cartridges. The lack of oversight on marijuana products feeds a robust black market. With the surge in new delivery methods, we end up with vitamin E acetate laced "carts" flooding the streets in States that refuse to legalize or regulate consumer goods in the multi-billion-dollar cannabis market. The media's inability to research nuance doesn't help matters either. A rush to get the "scoop" puts the entire US population at risk with faulty, half-baked stories blasted across mediocre local news stations nightly. Up until this point, I was never a tin-foil-hat-wearing "fake news" kind of guy. Now, it's hard to ignore the outright lies and deception taking place on a massive scale before our eyes. Over the past few months, your social media feeds have undoubtedly been riddled with news stories surrounding the marijuana plant in its various forms. First, it was an all-out blitz against a "vaping epidemic," which not surprisingly began as an unfair attack upon nicotine products, then also-not-surprisingly turned out to be an issue with black-market THC cartridges. The lack of oversight on marijuana products feeds a robust black market. With the surge in new delivery methods, we end up with vitamin E acetate laced "carts" flooding the streets in States that refuse to legalize or regulate consumer goods in the multi-billion-dollar cannabis market. The media's inability to research nuance doesn't help matters either. A rush to get the "scoop" puts the entire US population at risk with faulty, half-baked stories blasted across mediocre local news stations nightly. Up until this point, I was never a tin-foil-hat-wearing "fake news" kind of guy. Now, it's hard to ignore the outright lies and deception taking place on a massive scale before our eyes.

Once the dust settled on the vape cart scare of 2019, then came the asinine actions of Michigan regulatory agencies regarding recreational use. Just days ago, an abrupt announcement from Lansing hit the wire, and the people of Michigan began to rejoice. As of December 1st, medical marijuana provisioning centers will be cleared to sell half of their existing stock as recreational items, and producers will soon start manufacturing products for this specific purpose. The general public should be happy; after all, they voted for this. The state government simply had to structure the regulations to transition into a robust and successful new era. Once the dust settled on the vape cart scare of 2019, then came the asinine actions of Michigan regulatory agencies regarding recreational use. Just days ago, an abrupt announcement from Lansing hit the wire, and the people of Michigan began to rejoice. As of December 1st, medical marijuana provisioning centers will be cleared to sell half of their existing stock as recreational items, and producers will soon start manufacturing products for this specific purpose. The general public should be happy; after all, they voted for this. The state government simply had to structure the regulations to transition into a robust and successful new era.

The dirty little secret the state forgot to mention is that most harvests for smokable pot fail a far-too-stringent guideline (the toughest in the country) surrounding microbials. Even under current medical laws, the provisioning centers are having a hard time keeping the lights on, due to the shortage of market availability for key product categories. So, what will happen come December 1st? There will be a rush on dispensaries, which will quickly run dry as producers fumble to fill the void in the market. Prices, mistakes, and excuses will result, ultimately leading to unaffordable products of subpar quality. This is all happening parallel to the fact that MOST cities in Michigan have opted out on recreational sales. Which, once again, is not the will of the populations of said communities. Having been fortunate enough to work in the industry here over the past 120 days, I can honestly say that every marijuana business I have had the chance to analyze is not breaking even; they are losing money on a monthly basis. Shelves are bare, stress levels are high, consumers are frustrated, and the government simply is not equipped to handle the job. The dirty little secret the state forgot to mention is that most harvests for smokable pot fail a far-too-stringent guideline (the toughest in the country) surrounding microbials. Even under current medical laws, the provisioning centers are having a hard time keeping the lights on, due to the shortage of market availability for key product categories. So, what will happen come December 1st? There will be a rush on dispensaries, which will quickly run dry as producers fumble to fill the void in the market. Prices, mistakes, and excuses will result, ultimately leading to unaffordable products of subpar quality. This is all happening parallel to the fact that MOST cities in Michigan have opted out on recreational sales. Which, once again, is not the will of the populations of said communities. Having been fortunate enough to work in the industry here over the past 120 days, I can honestly say that every marijuana business I have had the chance to analyze is not breaking even; they are losing money on a monthly basis. Shelves are bare, stress levels are high, consumers are frustrated, and the government simply is not equipped to handle the job.

State Police are complaining that new laws make their jobs difficult because where they would normally be able to engage a motorist over suspicious smells, they now have to disengage and send innocent civilians on their way without a search or any other form of harassment. Dropping recreational sales now is like throwing a Hail Mary on the first play of the game. The market needs time to develop and properly service not just an influx of Michiganders seeking legal weed, but also the tidal wave of out-of-state folks looking for reprieve from their own Draconian state governments. 2020 will be a pivotal year in the industry here, and it's going to take far more than a license and a prayer to make it through the gauntlet ahead of cannabis pioneers in the Mitten State. State Police are complaining that new laws make their jobs difficult because where they would normally be able to engage a motorist over suspicious smells, they now have to disengage and send innocent civilians on their way without a search or any other form of harassment. Dropping recreational sales now is like throwing a Hail Mary on the first play of the game. The market needs time to develop and properly service not just an influx of Michiganders seeking legal weed, but also the tidal wave of out-of-state folks looking for reprieve from their own Draconian state governments. 2020 will be a pivotal year in the industry here, and it's going to take far more than a license and a prayer to make it through the gauntlet ahead of cannabis pioneers in the Mitten State.

2020 will be a pivotal year in the industry here, and it's going to take far more than a license and a prayer to make it through the gauntlet ahead of cannabis pioneers in the Mitten State.

Now for the coup de gras. Just today, I have seen a push by Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition outright. The House Judiciary Committee (it's okay; I had to Google it as well) has posted a markup for HR 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act on Wednesday, November 20th, and may hold a vote on the same day. This bill is surprisingly well thought out, and the gist of it is that the communities most heavily impacted by the drug war will benefit the most from a national 5% marijuana tax. This would free millions from prisons for nonviolent marijuana arrests, inject money in the form of loans to these communities, and lift unnecessary barriers for these areas (mostly urban) in regards to licensing and employment within the industry. Sounds great, right? I agree! Who wouldn't love this way of legislating idealism into markets, reclaiming them from the grasp of monolithic industries like pharmaceuticals and tobacco? Now for the coup de gras. Just today, I have seen a push by Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition outright. The House Judiciary Committee (it's okay; I had to Google it as well) has posted a markup for HR 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act on Wednesday, November 20th, and may hold a vote on the same day. This bill is surprisingly well thought out, and the gist of it is that the communities most heavily impacted by the drug war will benefit the most from a national 5% marijuana tax. This would free millions from prisons for nonviolent marijuana arrests, inject money in the form of loans to these communities, and lift unnecessary barriers for these areas (mostly urban) in regards to licensing and employment within the industry. Sounds great, right? I agree! Who wouldn't love this way of legislating idealism into markets, reclaiming them from the grasp of monolithic industries like pharmaceuticals and tobacco?

The bill is young and, if you remember your after-school specials, you understand that this has a long way to go. These equalizing factors will be tested by government bodies financed by those who would prefer a more status-quo approach to regulation. Through all of this, there are two bureaucratic agencies waiting to make their presence known in this space. Should this bill pass through the gauntlet of opinions, ideas, and power present in our nation's capital, the FDA and the CDC will have a lot to say. The FDA alone has the power to decimate the industry of small businesses and hand it over to the true rulers in our country: the oligarchs. This is one of those monumental times in history where commoners like you and I have an opportunity to break through and truly service our communities from the bottom up rather than the top down. Stay vigilant, and be sure to keep consistent contact with your local and state legislators, my friends. They need to hear us! At the end of the day, marijuana legalization has a certain familiar duality that typically accompanies shifts in our culture and the way we perceive the world and society around us. The bill is young and, if you remember your after-school specials, you understand that this has a long way to go. These equalizing factors will be tested by government bodies financed by those who would prefer a more status-quo approach to regulation. Through all of this, there are two bureaucratic agencies waiting to make their presence known in this space. Should this bill pass through the gauntlet of opinions, ideas, and power present in our nation's capital, the FDA and the CDC will have a lot to say. The FDA alone has the power to decimate the industry of small businesses and hand it over to the true rulers in our country: the oligarchs. This is one of those monumental times in history where commoners like you and I have an opportunity to break through and truly service our communities from the bottom up rather than the top down. Stay vigilant, and be sure to keep consistent contact with your local and state legislators, my friends. They need to hear us! At the end of the day, marijuana legalization has a certain familiar duality that typically accompanies shifts in our culture and the way we perceive the world and society around us.

On one hand, we have, for the most part, decided to stop locking people up for a mildly psychoactive plant that grows freely and treats thousands of conditions. On the other hand, we stand in defiance of the worst parts of our government, rotting with corruption, void of morals, ethics, and, most of all, common sense. I for one, am rooting for the consumer, the plant, and the communities ravaged by the drug war to finally be set free from decades of imprisonment and stigma. On one hand, we have, for the most part, decided to stop locking people up for a mildly psychoactive plant that grows freely and treats thousands of conditions. On the other hand, we stand in defiance of the worst parts of our government, rotting with corruption, void of morals, ethics, and, most of all, common sense. I for one, am rooting for the consumer, the plant, and the communities ravaged by the drug war to finally be set free from decades of imprisonment and stigma.