IONIA, Mich. — New federal restrictions on hemp could soon change which products consumers can find on store shelves in Michigan.
WATCH: What pending federal hemp restrictions could mean for Michigan consumers
The changes come as the Trump administration delayed the effective date of new hemp restrictions tied to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the federal Farm Bill.
The restrictions were originally set to take effect Nov. 12 but are now expected to take effect Dec. 11.
The new rules would change the federal definition of hemp by using total THC instead of only delta-9 THC when determining whether a product qualifies as hemp.
One local cannabis shop in Ionia County says the changes could ultimately benefit consumers by creating clearer standards around testing and labeling.
“There’s a lot of these products floating around the whole country and their point of origin isn’t always known, but they end up in our communities,” said Ian Miller, co-general manager of Easton Craft Cannabis.
Miller said he was concerned when he first saw the federal Farm Bill’s definition of hemp and what it could mean for consumers.
“My initial reaction was it made me uneasy because it represented a direct threat to credible, licensed marijuana,” Miller said.
Under the Farm Bill’s definition, cannabis products containing more than 0.3% delta-9 THC, the compound that produces a high, are generally classified as marijuana.
Products at or below that threshold are generally classified as hemp.
Miller said that distinction allowed some hemp products to be similar to those sold at licensed cannabis retailers, while not being subject to the same regulatory requirements.
“It could be anything that you would normally see in a licensed cannabis store, it just won’t have the same labeling and testing results that you could look up,” Miller said.
Miller said he believes the definition left room for some businesses to take advantage of the rules without going through the licensing and regulatory requirements faced by licensed marijuana businesses.
“It seemed to be something that a lot of people were able to take advantage of and make some easy money without actually having to pass through the steps that were required to be licensed and on board with what’s legal,” Miller said.
The definition of hemp could soon become more restrictive. Cannabis attorney and CEO of the Meds Cafe stores Joshua Covert said the language surrounding hemp has continued to change.
“It restricts the products quite a bit, so most of the products currently being sold as hemp would not be able to be sold,” Covert said.
With the rules still subject to change ahead of the Dec. 11 effective date, Easton Craft Cannabis decided to stop selling hemp products altogether.
“Provenance, testing,” Miller said. “We know where our products come from, we know where they’ve been tested, we know what those results say, and that’s all state-mandated.”
For consumers, Miller said the best approach is to know what they are buying.
“I would say always be informed about what you’re consuming,” he said.
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