Michigan Outlines Rules For Marijuana-Infused Non-Alcoholic Drink Production

On Monday, January 4, Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency issued a bulletin outlining new guidelines for marijuana-infused beverages, according to the Metro Times. Under the rules, companies that desire to produce weed drinks can do so through a new submission process that includes strict requirements for product testing.

While Michigan voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2018, a prior law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder prohibits the sale or possession of marijuana-infused alcoholic drinks such as beer or wine. It doesn’t, however, preclude the production and sale of non-alcoholic cannabis drinks. Under the Michigan’s new marijuana beverage guidelines, drinks infused with marijuana must be shelf-stable and may only be sold at licensed dispensaries.

Several Michigan breweries have already begun to break into the recreational marijuana market. In August of 2019, Short’s Brewing Company announced a partnership with Green Peak Innovations to create a line of CBD (the non-psychoactive derivative of cannabis) and THC edibles and drinks including Soft Parade-flavored gummies, cold brew coffee, sparkling water, tonics, and lemonade. While acknowledging that it wasn’t legal, the partners also expressed an interest in eventually brewing THC beers. A month later, Two Roots Brewing Company, a California-based non-alcoholic cannabis beverage maker, acquired Rochester Mills Production Brewery with the intention of transitioning the facility into a cannabis drink production site.

In the fall of 2020, the city of Detroit passed an ordinance permitting the establishment of recreational marijuana shops and cafes within city limits. The bulletin means that Michiganders will likely start seeing a whole lot of cannabis beverages on the market very soon — perhaps at Detroit cafes.

• Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency Offers Guidelines for Cannabis-Infused Beverages [MT]
• Short’s Brewing Is Getting Into the Cannabis Business With Beer-Flavored Edibles [ED]
• A California Cannabis Drink Brand Just Acquired Rochester Mills’ Production Brewery [ED]
• Detroit Proposes Ordinance Allowing for Recreational Pot Shops and Cafes [ED]