Tinctures are not defined in either the Medical Marihuana Facility Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) or the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA). When a term is not specifically defined in statute, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) uses the plain meaning of the term as defined in the dictionary. As a result, CRA policy has been that a product labeled as being a tincture must contain alcohol.

The CRA recently reviewed products produced and sold by several licensees that are labeled and sold as tinctures. The products appeared to be non-compliant because they were labeled as a tincture but contained no alcohol and exceeded the allowable THC limit of 100 mg per container in the adult-use market.

The CRA has been notifying licensees that the sale of these products is a violation. In response, many licensees have expressed concern about the lack of a clarifying statutory definition, common industry practice in other states, and residual solvent compliance testing for tinctures.

To address these concerns until a long-term solution can be implemented, the CRA will allow licensees to make the necessary changes to packaging, labeling, formulations, and recipes, and take no disciplinary action against licensees regarding product that is currently available for sale or transfer for 60 days from the date of this bulletin (August 30, 2022).

For more help navigating Michigan’s cannabis laws and rules, be sure to reach out to Michigan Cannabis Lawyers at (517) 512-8364.