Edible marijuana products are now legal in Michigan, and many people have some interest in both consuming and creating them. However, as is the case with many highly regulated businesses, it might be difficult to start a legitimate marijuana-product manufacturing operation.
There are typically licensing and zoning issues in addition to the typical business startup challenges. This article will take a brief look at the legal aspects.
Understanding the regulations
While every business in this industry is slightly different, most are subject to regulations for marijuana operations. This includes both medical and non-medical companies, such as:
- Transporters
- Growers
- Microbusinesses
- Processors
Most edible-product manufacturers would be microbusinesses, processors or both. However, they might also be subject to other rules because of the nature of the product.
Specifics for edible products
Depending on the exact nature of the manufacturing process and the scale of the business, it is likely that someone making edible products would have some regulations regarding food to follow. Special licenses and zoning regulations might apply as well.
In general, the marijuana business is still subject to a relatively complex, interrelated network of local, state and federal laws and interests. Multiple factors typically have to come together for a new business to start operating.
Different types of edible marijuana businesses
Each type of business would probably need a very different strategy. For example, a company that intended to produce gummy candy on a commercial scale would need to approach formation differently than a company that intended to make edible marijuana products for consumption at events.
