Beginning in October, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency will use revenue generated from licensing fees to begin paying the monthly statewide monitoring fees that are currently paid by licensees, the CRA said in a press release.
“Recently, stakeholders in the marijuana industry made the argument that since the statewide monitoring system user fees were a required cost of regulation, they should be covered by the licensing fees they already pay,” said CRA Executive Director Brian Hanna. “We agreed and we’re pleased that this change has now been made official. Our mission statement is to establish Michigan as the national model for a regulatory program that stimulates business growth while preserving safe consumer access to cannabis. This is one more step in that direction.”
“Licensees are grateful that the CRA listened to us and worked with the legislature to make sure that the monthly Metrc fees will be paid for by the State of Michigan,” said Robin Schneider, executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. “This arrangement is a more accurate reflection of the intention of the voters when they passed marijuana legalization here in Michigan.”
To maintain their access to the statewide monitoring system, licensees need to be sure their Metrc account is current and paid in full. The state payments to Metrc will begin at the start of the next fiscal year, October 1, 2024.