(24 Mar 2022) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4372426
JONNY GRIFFIS IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF MICHIGAN’S BURGEONING CANNABIS INDUSTRY.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jonny Griffis, COO, True North Collective:
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“The state has set a standard for the whole nation that we’re a cannabis state, we’re a growers state and we have a lot of culture and a lot of passion here.”
HIS COMPANY — TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE — RUNS A MARIJUANA FARM AS WELL AS THIS INDOOR GROW OPERATION.
BUT TRUE NORTH — LIKE MANY OTHER LICENSED MARIJUANA GROWS IN LEGAL CANNABIS STATES — FACES AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT: SYNTHETIC T-H-C.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jonny Griffis, COO, True North Collective:
“Honestly, I’m terrified.”
SYNTHETIC T-H-C IS CHEMICALLY DERIVED NOT FROM THE HEAVILY REGULATED LEGAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY, BUT FROM LITTLE-REGULATED, CHEAPLY GROWN HEMP.
T-H-C IS MARIJUANA’S MOST PROMINENT HIGH-INDUCING COMPONENT.
SOUNDBITE (English) Norb Kaminski, Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University:
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“The majority of people are interested in THC and cannabis for recreational purposes, because it produces a euphoric effect.”
WHILE MARIJUANA AND HEMP ARE THE SAME PLANT — CANNABIS — FEDERAL LAW MAKES A DISTINCTION BETWEEN MARIJUANA, WHICH IS GROWN FOR HIGH-T-H-C CONTENT, AND HEMP, DEFINED BY ITS LOW CONTENT.
BUT SINCE CONGRESS PASSED THE 2018 FARM BILL AUTHORIZING THE GROWING OF HEMP NATIONWIDE, THERE’S BEEN AN UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCE.
PEOPLE EXPLOITING WHAT THEY SEE AS A LOOPHOLE IN THE LAW HAVE TAKEN HEMP, EXTRACTED A NON-INTOXICATING COMPOUND CALLED C-B-D AND CHEMICALLY ALTERED IT INTO VARIOUS TYPES OF IMPAIRING T-H-C.
SOUNDBITE (English) Norb Kaminski, Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University:
“The end product is really the same.”
CHEMICALLY DERIVED T-H-C HAS WOUND UP IN CANDIES, VAPE OILS AND OTHER PRODUCTS SOLD IN GAS STATIONS, CONVENIENCE STORES AND ONLINE.
AT LEAST 17 STATES HAVE BANNED SUCH PRODUCTS IN THE PAST YEAR.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jonny Griffis, COO, True North Collective:
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“It’s just this shuffling of material into the regulated market that has us all concerned.”
REGULATORS IN MICHIGAN ARE CONSIDERING RULES THAT WOULD ALLOW PROCESSORS TO CONVERT C-B-D INTO T-H-C WITH WRITTEN PRIOR APPROVAL.
THEY ALSO WOULD HAVE TO LABEL THEIR PRODUCT AS SYNTHETIC.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jonny Griffis, COO, True North Collective:
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“Traditional, natural THC and cannabinoids will still prevail over synthetics. I think it is a battle to fight.”
AND ONE THAT GRIFFIS BELIEVES HIS SIDE WILL WIN.
MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, ASSOCIATED PRESS, JACKSON, MICHIGAN.
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