Agriculture

  • Governor Whitmer Consolidates Cannabis & Hemp Regulation into the Renamed “Cannabis Regulatory Agency”

    February 21, 2022

    After only three years in existence, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA), will be renamed the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. In an executive order targeting both linguistic inclusivity and organizational efficiency, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is consolidating the processing, distribution, and sale of marijuana and hemp into a single state agency. Currently, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and […]

  • Manufacturing Disinfectants 101: An Introduction to Regulatory Requirements

    May 4, 2020

    Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a rush to enter the disinfectant industry to seize upon the significant need but short supply of disinfectant products. Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and individual states regulate disinfectants as pesticides, so many entering this market for the first time are quickly discovering the complicated steps […]

  • Agency Rulemaking in the Wake of COVID-19: How to Prepare

    March 27, 2020

    To say the regulated community’s situation is fluid during the time of COVID-19 would be an understatement. Questions swirl regarding compliance obligations, contract enforcement, agency enforcement, and more. At best, there is an inconsistent patchwork of agency responses. What will happen once the dust begins to settle? What will the new regulatory landscape look like? […]

  • Does Your FIFRA Cost-Share Agreement Avoid Risk?

    January 23, 2020

    Any agreement that does not fully contemplate relevant regulations has the potential to expose parties to risk and leave money on the table. This is especially true for cost-share agreements regarding pesticide data development. Scientific data supporting pesticide registrations is highly proprietary and expensive. Protecting registrants’ investments is paramount, especially when the data is collectively […]

  • Renew Your Michigan Hemp Registration or License

    August 21, 2019

    In Michigan, industrial hemp and products manufactured therefrom are regulated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (“MDARD”). Earlier this year, MDARD issued licenses permitting the manufacture, processing, and sale of hemp-based products on a temporary basis as the Department developed the “state industrial hemp plan” (the “IHP Plan”) required by last year’s […]

  • New Resource Available for Michigan Hemp Producers

    June 17, 2019

    A new resource is available to anyone interested in taking advantage of recent changes in the law regarding the growth, production and sale of hemp products in Michigan. On June 12, 2019, Michigan’s Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (“MDARD”) issued an electronic update publicizing the Michigan State University (“MSU”) Extension Bulletin E3402 entitled Industrial […]

  • Paranoid about Cannabinoids? The FDA’s Newly-Expressed Concerns About CBD in Food Products

    March 19, 2019

    Whether you’re a consumer or work in the food business, you likely have seen hemp-based cannabidiol (or “CBD”) products exploding in the market recently. CBD, which is a popular natural remedy used for many common ailments, is one of the 104 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids found in the cannabis or marijuana plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol […]

  • Doughnut Worry, Be Hoppy: More Foreign Suppliers Must Meet Food Safety Requirements

    March 10, 2019

    Effective March 18, four additional importers are required to comply with the Foreign Supplier Verification Program Rule (FSVP), which requires importers to ensure that foreign food suppliers are meeting the food safety standards the FDA requires of domestic food manufacturers. The additional types of importers that must comply with the FSVP: importers of animal food […]

  • Let’s Taco ’bout Produce: Small and Very Small Farms Must Comply with the Produce Safety Rule

    January 28, 2019

    On January 28, 2019, the Produce Safety Rule took effect for two groups of producers: small (less than $5 million in produce sales based on a 3-year average) and very small farms (less than $250,000 in produce sales based on a 3-year average). Produce Safety Rule As a part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, […]

  • Spoiled Milk! A Crisis for Michigan Dairy Farmers

    December 13, 2018

    Why is There a Michigan Dairy Farm Crisis? With the U.S. dairy industry producing milk at a higher rate than consumer demand, the result is a worldwide surplus of milk. This surplus leaves dairy farmers in milk producing states like Michigan receiving less and less for their product. As a result of these low returns, […]

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