Michigan’s cannabis regulator has accused a processor of having more than 12,000 untagged or unidentifiable flower products at its Harrison Township facility, including products in California packaging.
VJAS 1, LLC has been charged with four track-and-trace violations in a May 29 complaint filed by the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency following a site inspection in February.
CRA staff visited the facility at 41525 Production Drive on Feb. 12 and discovered several products without Metrc tags. Staff then conducted an inventory of the business and determined that more than 12,000 individual products lacked tags, according to the complaint.
Some of the products were in packaging labeled with “CA” and warning information specific to California. The complaint says neither VJAS’ inventory manager nor purchasing agent could explain the untagged product, “nor could they explain where the untagged products with California packaging came from.”
However, CRA spokesperson David Harns told CRB Monitor in an email that the agency believes the cannabis was grown in Michigan.
“Regarding the California products, the issue involved packaging, not the products themselves,” Harns said. “Since the products were national brands, they were initially packaged for sale in Michigan but by using another state’s packaging. The licensee explained to the CRA that the packaging could be brought into compliance by covering or correcting the state-specific labeling.”
He added that notifying California cannabis authorities “was not applicable in this case.”
CRA staff also discovered 459 packages with tags indicating that the products should be at another licensed business, according to the complaint, which did not identify the business.
Harns said most of the products referenced in the complaint were 3.5-gram packages of flower.
He said the licensee has submitted a “corrective action plan to reconcile the inventory,” and the agency is monitoring the plan to ensure compliance.
Harns said the CRA cannot comment on specific investigations. “More broadly, the agency follows up on all credible leads and information that comes to its attention,” he said.
The CRA could impose fines and/or other sanctions, including license suspension or revocation. VJAS 1 has 21 days from the service of the complaint to request a hearing. It was served the week of June 1, Harns said.
