MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – Students, industry leaders and researchers gathered Tuesday to discuss the latest news in cannabis. Northern Michigan University hosted a conference on this emerging market.

“There’s still a lot about cannabis that we don’t know,” Conference Committee Member Steve VandenAvond said. “Both in terms of its chemical properties, its impacts on humans psychologically and physically.”

Cannabis Regulatory Agency Executive Director Brian Hanna says a new testing facility will help us better understand things like shelf-life of cannabis products.

“We intend to do a lot of things with this reference laboratory,” Hanna said. “Investigation support, looking for illicit products, supporting our investigations with that. Supporting research of cannabis and marijuana in the regulated space.”

NMU students also shared their research. NMU Graduate Student Simone Melle has been testing Delta-9 edibles and vape cartridges. He found inconsistencies between product composition and its label.

“Just because something is labeled as such from a legal hemp product that you’re getting on the market, it may not be exactly what you’re taking,” said Melle.

Another NMU Student, Ryan Czech, says he found heavy metals in rolling papers, though not at levels that pose a health risk. Still, he encourages you to be mindful of what you purchase.

“Just to be a little more thoughtful of what you’re consuming,” said Czech. “Because there’s no regulations or anything surrounding rolling papers as there is for cannabis or tobacco.”

Both students suggest more intentional, informed consumption of cannabis.

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