Michigan’s cannabis regulators have delivered their final verdict on a controversy that has shaken the state’s marijuana industry for years. The founders of Viridis Laboratories—all former Michigan State Police officers—are now permanently banned from participating in the legal cannabis market, marking a decisive end to one of the most contentious disputes in the state’s cannabis history.
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) announced a settlement with Viridis Laboratories that immediately revokes the company’s Lansing license and requires its Bay City location to close by September 28, 2025. The three majority owners—Todd Welch, Gregoire Michaud, and Michele Glinn—can never operate in Michigan’s cannabis space again.
From Badge to Business – A Questionable Career Pivot?
The irony of this case couldn’t be more striking. Welch, a former detective sergeant for the Michigan State Police, Michaud, who served as captain in the MSP’s forensic science division, and Glinn, a former supervisor in MSP’s toxicology unit, all transitioned from enforcing prohibition to profiting from legalization.
While their law enforcement backgrounds might have seemed like credentials for running testing facilities, the reality proved far different. These former officers, who presumably understood the importance of following protocols and maintaining public safety, allegedly abandoned those principles when money was on the table.
The CRA’s investigation revealed a pattern of violations that should alarm anyone concerned about cannabis industry integrity. Viridis was accused of using testing samples 80% smaller than approved procedures required, employing improper homogenization methods, and manipulating testing conditions to inflate THC results. Higher THC percentages translate directly to higher market prices, creating a clear financial incentive for manipulation.
The $229 Million Disaster
The consequences of Viridis’s alleged misconduct reached far beyond their laboratory walls. In November 2021, the CRA issued Michigan’s largest cannabis recall, removing an estimated $229 million worth of Viridis-tested products from dispensary shelves. The recall nearly ground the entire industry to a halt, with many retailer shelves sitting empty for weeks.
This wasn’t just about numbers on a lab report. Cannabis products with inflated THC readings mislead consumers about potency, while products that should have failed safety tests for contaminants like mold and pesticides were allowed into the market. Patients and consumers trusted these results to make informed decisions about their medicine and recreational products.
The recall devastated small businesses throughout the supply chain. Growers, processors, and retailers faced massive financial losses through no fault of their own, all because a testing company allegedly prioritized profits over public safety.
A Pattern of Regulatory Violations
Court documents reveal the depth of Viridis’s alleged violations. During inspections, CRA staff observed technicians failing to follow approved testing procedures for foreign matter analysis, including failing to observe samples at proper magnification levels and for adequate time periods. In one particularly egregious example, laboratory staff approved visibly mold-contaminated samples by misidentifying the mold as “mite feces.”
The company’s microbial testing practices were equally problematic. Viridis reported Aspergillus contamination—a potentially dangerous mold that can cause serious infections in immunocompromised individuals. This statistical anomaly alone should have raised red flags about the company’s testing integrity.
Perhaps most damning, Viridis was found to be using testing procedures that were never approved by state regulators. When the CRA requested their current standard operating procedures, Viridis provided an “internal SOP” that differed significantly from their approved protocols. They had essentially been operating outside regulatory oversight while maintaining the appearance of compliance.
The Question of Ethics
This case highlights a fundamental ethical question: Should former law enforcement officers who spent their careers criminalizing cannabis be allowed to profit from its legalization?
The answer seems increasingly clear—not if they can’t uphold the basic standards of public safety and regulatory compliance that their former positions supposedly instilled.
The transition from enforcing prohibition to profiting from legalization represents more than just a career change. It suggests a willingness to abandon principles when financial opportunities arise.
If these former officers truly believed cannabis was dangerous enough to arrest people over, what changed their minds? Was it scientific evidence, or was it the prospect of significant profits?
Brian Hanna, executive director of the CRA, didn’t mince words about the settlement: “This is justice, plain and simple. Viridis failed to uphold the standards required of marijuana safety compliance facilities in Michigan. Viridis circumvented the rules. Their majority owners will never operate in this space again, and the Michigan cannabis industry will be stronger for it.” via ClickOnDetriot.
Protecting Industry Integrity
The cannabis industry faces enough challenges without bad actors undermining public trust. Every violation, every safety failure, and every instance of regulatory misconduct provides ammunition to prohibition advocates who argue that legalization was a mistake.
Companies like Viridis don’t just harm their immediate customers—they damage the credibility of the entire regulated market. When testing facilities manipulate results or ignore safety protocols, they validate the concerns of skeptics who question whether the industry can regulate itself responsibly.
The permanent ban on Viridis’s founders sends a clear message that Michigan takes industry integrity seriously. However, this case also raises questions about the initial licensing process. How did regulators miss the potential conflicts of interest when former law enforcement officers applied to operate in an industry they had spent their careers opposing?
Looking Forward
As Viridis’s operations wind down, the Michigan cannabis industry must learn from this debacle. Stronger oversight of testing facilities is essential, but so is a more thorough examination of who should be allowed to profit from legalization.
The case for excluding former law enforcement officers from cannabis business ownership isn’t about punishment—it’s about preventing conflicts of interest that can undermine industry integrity. These individuals had their chance to support cannabis reform during their law enforcement careers. Instead, they enforced prohibition while apparently harboring business ambitions for a post-legalization market.
The settlement with Viridis is more than just regulatory enforcement. It’s a statement about what kind of industry Michigan wants to build. An industry where former officers who once arrested cannabis users can seamlessly transition to profiting from prohibition’s end sends the wrong message about justice and accountability.
Michigan’s cannabis industry will be stronger without Viridis and its founders. The question now is whether other states will learn from this example and implement their own safeguards against similar conflicts of interest.
