Viridis Labs must close

Three former Michigan State Police officers who founded one of the state’s most controversial marijuana testing labs have been permanently barred from the cannabis industry. The Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) announced that Viridis Laboratories and its sister facility, Viridis North, will be shut down, putting an end to years of legal battles and disciplinary actions.

The CRA’s decision comes after allegations that the company used unapproved methods, produced unreliable results, and inflated THC levels in its cannabis testing. The majority owners—former state police forensic director Greg Michaud, forensic scientist Todd Welch, and former toxicologist Dr. Michele Glinn—are now banned for life from holding any role in Michigan’s cannabis market. Viridis must close its Lansing lab immediately and its Bay City location by September 28.

A Precedent-Setting Decision

This settlement concludes a long-standing conflict between regulators and Viridis, which was once a dominant force in Michigan’s cannabis testing landscape. Founded in 2018, the company’s owners initially leaned on their law enforcement backgrounds to project an image of credibility. However, they quickly came under scrutiny from regulators and competitors for allegedly disregarding scientific standards and inflating THC levels.

In 2021, state regulators issued the largest recall in Michigan history after questioning Viridis’ test results, forcing hundreds of dispensaries to pull an estimated $229 million worth of products from their shelves. According to the CRA, several competitors alleged that Viridis’ disregard for the rules pushed them to the brink of—or even out of—business.

An administrative law judge found in March that Viridis had repeatedly violated state rules by failing to follow its own testing protocols, misidentifying mold, and keeping inadequate records. Despite these findings, Viridis continued operating while fighting regulators in court, but its lawsuits were repeatedly dismissed.

“Justice, Plain and Simple”

For many, this outcome represents a significant victory for the integrity of the cannabis industry.

“This is justice, plain and simple,” said Brian Hanna, the executive director of the CRA. “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.”

The widespread stories of inflated THC levels led some consumers to boycott cannabis products tested by Viridis, which critics said often reported suspiciously high potency. By admitting to all violations in six formal complaints and dropping its legal challenges, Viridis has now brought an end to one of the industry’s most contentious regulatory battles.

“This wasn’t just a single misstep,” Hanna added. “It was a sustained, deliberate pattern of noncompliance that shook confidence in the entire regulated cannabis system.”

At its peak, Viridis tested an estimated quarter-million pounds of cannabis flower each year, giving the company enormous influence in the state’s $3 billion marijuana market.

“Scientific integrity isn’t a formality—it’s the foundation of the cannabis industry,” said Claire Patterson, director of the CRA’s reference laboratory. “The future of this industry depends on ethics, transparency, and science we can all trust.”