Eli Savit

Office: Michigan Attorney General

Party: Democratic

Questionnaire Responses

Question: Medical patients and consumers should always be the priority when it comes to cannabis. These questions get to the heart of patient and consumer safety issues of the day. Patient and Consumer Safety What does remediation of cannabis products mean?

Response: Remediation of cannabis products refers to the process of reducing or eliminating contaminants from harvested cannabis material to ensure it meets state-mandated standards.

Question: Patient and Consumer Safety Do you support or oppose requiring the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) to mandate that all cannabis products display a clear expiration date and explicitly state on the label whether the product has undergone remediation (e.g., sterilization or decontamination)?

Response: Strongly Support

Question: Patient and Consumer Safety How many cannabis consumers have died from cannabis consumption in the past 10 years? 20 years? 50 years?

Response: According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, no deaths from cannabis consumption have been reported.

Question: Patient and Consumer Safety Are you aware of the number of registered and doctor reviewed medical cannabis patients in the US? In Michigan?

Response: According to a NIH study, there are over 4.1 million registered medical cannabis patients in the United States. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, there are approximately 79,000 medical cannabis patients in Michigan.

Question: Patient and Consumer Safety Non-Smokable Medicine and School Administration: Do you feel that legislation should be passed to allow pediatric patients to receive their non-smokable cannabis medicine (such as tinctures, oils, or edibles) while at school, administered similarly to a prescription pharmaceutical by a designated staff member or school nurse? Would you support or oppose such legislation?

Response: Yes, and I would support such legislation. Students who rely on cannabis for serious medical conditions should not be forced to miss school or forgo necessary treatment during the day. With appropriate safeguards, this can be implemented in a responsible, medically appropriate way similar to other prescription medications administered in school settings.

Question: How should the Governor use their authority to ensure the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) creates a favorable climate for increasing the cannabis usage footprint within the state?

Response: Maintain current regulatory framework but focus on strong consumer safety standards

Question: As the Governor or Michigan Attorney State General, how would you direct state law enforcement to facilitate better cannabis industry outcomes?

Response: Fund local law enforcement grants for enhanced security infrastructure at cannabis businesses

Question: Michigan's cannabis excise tax revenues are currently distributed to local governments, K-12 education, and the Michigan Transportation Fund. What change, if any, to the distribution formula do you support?

Response: Maintain the current distribution formula as is

Question: Do you support rescheduling cannabis? If you support rescheduling cannabis, are you aware of the potential of a new schedule for cannabis and other botanicals called Schedule VI?

Response: Yes. In December 2025, the federal government took an important step to facilitate the opening of new markets and increase research opportunities for medical marijuana by rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. I am aware that marijuana has, in recent years, been declared a Schedule VI drug by many states.

Question: Does knowing that there are over 30 million US citizens registered as medical cannabis patients change your opinion of rescheduling and legalization?

Response: No

Question: What is the most effective way for the State of Michigan to enhance genuine social equity participation and ownership within the cannabis industry?

Response: Fund low-interest loans, grants, and business mentorship specifically for social equity applicants

Question: Do you support economic development to help build the fiber and grain infrastructure for processing in Michigan?

Response: Yes

Question: What is the biggest issue pertaining to cannabis policy that is currently facing the state of Michigan?

Response: One of the most pressing cannabis policy challenges facing Michigan is the proliferation of synthetic cannabinoids being sold in unregulated or loosely regulated markets. These products are often marketed deceptively, can have unpredictable potency, and have been linked to serious health consequences. They undermine consumer safety and erode trust in Michigan’s licensed cannabis industry.

Question: Do you support local municipal control in determining whether cannabis businesses should be allowed in communities throughout Michigan?

Response: Yes

Question: Will you ensure that your district offices will no longer require drug testing for cannabis as a requirement for hiring and ongoing employment as cannabis is now recreationally legal within Michigan?

Response: Yes

Question: How will you support MIOSHA in continuing to educate and enforce worker safety laws for cannabis employers?

Response: The attorney general has near-total authority to file lawsuits on behalf of the People of the State of Michigan–and to intervene in any suit implicating the interests of the people of this State. As AG, I will not hesitate to file suits directly to protect worker safety, and to intervene in ongoing litigation where necessary to protect the safety of workers across this state. Further, in a whole host of contexts, the AG’s power to issue formal opinions can help clarify the scope of worker safety laws and guide state agencies, including MIOSHA, in properly enforcing and complying with those laws. Though AG opinions are not binding on courts, they have (at the very least) significant authority with respect to state-level departments who are charged with enforcing worker safety laws. Again, wherever required, I will use the AG’s opinion-issuance authority to protect the safety of cannabis workers in Michigan.

Question: How will your office work to engage with and support the cannabis community?

Response: My office will maintain ongoing relationships with stakeholders who have expertise in cannabis policy. Those relationships are essential to identifying areas where the attorney general’s authority — whether through litigation or formal opinions — may be appropriately used to protect the public interest. The attorney general also plays an important advisory role to both the executive branch and the legislature. Where appropriate, I will consult with stakeholders in the cannabis community to ensure that advice is informed by practical realities on the ground.

Question: Are you aware that cannabis workers have unions in Michigan? Do you support them?

Response: Yes, I am a strong supporter of organized labor, including in the cannabis industry. As attorney general, I will have no higher priority than ensuring that workers are paid the wages they are owed, have access to the benefits they’ve earned, and enjoy safe and dignified working conditions. I am committed to standing with workers in the cannabis industry against any attempts to deprive them of their right to organize or to raise claims of unfair labor practices. My office will use every enforcement tool at its disposal to combat wage theft, payroll fraud, labor trafficking, prevailing wage violations, and unsafe working conditions. Wage theft bears particular emphasis, given recent allegations of wage theft in the Michigan cannabis industry (see https://www.mlive.co m/public-interest/2024/07/marijuana-company-didnt-pay-wages-after-bad-harvests-ex-employees-s ued.html?utm_campaign=aanews_sf&utm;_medium=social&utm;_source=facebook). Beyond enforcement, I will support labor through public and legislative advocacy. Michigan’s wage theft laws, for example, remain insufficient. Unlike states such as Illinois and California, theft of labor is not categorically criminalized under Michigan law. I view that as a deep injustice — particularly given that Americans lose more money to wage theft annually than to all other forms of theft combined. I will make it a priority to advocate for wage theft and theft of labor to be expressly criminalized in Michigan.

Question: Are you aware of the number of cannabis workers that have been killed or injured in the US? In Michigan?

Response: Yes

Question: Do you believe it is a right under the law for caregivers to provide cannabis to qualified patients?

Response: Yes

Question: Do you believe that the courts ought to have the ability to deny access to medical marijuana to probationers, parolees or other individuals under sanction by the criminal justice system?

Response: No

Question: Do you support or oppose the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act of 2008?

Response: Yes

Question: Voter Will vs. Regulatory Overreach: The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act(MMMA) and the Michigan Regulated and Taxation of Marihuana Act(MRTA) were passed by voters. Do you believe it is acceptable for state regulatory agencies or the legislature to pass rules or laws that are perceived to contradict the will of the voters and nullify the rights established under the MMMA or the MRTA? If not, how will you prevent this?

Response: Michigan voters enacted the MMMA and the MRTA through the constitutional initiative process. It is not acceptable for administrative agencies to adopt rules that contradict the plain language of those statutes or effectively nullify the rights voters created. Agencies possess only the authority granted to them by law, and regulatory overreach cannot be used to rewrite voter-enacted protections. The Legislature, of course, has constitutional authority to amend initiated statutes — but that authority is not a license to undermine the will of the voters through procedural maneuvering. As attorney general, I would ensure that the MMMA and MRTA are interpreted and enforced consistent with their text and constitutional protections. My office would provide clear legal guidance to prevent agencies from exceeding their authority, and I would not defend actions that unlawfully undermine voter-enacted rights.

Question: What is the difference between THCa and d9-THC?

Response: THCa is the natural form of THC found in raw cannabis. When you heat it, it turns into Delta-9 THC, which is the compound that causes intoxication.

Question: How are active cannabinoids decarboxylated?

Response: Active cannabinoids are decarboxylated primarily through heat.

Question: Should cannabis have safety standards for heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, and microorganisms?

Response: ALL of the Above

Question: Is there science to show us the minimum amount of D9-THC to cause intoxication or driving impairment?

Response: No

Question: Do you think we need more research to understand the safety of cannabis? If yes, how much more research do we need and will you help fund that research?

Response: Yes, we need more research to fully understand the public health and safety impacts of cannabis. Research should focus on impairment standards and roadway safety, long-term effects of high-potency THC products, adolescent brain development, mental health impacts, product contamination and remediation practices, and appropriate dosing guidelines for consumers. As attorney general, I would not have independent authority to appropriate new research funding, but I am committed to advocating for research funding in the state budget.

Question: Do you support hemp derived cannabinoids in cosmetics?

Response: Yes

Question: Do you support hemp derived cannabinoids in food?

Response: Yes

Question: Do you support hemp derived cannabinoids in intoxicating beverages?

Response: Yes

Question: Do you support additional regulation for hemp derived products in the US? In Michigan? Response: Yes

Question: What is your opinion of hemp derived products being controlled by Liquor Control Board instead of by the Cannabis Regulatory Agency?

Response: I believe intoxicating hemp-derived products should be regulated by the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. The CRA is better situated, in terms of statutory expertise, product testing standards, and enforcement mechanisms, to oversee cannabis products. That said, my duty as attorney general would be to advise and defend whichever agency the legislature assigns regulatory authority.assigns regulatory authority.