MICHIGAN — Cannabis is a pretty big deal in Michigan—and there’s never a shortage of newsworthy headlines from the industry as the state inches closer to becoming the nation’s weed capital.
Here are a dozen things you need to know this week:
LEGAL DILEMMA: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that was filed against the state by a safety testing laboratory—namely because weed is still illegal under federal law. In his ruling, the judge decided that Michigan cannabis companies are not entitled to protections outlined under the US Constitution because constitutional protections do not apply to illegal entities.
JUST USE VISA: Mastercard is reportedly telling banks to stop allowing marijuana-related transactions on its debit cards in Michigan—a move that only further highlights the rocky financial landscape for dispensaries while cannabis remains federally illegal in the US.
HEAVY HITTERS: New reports from Crain’s Detroit Business show that Lume, Jars and Skymint now operate a total of at least 76 different dispensaries across Michigan—making them the three largest retailers in the state, just ahead of Gage Cannabis and High Profile Cannabis.
GREENLIGHT FOR GRASS: Recreational weed is now available to purchase in Berkley and Southfield, which joined a handful of other communities in Oakland County in allowing the sales of recreational cannabis, reports the Detroit Free Press. Lume and Dreams are opening stores in Southfield; Lume and Quality Roots, as well as three other shops, are set to open in Berkley.
SMOKING SENIORS: A recent University of Michigan study found that an increasing number of Michiganders between the ages of 50-80 are willing to try cannabis to treat a health condition—an indication that more older adults in Michigan are beginning to see the benefits of cannabis to help address the aches and pains that come with age, reports the Macomb Daily.
STONER GIFTS: Lee DeVito at the Detroit Metro Times recently assembled a gift guide that’s sure to please every outdoorsy pothead on your shopping list. It was too good not to share.
MICHIGAN AS A MODEL: After watching Michigan and other states successfully legalize cannabis for adult use, lawmakers in Minnesota have decided that they want some of that sweet tax revenue, too. Minnesota is now the 23rd state in the US to legalize recreational weed sales.
OHIO FOLLOWS SUIT: Leaving nothing to chance, an Ohio coalition to legalize weed submitted another 6,500 petition signatures with the Secretary of State—marking nearly 10 times the valid signatures needed for the measure to appear before Ohio voters in November.
CANNABIS CHEMISTRY: To help prepare students for in-demand cannabis jobs, Wayne State University’s Board of Governors has officially approved a new undergraduate certificate in cannabis chemistry. Students will be able to enroll in the new program beginning this fall.
DANK IN DETROIT: The city of Detroit is now accepting business license applications for up to 30 more dispensaries after officials granted an initial round of 33 retail licenses last December.
HISTORY PRESERVED: The 101-year-old former Farm Bureau building in Ypsilanti took on new life this week after Quality Roots reportedly opened a new dispensary inside on July 31.
SUMMER SAVINGS: Lume is offering a wide range of discounts and giveaways at all 34 of its dispensaries across Michigan as part of its “Summer Fest” celebration from Aug. 11-13. Many stores will have good trucks on-site. Raffle winners can score free weed and other Lume swag.
READ MORE: Tell Us Your Favorite Michigan-Made Edible
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Kyle Kaminski Kyle Kaminski is an award-winning investigative journalist with more than a decade of experience covering news across Michigan. Prior to joining The ‘Gander, Kyle worked as the managing editor at City Pulse in Lansing and as a reporter for the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
