6 quick hits of cannabis news from across Michigan

Summer vacations are fueling cannabis sales, state regulators are handing out fines, and Michiganders are winning another round in the never-ending rivalry with Ohio.

Kyle Kaminski

August 25, 2025

MICHIGAN—Summer vacations are fueling cannabis sales, state regulators are handing out fines, and Michiganders are winning another round in the never-ending rivalry with Ohio.

Here’s what you might have missed recently in Michigan weed:

HIGH RANKINGS: A new survey shows Michigan ranks 13th in the nation for cannabis use, with about 21% of adults reporting they lit up in 2023. The surprise chart-topper? Vermont.

SUMMER SURGE: Despite dozens of Michigan cannabis companies going under this year, monthly weed sales jumped 5.2% in July to nearly $275 million. The uptick was reportedly fueled by bargain-basement prices ($62 an ounce on average) and Up North summer tourism.

FINE TIME: State officials slapped dozens of Michigan dispensaries with various regulatory violations in July, with retailers reportedly facing five-digit fines for things like untagged products, missing surveillance footage, and failing to notify the state of break-ins and ownership changes. All of the businesses have admitted fault and have since promised to clean up their act.

BALLOT BATTLE: For the third time in five years, Niles Township voters will decide whether to allow more adult-use marijuana businesses to operate in their community. Two proposals on the Nov. 4 ballot could reportedly repeal the township’s zoning rules or ban dispensaries entirely, putting 29 pending businesses—and an estimated $1.6 million in tax revenue—at risk.

SCAMMED & SLAMMED: A shuttered Michigan cannabis law firm is reportedly on the hook for more than $540,000 after falling for a scam. After years of litigation, a judge ruled that Howell attorney Denise Pollicella must repay her bank after routing hundreds of thousands of dollars through her firm’s account as part of a phony deal that ultimately funneled the cash to Nigeria.

SLOW-HIO: Michigan’s recreational cannabis market is still outpacing Ohio in both scale and affordability. New reports show Ohio’s adult-use sales are projected to hit only about $1 billion this year, compared to more than $3 billion that’s expected to be sold this year in Michigan.

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