7 quick hits of cannabis news from across Michigan

By Kyle Kaminski

September 16, 2025

MICHIGAN—Gas-station ganja, a duffel bag stuffed with weed, and a new tax hike that’s got stoners groaning. Add in record-low prices, record-high sales, fresh Zalympix winners, and a couple of big busts, and it’s safe to say Michigan’s cannabis scene is anything but boring.

Here are seven quick hits to keep you caught up:

HELP WANTED: Cannabis regulators are reportedly begging lawmakers for backup, saying they need more power to crack down on black-market sales, shady lab results, and hemp loopholes that allow gas stations to sling products with way more THC than legal dispensaries.

BUSTED IN THE BURBS: Four Oakland County cannabis companies reportedly got slapped with fines over regulatory issues. Moses Roses took a $2,000 hit over a trademark paperwork snafu its owner called a “nothing burger.” Aries Analytic and Steadfast both botched testing rules, while Society C got dinged for sketchy waste disposal and unregistered equipment.

DUFFEL BAG DEAL: State regulators say a Battle Creek dispensary sold pounds of weed off the books to an out-of-state buyer. The case stems from a traffic stop near Warren Dunes, where cops seized more than 7 pounds of flower and 16 ounces of concentrate—about 45 times Michigan’s legal possession limit. Most of it allegedly came from Fire Creek, where video allegedly shows a customer wheeling out 200 packages of product in an unmarked duffel bag.

GRAMMYS OF GANJA: Michigan’s fourth-annual Zalympix competition just wrapped, with Hytek, Rkive, and Growing Pains taking home the top awards in what’s been dubbed the “Grammys of Michigan weed.” The sold-out contest lets everyday stoners judge hundreds of strains, capped off with a big party in Pontiac where the most popular products are announced.

BASEMENT BUST: A 19-year-old man from Clarkston is facing felony charges after allegedly selling weed and vape products to a 12-year-old child outside an elementary school. Deputies say they found thousands of dollars in cash, marijuana, and vapes in his grandparents’ basement, where he lives. A judge will decide whether the case moves forward next month.

FLOWER FLOOD: Michigan’s monthly weed sales peaked in August at $283 million—even as prices sank to another record low ($61.79 an ounce). Demand is still strong, but oversupply is reportedly drowning the market, with two pounds of marijuana produced for every pound sold.

WEED TAX: Senate Democrats are reportedly lining up behind Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to nearly double cannabis taxes in Michigan with a new 32% wholesale excise tax. Whitmer says it’ll raise nearly $500 million to help “fix the damn roads.” But industry insiders say it’ll crush businesses and unfairly target consumers who already pay way more tax on weed than booze.

Want more cannabis news delivered right to your inbox? Click here to sign up for The MichiGanja Report—our free weekly newsletter about all things marijuana.

Author

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.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: CANNABIS

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Michiganders and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at The 'Gander has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Michigan families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.