9 quick hits of cannabis news from across Michigan

By Kyle Kaminski

March 16, 2026

MICHIGAN—A probation pot case headed to the state Supreme Court, a confusing new tax nobody seems to understand, and Chicagoans still lining up for cheap Michigan weed.

Just another week in Michigan’s cannabis scene.

Here’s what you might’ve missed:

PUFF ON PROBATION: The Michigan Supreme Court is deciding whether judges can still ban cannabis use for people on probation even though weed has been legal since 2018. A ruling is expected by July and could set a statewide precedent for all future court-ordered supervision.

TAX TANGLE: Michigan’s controversial 24% wholesale weed tax is already causing headaches—and nobody seems entirely sure when businesses are supposed to start paying it.

CHEAP WEED: Despite fears that Michigan’s new 24% wholesale cannabis tax would drive up prices, bargain hunters from Illinois are still flocking to New Buffalo for cheap weed. A recent Axios price check found some products selling for half the price of similar items in Chicago.

MARKET SHAKEOUT: Michigan’s once-booming cannabis industry is starting to thin out. State data show the number of active cannabis business licenses dropped to about 2,200 in 2025, down by 85 from the year before—the first annual decline since adult-use sales began in 2019.

LESS GREEN: Michigan cities and townships are still cashing in on legal weed but the checks are getting smaller. The state distributed about $94 million in cannabis tax revenue from 2025 sales, down from nearly $100 million in 2024 as sales slow and prices continue to plummet.

BY THE NUMBERS: Michiganders dropped $3 billion on recreational weed in 2025, but a new MLive data tracker shows some regions spent a lot more than others. The highest per-person spending tracked last year was across a 30-county region of the Upper Peninsula—namely because of its proximity to the border of Wisconsin, where recreational weed is still illegal.

HOT WATER: Former Monroe County Commissioner Mark Brant is back in legal trouble over weed—this time for allegedly violating a township ordinance that bans marijuana businesses. The alleged civil infraction reportedly carries a $150 fine, with a hearing set for March 24.

PONTIAC POT: After years of delays, legal weed sales have finally arrived in Pontiac. The city’s first dispensary, Kulture 81, is now open downtown. And it may not be alone for long. City officials say several more dispensaries are actively working through the licensing process.

DILL WITH IT: In case you missed last week’s MichiGanja Report, the Vlasic pickle family is now in the weed business. Willy Vlasic—the great-grandson of the man who built the famous Detroit pickle brand—is selling CBD products in roughly 200 Michigan dispensaries.

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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.

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CATEGORIES: CANNABIS

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