MICHIGAN—It’s Croptober, which means it’s harvest season for both buds and headlines. And between a new statewide tax hike, a busted black market operation with ties to China, and Lume gobbling up more territory across Michigan, there’s plenty to unpack this week.
Spark up and catch up:
WHOLESALE HEARTBURN: Michigan lawmakers slapped a new 24% wholesale tax on weed as part of a late-night budget deal, and the industry is losing it. Dispensary owners say prices could jump while smaller grow operations may soon lay off staff or close their doors altogether.
CHINESE CONNECTION: Michigan cops say they’ve uncovered ties between Chinese crime networks and black-market grow ops across the state, according to new reports from MLive.
UP IN SMOKE: Detroit’s Cherry Industries lost its license to do business in Michigan after state regulators uncovered a warehouse full of red flags—including unsanitary conditions, banned chemicals, and thousands of pounds of weed that weren’t logged in the state tracking system.
LUME BOOM: Michigan’s biggest weed company just got bigger. Lume is taking over three old Gage dispensaries in Center Line, Grand Rapids, and Morenci after Gage’s parent company, TerrAscend, pulled out of Michigan. The deal boosts Lume’s footprint to 42 stores statewide.
FARM TO BOWL: October is officially Michigan Agritourism Month, which celebrates the contributions of the food, agriculture, and tourism industries. And sure, that means cider mills, hayrides, and pumpkin patches, but let’s be real: Weed fits the bill too. Cannabis is a crop, after all, and Michiganders are known for cultivating some of the best harvests in the nation.
READ MORE: ‘Kiss My Grass’ shines light on barriers Black women face in Michigan cannabis
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