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 nine things you need to know this week:
DIRTY MONEY: Former Republican House Speaker Rick Johnson, who took bribes in exchange for business licenses during his time leading Michigan’s marijuana licensing board, also received “thousands of dollars worth of commercial sex” as part of the corruption scheme.
ROSEWEEDVILLE: After several months of deliberations, the Roseville City Council reportedly voted to license six recreational marijuana dispensaries within the city. A total of 47 applications were reviewed. Most of those picked will be located along the Groesbeck industrial corridor.
CANNA-TOURISM: In a recent op-ed, the folks behind Green Stem Provisioning in Niles said the legalization of cannabis in Michigan has allowed their local community to generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue—a significant portion of which comes from outside Michigan.
AG OR INDUSTRY: A recent court ruling in Michigan found that cannabis should be considered agriculture—which could have some major tax implications for cannabis-related properties that are currently zoned for industrial use, and must pay school millages and other taxes.
DISCIPLINE ISSUES: A recent state audit found that the Cannabis Regulatory Agency has been lagging behind in its efforts to crack down on various licensing violations in the cannabis industry—with investigators often taking several months to take action after violations are found.
RICK IN ROYAL OAK: White Boy Rick was the first customer at DankWay, a pioneering new cannabis space that opened this month during Royal Oak’s Arts, Beats & Eats festival. He reportedly bought several bags of weed, as as well as a collection of vaporizer cartridges.
CANNABIS 101: A new class offered this year at the University of Michigan-Flint is giving students a chance to delve into the past, present, and future of the cannabis industry. It’s called “The History and Culture of Cannabis,” and it’s the university’s first-ever class about weed.
MARKET SLUMP: The once-fiery real estate market for cannabis businesses in Detroit now appears to be stagnating. The average price of weed remains low, which has led to fewer new cultivation facilities, which has reportedly led to a lack of demand in the real estate market.
GUILTY IN DETROIT: A federal grand jury in Detroit found a Michigan cannabis entrepreneur guilty of evading more than $1 million in federal income taxes. Ryan Richmond, of Bloomfield, reportedly lied to the IRS about how much money he made through Relief Choices in Warren.
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