MICHIGAN—Corporate cannabis is bleeding out, rural towns are bracing for impact, and activists are raising money online to help a guy who allegedly had way too much weed.
Here’s your weekly rundown:
RURAL RETREAT: Small, rural communities across Michigan that have relied heavily on taxes from recreational cannabis businesses are set to feel the brunt of an industry that’s rapidly consolidating, in part, due to oversupply, steep competition, and a new state wholesale tax.
GAGE GONE WRONG: TerrAscend, the Canadian company that paid $545 million for Gage Cannabis and then closed all 20 of its Michigan dispensaries last year, is drowning in unpaid bills, with several Michigan vendors alleging hundreds of thousands of dollars owed.
CROWDFUNDED DEFENSE: Activists are raising money to cover legal fees for a Michigan man who allegedly ran a large, black market cannabis operation. His supporters say no one should go to prison for weed. Others say whoever was moving that much product on the illicit market—dodging licensing fees and taxes along the way—probably isn’t hurting for cash.
NEW BUFFALO DRAMA: Four dispensaries in New Buffalo are headed to a June 22 hearing where township officials will consider revoking their permits over alleged zoning violations and regulatory infractions. On the list: Mint Cannabis, Trap Stars, The Refinery, and The Plug.
CASINO WEED: The Hempire Collective, a family-owned dispensary with locations in Clare and Scottville, is reportedly opening a new store next to Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant.
GROW HEIST: The last of six men who attempted to rob a Midland County cannabis grow operation at gunpoint nearly three years ago has been sentenced to three years in federal prison—marking the lightest sentence of the group. His attorney argued he was essentially coerced into the robbery to pay off a debt. All six men involved have now been sentenced.
ICYMI: If you missed last week’s newsletter, I took a deep dive into Alien Tek—a two-man cannabis farm near the base of Michigan’s Thumb that’s quietly growing some of the most interesting weed in the state. I tried four different strains. Read the full story here.
READ MORE: 20 Michigan dispensaries with discounts for first-time customers
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