MICHIGAN—Contracts, licensing caps, and a sting operation in Detroit. Michigan’s weed world spent the last week in court, in front of a judge, or on the wrong end of a search warrant.
Here are six stories worth sparking up:
FINE PRINT: A federal appeals court ruled that it won’t enforce contracts to buy and sell weed, wiping out a $32 million verdict that a Michigan grower had won against two Curaleaf subsidiaries. Hello Farms had a deal to sell its 2020 and 2021 harvests, and when prices collapsed, the buyer stopped accepting deliveries. The 6th Circuit found that executing that contract required committing a federal crime, and growing and selling weed still qualifies.
CAP FIGHT: A pending petition drive could lead to four more dispensaries in the city of Menominee—formally increasing the local cap from nine to 13 stores. Organizers say they turned in more than enough signatures to get the measure on the November ballot. A group has challenged the measure in court. Now, a judge is set to decide what happens next.
SMOKED OUT: Detroit police shut down Fire Cloud Smoke Shop on Joy Road after officers set up a sting operation and caught the staff allegedly selling marijuana without a state license.
BABY STEPS: A researcher at Henry Ford Health landed a $1 million federal grant to help pregnant Michiganders cut back on weed. The funding follows a recent study that found an estimated 16% used cannabis during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and that prenatal exposure has been linked to low birth weight, preterm birth, and more NICU admissions.
SHELF LIFE: Leafly dropped its top 10 strains for September, and most of them are widely available at Michigan dispensaries. Glitter Bomb took the top spot, followed by Dante’s Inferno, Black Maple, and Scented Marker. Also on the list: Toad Venom, which I reviewed here in July.
ICYMI: This is the last time I’m going to bug you about this one. Our official poll to determine Michigan’s highest rated cannabis brands closes on Sept. 30. You can vote for up to three different brands. Write-ins are welcome. The full results will be released here in October.
READ MORE: Which Michigan live rosin vape pen is actually worth buying?
Want more Michigan cannabis news, product picks, and culture? Click here to sign up for The MichiGanja Report, our free weekly newsletter about all things marijuana.
