MICHIGAN—The cheapest weed in the Midwest, weed farms being sold for pennies on the dollar, and a decade-long national sales boom that appears to have finally flatlined.
Throw in some campaign promises, a ballot fight over dispensaries in the Upper Peninsula, and a fresh batch of Zalympix winners, and it’s been a busy week in the world of Michigan cannabis.
Here are nine quick hits to keep you caught up:
BUYER BEWARE: State Sen. Jeff Irwin is warning Michigan’s cannabis industry not to trust Republican gubernatorial candidate John James. The state’s top cannabis executives recently endorsed James over his pledge to cut the state’s 24% wholesale weed tax. But Irwin told Marijuana Moment that James, who currently represents Michigan’s 10th congressional district, hasn’t done anything to support cannabis reform in Congress and is making competing promises that he isn’t likely to keep if he’s elected governor.
BACK TO THE POLLS: As absentee ballots hit mailboxes this week, Menominee voters are being asked to decide whether to increase the number of dispensaries allowed in the city from nine to 13. Voters approved the nine-store cap just last year, and the city has been tangled up in dispensary lawsuits ever since. If it passes, expect a new round of licensing fights to ensue.
FLATLINE: America may have hit its limit. A new analysis shows cannabis sales appear to have hit their peak in 2025 after about a decade of nonstop growth. Meanwhile, new federal data shows that the share of young people who smoke weed is now at its lowest point in 30 years.
FIRE SALE: If you ever wanted to own a weed farm, now’s a great time to be a buyer. Because Michigan’s cannabis gold rush seems to be over—and the real estate is going for scrap. At least 50 cannabis properties are now up for sale or lease across the state, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. And one broker says they’re selling for 20 to 30 cents on the dollar.
BARGAIN BIN: Michigan has essentially become the Midwest’s discount weed aisle. The average ounce here now runs about $60 compared with roughly $150 to $220 in Ohio and Illinois—which is why dispensaries in small border towns are now outselling those in Detroit.
MADE IN MICHIGAN: Authorities say a Minnesota man built a large black market cannabis operation out of his house stocked with product he hauled back from Michigan. The police raid allegedly turned up nearly 200 pounds of weed, 8,000 vape carts, 6,000 prerolls, and a stash of gold bars. That’s a long drive for weed, but at Michigan prices, apparently worth the gas.
PARKING TICKET: Joyology could lose its license in Mount Clemens over a parking lot. Commissioners reportedly tabled the dispensary’s permit renewal last week and gave it 30 days to show “significant and meaningful” progress on the lot it promised to build more than a year ago. The owner blamed a booming construction market and trouble finding a contractor.
BEST IN SHOW: Toad Venom from Mitten Canna Co. reportedly took best overall flower at this year’s Zalympix awards, the competition that’s often billed as the “Grammys of Cannabis.” Hytek‘s Oishii Piña won best overall live rosin. Blue Limeade from YetiStash also placed second in flower and third in rosin, and took home the “best tasting” award in both competitions.
ICYMI: If you missed last week’s newsletter, I went inside ACT Lab, a testing facility in Lansing, and learned that cannabis companies that don’t like their THC results can just shop for a better number somewhere else. One harvest discussed in the story, for example, came back at 26% via one lab and 31% at another.
READ MORE: Michigan cannabis brands roll out seasonal drops for Halloween
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