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EGR voters said ‘yes’ to marijuana but officials say ‘no’


EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Marijuana shops are slowly but surely opening up in a few communities throughout West Michigan, but a proposed ordinance under consideration in East Grand Rapids means that city will not be among them.

When the ballot proposal decriminalizing recreational marijuana passed in 2018, 60% of East Grand Rapids residents approved the act, the second highest rate of approval in Kent County behind the city of Grand Rapids.

But a month after the November 2018 vote, the city commission voted to ban recreational marijuana businesses in the city of 10,000.

The city commission wanted a chance to see how the state’s decriminalization worked out and to see if it was something that East Grand Rapids wanted to be a part of.
East Grand Rapids joined every other community in Kent County, except for Grand Rapids and Lowell, in opting out of the marijuana industry.

But that ban in EGR came with the caveat that the commission would take another look at things by June of 2020.

But now the city says that under the rules of the state marijuana law, a medical marijuana facility cannot be within 1,000 feet of a school.

City officials claim that nowhere in the city of 3.4 square miles is it possible to be more than 1,000 feet from either the high school or Wealthy elementary and still be in an area zoned for businesses.

But the same paragraph in the state act that establishes the boundary requirement also allows municipalities to change the distance, if they choose to do so.

Over the last two days, News 8 called, emailed and stopped by the homes of the mayor and all the city commission members, none of whom were willing or able to talk about the ordinance.

But EGR resident Allison Sevensma says she hopes the city administration will reconsider the proposed ban.

“I think it’s unfortunate that the city isn’t seeking more public input on the issue. A large percentage of voters in town voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalization,” Sevensma said.

She says the city could use the revenue for schools and parks and other projects in the city, instead of raising taxes.

Sevensma is working to operate a legal marijuana grow facility in Muskegon Heights, which has opted in, and she believes the EGR city officials do not understand how the business really works.

“The municipalities in which these businesses are open have a tremendous amount of control to tell these businesses how they should look and how they should operate,” Sevensma said. “East Grand Rapids could shape exactly what a storefront or business could look like in this community.”

The city commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at 750 Lakeside Drive SE for a final reading of the ordinance.
 
Michigan deals with questions surrounding legalized marijuana and employment

Marijuana dispensaries opening their doors throughout Michigan are leaving employers with pressing questions. What do they do with employee drug testing-- now that it's legal?

WSBT 22's DJ Manou shows us how a panel helped answer those questions.

Starting next week Green Stem will be another medicinal dispensary open in Niles. Workplace policies are not new, but since the law is, they wanted to bring in experts to clarify the law and how it affects them.

It was easier when it was illegal, but now the reality of legalized marijuana is hitting employers. What do they do with hiring and drug tests?


“Just trying to find out what some of the regulations are in regard to the use, consumption, testing tactics as well,” said Jeremy Dybdahl.

Jeremy Dybdahl owns BC Hemp Company and wanted some advice. The panel says the biggest challenge is deciding what their workforce policy will be and to be clear with the wording.

“Each employer has to take into consideration, ‘is this person while under employment, are they driving, are they operating heavy machinery?’ In that case it may be a zero-tolerance policy. Or ‘are they working in an office and they are performing their job well?’” said Robin Schneider, with Michigan Cannabis Industry Association.
Wendy Block from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce says employers also need to know what to do after they institute the policies.

“About their rights, how they might handle someone using marijuana In the workplace or maybe has used it just before their shift,” said Block.

Katie Lynch Lindgren from Green Stem says they will not test for THC, but just like if an employee came in drunk, “When it comes to a workplace intoxication wouldn’t be appropriate either way.”

Block says the workforce policies are a company's trump card.

“Just because marijuana is legal for a recreational use and even medicinal use, it’s not a get out of jail free card with their employers.”
With the marijuana business expected to grow to $25 billion in Michigan by 2026, they say it's important to get in front of the issue.

“It’s great to know,” said Dybdahl. “It helps us with our policies that we are going to be installing in our company. It will help with clarity for our employees as well.”

Block says the tricky part is that currently, drug tests are not efficient enough. THC can be detected in the body up to 90 days after use.

Unless it's a zero-tolerance policy, enforcement could be tough with no adequate testing to see if someone is impaired.
 
Oakland County’s first recreational marijuana shop to open next month
Greenhouse in Walled Lake to open on March 14

WALLED LAKE, Mich. – Oakland County’s first recreational marijuana shop is opening up on March 14 at the Greenhouse in Walled Lake and they are expecting thousands of people to show up on opening day.

The Greenhouse first opened up as medical marijuana but it has obtained a recreational marijuana license. There’s going to be a heated 4,000 square foot tent, food trucks and multiple vendors to educate customers the day the business is open to the public.

“This is not your grandma’s weed, this is not the weed you smoked in 1970,” Greenhouse partner Jerry Millen said.

Greenhouse employees are preparing for what they expect to be a crowd of thousands of people on March 14. The new addition will be ready to accommodate the recreational users while another entrance will be reserved for medical clientele.

Whether to allow recreational weed has been an issue communities are wary of and are struggling with. With it’s attractive exposed brick and beam location in Walled Lake’s historic downtown area the business has brought a lot of foot traffic.

“They’ve taken a building that was in very poor shape and put hundreds of thousands of dollars into it and have revamped it and is unique when you see other provisioning centers on TV they don’t look like the Greenhouse,” Mayor Linda Ackley said.
 
Block says the tricky part is that currently, drug tests are not efficient enough. THC can be detected in the body up to 90 days after use.

What they don't say is that they have employees that use mj along with other recreational drugs already.

The only obvious impairment they see is from drunks. But then the spokesperson is prolly on coke, lol.
 
60% of East Grand Rapids residents approved the act, the second highest rate of approval in Kent County behind the city of Grand Rapids.

But a month after the November 2018 vote, the city commission voted to ban recreational marijuana businesses in the city of 10,000.

As always, I recommend that the residents of EGR get rid of their current, unresponsive, undemocratic representatives and try giving a spot at the public trough to someone who will honor the wishes of the electorate.
 
The article features a graph that couldn't be downloaded.... follow title link to view.

Michigan marijuana customers could see higher vaping, concentrate prices with closing of caregiver loophole

LANSING, MI -- A big change to Michigan’s licensed marijuana industry takes effect Sunday, March 1.

The latest effort by Michigan to build a self-sustaining, enclosed marijuana industry supported entirely by licensed growers and processors involves further restricting medical marijuana caregiver sales to the market.

Until Sunday, a registered caregiver may sell any marijuana product, including vaping cartridges, THC oil, concentrates, edibles and marijuana flower to medically licensed growers and processors. Beginning Sunday, caregivers will be limited to marijuana flower sales.

Caregivers and industry players knew the change was coming for months.

“Our intent has been -- and continues to be -- working toward a sustainable regulated market utilizing the supply chain as dictated by the state’s statutory authorities," Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency spokesman David Harns said.

While the amount of marijuana grown within the licensed market is increasing, caregivers still provide the bulk of the marijuana flower that ends up on Michigan shelves.

As of November 2018, only 2.4% of the marijuana flower sold in medical dispensaries was grown by licensed businesses. The remainder came from caregivers. Over time, that has shifted some. As of January, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency said 38.2% of the 2,968 pounds of marijuana flower sold that month came from licensed growers.

The Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency didn’t have data regarding caregiver supply in other product segments, Harns said.

“The law requires that all cannabis sold in the regulated market be grown and tracked from seed to sale,” said Robin Schneider, the director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association.

Schneider said her organization, a chamber of commerce for weed with nearly 200 state-licensed marijuana businesses as members, has various opinions on the change.

“The state has been making an exception for the last year to help alleviate our lack of supply in the regulated market by allowing caregivers to fill that void with their excess product,” Schneider said. " ... We are grateful that the state made an exception allowing for supplemental caregiver concentrates to be transferred into the regulated system but they have always been clear that this was not a permanent solution."

While some licensed businesses see this as an opportunity for greater market share, some dispensaries and recreational stores are concerned it will deplete their access to concentrates, vaping products, edibles and more. That would likely mean higher prices for customers.

“Industry-wide, it’s going to take a very big toll,” said Matt Ruhle, the purchasing manager for Detroit’s Utopia Gardens medical marijuana dispensary. "This industry is ran by majority ... caregiver extracts, especially caregiver distillate.

" ... Caregivers have been dumping large amounts of distillate into the system at cheap prices."

The impact:

Stuart Carter, Ruhle’s boss and owner of Utopia Gardens, said he believes the new limitations are the result of unscrupulous caregivers and licensed business skirting and abusing the system.

“That’s what caused them to clamp down,” Carter said. " ... That means there is going to be a shortage ... Some of the processors are complaining because they are going to have a hard time getting oil.

“It means the (expletive) prices are going to go though the roof again.”

There is a major loophole in the tracking of caregiver products. While the Marijuana Regulatory Agency has increased testing requirements -- everything purchased from a caregiver has been required to undergo the same testing as licensed product since early 2019 -- it does not track the identity of the caregiver who sold it.

This isn’t due to a lack of ability. Each caregiver is assigned a state registration number that links to the person’s identity, and that number is entered into the state tracking system along with the product they sell into the licensed marijuana market, but the Marijuana Regulatory Agency said it’s legally barred from tracking caregiver activity based on rules created in the 2008 medical marijuana law.

A registered caregiver could feasibly never plant a seed and yet make countless sales and huge profits by acting as a marijuana broker to complicit growers and processors. This is how some out-of-state marijuana brands are able land on Michigan shelves, Ruhle said

What is a caregiver?

Debra Young of Ferndale is a caregiver purist.

She began learning to grow marijuana with a group of “experts” in about 2013 and now independently grows marijuana on behalf of her own designated patients.

“I’ve had my patients for years and years and years,” Young said.

The caregiver role was created under the 2008 voter-passed medical marijuana law with the intent of making medical marijuana more accessible to registered patients in a world where retail dispensaries didn’t exist.

The caregiver, in theory, would grow up to 12 plants each for up to five designated patients, and themselves -- if they were also registered patient. This meant a fully loaded caregiver could grow up to 72 marijuana plants.

Young has been in situations where she’s had more marijuana inventory than her patients could use or the 15 ounces of harvested marijuana she could legally possess.

“For a while, you could sell it to the dispensary direct,” she said. " ... The only way I can sell into the system now is, I would have to take my crops to a testing facility, I would have to have test it ... and then I could sell it into the system.

“But to me ... there’s no reason for me to do that. My crop goes to my patients ... There’s no reason for my to add an extra layer into it.”

Ruhle of Utopia Gardens said caregivers attempting to sell marijuana flower to a licensed business usually have their product tested independently before selling it. The purchasing business must also test it upon receipt under state rules. If the marijuana fails licensed testing for various contaminants it must be completely destroyed, a risk most caregivers can’t afford to take.

On average, Ruhle said it costs about $400 to test flower and up to $700 per test for marijuana concentrates or oil.

With the advent of the commercial market, Young believes the role and definition of the caregiver is blurring.

“That’s why I question the whole thing with with this concentrate, especially with the vape pens,” Young said. " ... I don’t know actual caregivers who have that kind of extra, you know, oil or flower, the kind of quantity where there talking about thousands and thousands of (vaping) cartridges.

" ... I know it came from the black market. It’s not a caregiver that it (comes) from, it can’t be on a 72-plant grow."

The danger

The Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency has recalled more than 70,000 THC vaping cartridges since December. Most, if not all, were caregiver product.

The cartridges were found to contain vitamin E acetate, an ingredient the Centers for Disease Control “strongly linked” to an epidemic of vaping-related lung illnesses that as Feb. 18 accounted for 68 deaths, including four in Michigan, and more than 2,700 hospitalization.

Vitamin E acetate, previously thought to be harmless, was being used by vaping manufacturers as a filler to increase oil supply and thereby profit.

The Marijuana Regulatory agency listed a cartridges manufactured by Savage Cannabis brand Savage Sticks, as well as other brands, in recalls Dec. 17 and Jan. 22 recalls.

MLive attempted to track down the manufacturer. The effort initially led to an accounting office in Metro Detroit where representatives claimed to have no knowledge of the brand. It was later discovered that Choice Labs, a company that operates two medical provisioning centers in the Jackson area, had purchased the brand last summer.

Choice Labs said the vitamin E contaminated vaping products were manufactured prior to the acquisition.

The Marijuana Regulatory Agency wouldn’t confirm when the tainted product was transferred to the licensed market, so the company’s statement couldn’t be verified.

In response to the vitamin E acetate issue, Michigan temporarily banned the sale of all vaping products on Nov. 22 and ordered them tested for the potentially harmful ingredient.

There were also several strains marijuana flower recalled in late 2018 and early 2019, at a time when dispensaries were able to buy and sell untested marijuana from caregivers.

A new supply

Randi Bagley of Lansing for years made a living cooking marijuana edibles, mostly gummy and hard candies dosed with THC oil. They were sold under her brand, High Tech Edibles, at medical marijuana dispensaries across Michigan.

It was a small business, but lucrative, she said. That slowly changed as the licensed medical and recreational marijuana markets evolved and matured.

After rules were put in place that barred Bagley from selling directly to dispensaries, she was offered a $30-an-hour job with a licensed processor. Bagley said she moved in her recipes and equipment to the licensed facility and kept producing edibles, but amid pressure to produce, she said she quit because it became more of a job than a passion.

She now work in digital marketer for a Lansing-based cannabis law firm.

Bagley said she wasn’t alone at the processing facility where she temporarily worked. Other brands were in there too, working under the licensee’s umbrella as they manufactured their own edibles and marijuana products.

Exclusive Brands, a licensed grower, processor and retailer in Ann Arbor, carries a wide assortment of brands, some that originally became popular in other states. Representatives from Exclusive Brands previously told MLive some of those products, such as vaping cartridges, were produced in house using branded packaging and recipes under licensing agreements.

Another option

In its emergency rules, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency created licenses that allow small growers to participate in the commercial market alongside vertically integrated bohemoths sometimes growing more than 10,000 plants.

There is a class A grower licenses that allows for a 500-plant operation and the micro-business license, which allows the recipient to grow 150 plants that can be processed and sold in a storefront, similar to a boutique-style business.

In order to obtain those licenses, the applicant must end any medical marijuana caregiver activity.

With so many caregivers and an existing need for product in the commercial market, Young believes businesses and caregivers will continue to find a way around government restrictions.

“There has been so much crazy stuff that has gone on with the licensing and the dispensaries for years,” Young said. “You know human nature. If there’s a way to get around stuff, I think people probably get around stuff.”

Young said she takes offense to players in the industry who broker, grow or produce marijuana solely for their own personal financial gain under the caregiver moniker.

“That’s not a caregiver," she said. "that’s somebody that’s scamming the system.”
 
Bankruptcy law won’t apply to indebted Michigan marijuana businesses, judge says

LANSING, MI -- Marijuana is illegal federally; therefore, federal bankruptcy laws won’t apply to Michigan-licensed marijuana businesses, a state judge says.

So what would happen if a Michigan marijuana business goes under financially, Kent County Judge Christopher P. Yates on Feb. 18 told the House Judiciary Committee he was asked repeatedly during a federal bankruptcy conference last summer.

“As a result of that, whether we like it or not, we in the state of Michigan in our court system are going to have to handle the fallout from every single marijuana facility that doesn’t make it financially,” Yates said.

For this reason, Rep. Brandt Iden, R-Portage, sponsored two bills he said will proactively help state judges address the inevitable financial failures of some of a state-licensed marijuana businesses.

The bills, House Bill 5490 and 5491, if passed into law, require the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency create a procedure for appointing a receiver to operate an indebted marijuana business in lieu of a federal bankruptcy court option.

The House Judiciary Committee approved both bills to go before the full House with a recommendation for their passage in a vote taken Tuesday, Feb. 25.

According to the National Law Review, incompatible federal bankruptcy laws are creating a lack of judicial clarity in state courts where marijuana businesses exist across the nation.

“Courts struggled this year to find a balance between state-licensed cannabis activity and the federal right to seek bankruptcy protection under the Bankruptcy Code,” the National Law Review said. “During 2019, we had the first circuit-level opinion in the bankruptcy/cannabis space that appeared to open the door to bankruptcy courts, albeit slightly. We also had lower court opinions slamming that door shut.”
 
Bankruptcy law won’t apply to indebted Michigan marijuana businesses, judge says

LANSING, MI -- Marijuana is illegal federally; therefore, federal bankruptcy laws won’t apply to Michigan-licensed marijuana businesses, a state judge says.

So what would happen if a Michigan marijuana business goes under financially, Kent County Judge Christopher P. Yates on Feb. 18 told the House Judiciary Committee he was asked repeatedly during a federal bankruptcy conference last summer.

“As a result of that, whether we like it or not, we in the state of Michigan in our court system are going to have to handle the fallout from every single marijuana facility that doesn’t make it financially,” Yates said.

For this reason, Rep. Brandt Iden, R-Portage, sponsored two bills he said will proactively help state judges address the inevitable financial failures of some of a state-licensed marijuana businesses.

The bills, House Bill 5490 and 5491, if passed into law, require the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency create a procedure for appointing a receiver to operate an indebted marijuana business in lieu of a federal bankruptcy court option.

The House Judiciary Committee approved both bills to go before the full House with a recommendation for their passage in a vote taken Tuesday, Feb. 25.

According to the National Law Review, incompatible federal bankruptcy laws are creating a lack of judicial clarity in state courts where marijuana businesses exist across the nation.

“Courts struggled this year to find a balance between state-licensed cannabis activity and the federal right to seek bankruptcy protection under the Bankruptcy Code,” the National Law Review said. “During 2019, we had the first circuit-level opinion in the bankruptcy/cannabis space that appeared to open the door to bankruptcy courts, albeit slightly. We also had lower court opinions slamming that door shut.”

Our law has been taken over by lawyers, scam artists, and corrupt govt. Sad.

We voted to have marijuana treated like alcohol. Now it's anything but.

There is no reason for an honest hard worker to get involved.
 
Michigan wholesale marijuana flower prices soar on tight supply, lack of community approvals
Michigan-Wholesale-022020.png


(This is the seventh in a series of stories from Marijuana Business Daily examining wholesale prices in U.S. recreational marijuana markets. Part 1 covered Nevada, Part 2 Washington state, Part 3 Oregon, Part 4California, Part 5 Colorado and Part 6 Alaska.)

A tight supply of wholesale recreational marijuana flower in Michigan, one of the youngest adult-use markets in the U.S., is leading to sharply higher prices as producers struggle to keep pace with growing demand.

Many of the state’s municipalities remain opposed to recreational marijuana commerce and strict testing standards are causing a bottleneck in the supply chain, both of which are exacerbating the shortage as recreational growers bring cultivation facilities online.




Marijuana business owners in the state report pounds of wholesale cannabis flower are selling for:


  • Low-quality indoor: $3,400-$3,600 ($2,400-$2,600 for medical marijuana a year ago)
  • High-quality indoor: $4,500-$5,000 ($3,500-$4,000 for MMJ a year ago)
“It’s a good time to be a producer,” said Vishal Rungta, president and CFO of C3 Industries, a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Ann Arbor. “Pricing is high and there’s demand for everything.”

Adult-use cannabis sales began Dec. 1, 2019, with totals reaching almost $6.5 million during the first month. Since then, cultivators have slowly increased production.

Recreational marijuana sales could reach $1.4 billion-$1.7 billion a year when the market reaches maturity, according to Marijuana Business Daily estimates.

The market is predicted to find its footing and increase supply, but that could be months away as production facilities take time to build out and growers need to dial in methods.

“The market is undersupplied,” Rungta added, and demand is still outpacing any increases in supply.

Michigan also has a robust program of medical marijuana caregivers who make up a significant portion of the flower supply and compete with the cultivation companies that work in both the medical and recreational markets.

“The caregiver market plays a huge role,” said Omar Hishmeh, president of vertically integrated cannabis company Exclusive Brands, based in Ann Arbor. “Without it there would be a huge shortage.”

More municipalities needed

When the adult-use rules were created in Michigan, regulators didn’t limit the number of recreational marijuana businesses but gave municipalities the choice of whether to opt in or not.

As of December 2019, nearly 80% of the cities, towns and counties (about 1,400 communities) in the state had opted out of allowing adult-use cannabis sales.

For example, Detroit, which could have roughly 50 retail locations, extended its ban of adult-use cannabis sales through March 31 until regulators could develop a social equity program.

But more municipalities are expected to come around in the near future, said Matt Ruhle, purchasing director for Utopia Gardens, a vertically integrated cannabis company in Detroit.

Until that happens, though, “we’re only going to see prices go up for the time being,” he added.

With fewer towns on board, there will be less flower supply, and consumers are willing to travel to the areas that allow adult-use sales.

The lack of cultivation companies is pushing the cost onto consumers, which creates a challenge for retailers, said C3 Industries’ Rungta.

“There’s a need for a lot of supply … because a lot of municipalities have opted out,” he said.

Although cannabis cultivation is not allowed in certain areas, strong enough demand still exists in the areas that permit recreational sales to strain the supply.

Rungta also expects to see more of the conservative areas come on board with cannabis sales.

Tough testing

According to several industry insiders, stringent testing requirements are slowing down the flow of the supply chain.

Rick Thompson, owner of the Michigan Cannabis Business Development Group that’s based in Flint, said the regulators have moved the “goal posts in regards to testing standards.”

The state added a test for vitamin E acetate after the vaping health scare broke out last year, leading to a recall of more than 9,000 vape cartridges from one Detroit dispensary alone.

It also recently included an expanded test for heavy metals.

According to Ruhle, multiple growers, both large and small, have failed testing and have been forced to destroy product.

One reason for that is Michigan has low limits for acceptable pesticides. Another is growers are still learning how to comply with the testing rules.

The industry is working to appeal to regulators to ease the limits somewhat, but that process is still ongoing.

“If you can pass the testing, you’re making prices that are unheard of for flower,” Ruhle said.

The tough testing requirements have even caused some investors to shy away from building larger grows (300,000-500,000 square feet), according to Hishmeh.

He said he’s waited as long as three weeks to get products through testing.

“It is a struggle right now to get product,” Hishmeh added.

Looking ahead

Thompson highlighted Michigan’s history for throwing cannabis-themed parties and festivals, and he expects to see more of those this year.

Those consumption-heavy events could strain the supply of flower even further, he added.

Rungta said some large greenhouses are in production, and he also figures a lot of multistate operators will plant their flags in Michigan in the future.

Hishmeh said his company went from 60 employees to 175 in less than 60 days, mostly because of the demand for manufactured goods.

His company is adding another 22,000 square feet of production for processing and manufacturing, effectively doubling the size of that portion of the facility.

“The demand is very high,” Hishmeh added.
 
Marijuana Changes Affect Caregivers and Retail Centers
"When you're doing these regulations you need to keep in mind we're all about the local mom and pops."

Michigan is changing the way that marijuana and marijuana-products make their way into the market.

Changes announced by the Michigan Regulatory Agency will “phase out” the ability of caregivers to provide marijuana to facilities. Commercial growers will be taking over.

Jordan Ezell with Interlochen Alternative Health says, “The flower is what there was a huge shortage of, and the caregivers kind of filled that gap so to speak.”

During the ongoing transition to a regulated marijuana market, the Michigan Regulatory Agency – the MRA – has allowed certain licensed facilities to continue to source their product from caregivers. Selling those “extras” helped provisioning centers facing a short supply.

Ezell says the timeline for a new business didn’t line up with the time it takes to grow marijuana. “When a dispensary gets a license they can open the next day, but a grower when he gets a license it’s 5-6 months before they produce anything.”

But that will all be changing. The MRA says now, with nearly 200 grower licenses and more than 25 processor licenses for medical marijuana, it’s resulted in an increase in supply. But not everyone is convinced it will be enough to keep with with the opening of new dispensaries and provisioning centers.

Steven Thompson is the Director of the Benzie County Chapter of NORML. “I think we’re going to find a problem in that while we have some licensed commercial growers up and running, we’re going to run into a problem with supply and demand. So there very well could be another extension granted (by the MRA).”

Thompson thinks supply and demand still won’t be in line with one another, and predicts more problems with sales on the black market. Another concern is not just quantity – but quality. “I think you’re going to see the quality go down. Because the commercial grows are just that, they’re commercial grows. It’s kind of like the alcohol industry. you know you have your Budweiser that’s ever-prevalent, and you have your local craft breweries that are done by local people.”

Jordan Ezell agrees. “The caregiver product is a better quality product than what the commercial growers are putting out. and not only that but the commercial growers are not producing at a high enough rate right now.”

But an increase in supply could lead to a decrease in price. Ezell says, “The way it is right now, the growers are at an advantage, the processors are at an advantage. The dispensaries are at a clear disadvantage. We want to keep our prices fair to the consumer because they don’t know about all this stuff going on.”

Licensed businesses have seven months to adjust to the change. The phase-out process begins immediately and ends on September 30th of this year.

Thompson wants to point out that the changes “in no way affects those 21 and over now, whether they’re a patient or not, they still have the right to grow their own.”

You can see the new rules for growers and processors here.
 

New Justice Department Memo Aims To Block ‘Habitual Marijuana Users’ From Buying Guns

The Department of Justice has issued a new advisory requiring gun dealers in one state to conduct federal background checks on all unlicensed gun buyers because existing policies, the government argues, have enabled “habitual marijuana users” and other disqualified individuals to obtain firearms illegally.

Though cannabis is legal for adults under Michigan state law, it remains a restricted Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Consequently, consumers of marijuana have been forbidden from purchasing or possessing firearms.

Tuesday’s advisory from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rescinds a 2006 provision that allowed Michigan gun dealers to accept a state-concealed pistol license (CPL) in lieu of conducting a federal background check. ATF says that, according to information from the FBI and other officials, concealed carry permits are being issued to people “without a determination by Michigan officials as to whether the applicant is prohibited under Federal law from possessing or transporting firearms.”

“Specifically, ATF learned that CPLs were and continue to be issued to applicants who were likely prohibited due to a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence… and to habitual marijuana users,” the advisory says. “Although possession and use of marijuana is not unlawful under Michigan law, marijuana remains a ‘controlled substance’ under Federal law, and those using marijuana are prohibited from possessing or transporting a firearm.”

The change is largely administrative, as most gun buyers are already required to disclose whether or not they consume marijuana when they apply to purchase a gun. A question on the form for most would-be gun purchasers asks: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” Lying on the form is a felony.

The change will primarily affect people with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions, as those records will likely show up on federal background checks. How the shift will affect cannabis consumers is less clear, given that background checks wouldn’t return information on applicants’ private use of marijuana unless they were charged with a crime.

Michigan’s situation is the latest example of Second Amendment obstacles caused by the ongoing conflict between state and federal cannabis laws. Many other states that have legalized cannabis for adult or medical use have grappled with how to approach gun owners who also consume marijuana. In 2017, police in Honolulu sent letters to local medical marijuana patients instructing them to “voluntarily surrender” their firearms. (Opponents later questioned whether the order was legal.)

Last year, a Republican lawmaker introduced federal legislation to harmonize federal gun regulations with state cannabis laws in an effort to avoid further headaches. Rep. Alex Mooney’s (R-WV) Second Amendment Protection Act would amend federal law to allow state-legal medical marijuana patients to own guns. The measure, however, has not yet been scheduled for a vote in committee.

In late 2018, another Republican congressman, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), told Marijuana Moment that he was considering a bill to extend Second Amendment protections to all legal marijuana consumers, not just medical patients. He has yet to introduce such legislation.
In Michigan, Second Amendment advocates called this week’s policy change “ridiculous.”

“This new advisory by the ATF is yet again an assault on Michigan’s state sovereignty and singularly targets the most law-abiding among us,” Michigan resident Josh Wayner told the website The Truth About Guns. “The citizens of Michigan voted to legalize marijuana in our state, and as a result of federal overreach, the government has decided to put upstanding citizens, who have the lowest rate of crime here, under the microscope for doing what is legal here if they choose to.”

Wayner added that they “are inadvertently going to drive more gun sales off the radar with this stupid power move.”
 
requiring gun dealers in one state to conduct federal background checks on all unlicensed gun buyers
Well, that's the deal in all other states but still my overriding sentiment is "fuck the ATF...the organzation that brought us the Fast and Furious debacle"

Oh, its ever so much more important to pursue law abiding MJ consumers and not the completely illegal gun deals being consumated on the streets of major urban areas and used to generate the horrific murder rates in places like Chicago and Baltimore.

I suppose there are lower levels of stupidity but I don't know how to reach them.

This will end up at SCOTUS the first time the ATF takes away the guns of another otherwise law abiding citizen. There will be plenty of money available to take this test case up the judicial chain. To me its obvious. Drug schedules are bureaucratically generated by the ATF. The 2nd Amendment is enshrined in our Constitution and is only number 2 of enumerated individual rights out of 27 amendments total.

If political views haven't completely infected SCOTUS, this will go in favor of gun owners.
 
Cannabis Sales Growth in Michigan to Get a Helping Hand

Get ready for stronger regulation of marijuana licensing rules.


Recently, the state of Michigan started getting serious about where dispensaries source their product. On March 2, the state finally began a process that will phase individual caregivers out of the market.

Beginning June 1, the state will limit how much caregiver flower growers and processors can purchase. On Oct. 1, only patients with medical marijuana cards will be able to buy directly from their registered caregivers.

A tough nut to crack

Michigan is a pretty big market for legalized cannabis, with annual sales over $1 billion. Unlike most states, however, the vast majority of cannabis sold in Michigan dispensaries is grown by individual caregivers who have been competing fiercely against each other since 2008.

Among the five largest cannabis producers in the U.S., not one has recorded revenue in the state of Michigan yet. That's because it's nearly impossible to compete with individuals providing their own labor and operating out of their own homes.

However, in November, one of the country's largest multistate operators, Cresco Labs (OTC:CRLBF), used a plant in Michigan to secure a loan, and during the third quarter of 2019 it earned approval to expand operations into the Great Lakes State.

Several times over the past few years, Michigan has tried limiting sales of caregiver-grown cannabis through dispensaries but quickly reversed course after a lack of licensed goods that consumers wanted to buy led to statewide dispensary closures and sent consumers back to a thriving illicit market.

At the moment, Michigan dispensaries aren't allowed to source their products from caregivers, but licensed growers and processors still can for a limited time.
 
Beginning June 1, the state will limit how much caregiver flower growers and processors can purchase. On Oct. 1, only patients with medical marijuana cards will be able to buy directly from their registered caregivers.
Well.... if nothing else, maybe this will keep the medical program, and thereby the caregivers, viable. In my experience, the product from caregivers is much better quality than what I found in the dispensaries. And it was less money as well. Now that's not to say all the caregivers are good. My last one sucked; pesticide usage and 'dirty' herb (hairs and god knows what else in the herb and improperly purged concentrates). As long as you have a caregiver that uses good practice while growing and processing... you are golden.

I've stopped going to the dispensaries. I have issues with paying top dollar and taxes on my medicine.... :disgust:
 
Voters approve recreational marijuana businesses in Holton Township

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – Voters in Holton Township have given the approval to recreational marijuana businesses opening in their community.

A question on Tuesday’s ballot asking voters whether they wish to “completely prohibit” recreational marijuana businesses from opening in the township failed, with 305 people voting “yes” to ban recreational marijuana businesses, and 348 people voting “no,” according to unofficial results from the Holton Township clerk.

Because the measure was defeated, the local ordinance will default to the decision of the township board, which voted in December to approve recreational facilities.

Tuesday’s vote was a result of the township board’s move to allow medical marijuana businesses after voters narrowly rejected a measure to allow medical marijuana establishments within the township’s commercial and agricultural areas.

After that vote, in May 2019, the township board voted 3-2 to strike all zoning language from its medical marijuana ordinance, which allowed medical marijuana establishments anywhere in the township - not only in commercial and agricultural areas - provided they receive township board and state approval.

As a result of the board’s move to allow medical marijuana, some citizens decided to proactively petition against recreational marijuana facilities, township Clerk Sarah Hippler previously told MLive.

“There were quite a few who were pretty upset about it,” she said, of the authorization of medical marijuana. “After that happened, that’s when the initiative to prohibit recreational facilities came about, like they were trying to get a jump on it.”

In spite of that petition, the township board voted 3-1 at a regular board meeting on Dec. 10, 2019, to approve recreational marijuana businesses. With Tuesday’s outcome at the ballot box, that decision prevails, and those businesses may begin applying for licenses to operate within township boundaries.

Two medical marijuana dispensaries are in the process of opening in the township, pending state licensing, according to township Supervisor Alan Jager. One is planned on Holton Road near the intersection with Ewing Road, and the other near the intersection with Brickyard Road.

Medical marijuana was legalized in Michigan in 2008, and recreational marijuana was legalized in 2018. The first recreational dispensaries in the state opened their doors in December.

Those opposed to bringing marijuana business to Holton Township have said they think it will bring crime and blight into their community, according to township board meeting minutes.

Supporters of cannabis businesses said they will bring tax revenue into Holton Township.

“Like all businesses, you pay a tax," Jager previously said of marijuana establishments in an MLive interview. "And yet you can grow this illegally all over our township and not pay a dime. If you have a business, whether it’s marijuana or not, you should pay taxes.”
 
First time in the history of Ann Arbor's Hash Bash (which started in 1972) that it's been postponed...

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HIGH TIMES SUSPENDS CANNABIS CUP EVENT!

In light of the news surrounding COVID-19, High Times has decided it is in the best interests of our
HT community to postpone it’s upcoming 420 CannabisCup. However, we will still be
celebrating 4/20, in a more virtual manner, which we will announce in the coming days.
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we delay this event - our festival celebrating our favorite day of the year - but the safety of our patrons is our first priority.

High Times encourages all of it’s fans to take the appropriate measures to help curb the spread of this serious illness - stay home if you’re sick, wash your hands, and be prepared in case you can’t get to a dispensary for the foreseeable future. The team itself will not be sharing pipes or passing joints for the time being, and we encourage you all to do the same.

We'll be sharing more details about our plans for the High Holiday shortly -- Stay tuned!
━━━━━━
: If you have any questions or concerns - kindly email cannabiscuphelp@hightimes.com or competition@hightimes.com.
 
First recreational marijuana store opens in Big Rapids Wednesday

Lume Cannabis Company opened its sixth store in Michigan -- fourth to offer adult-use retail.



BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — A cannabis company will open a new recreational marijuana store in Big Rapids Wednesday.

Lume Cannabis Company is opening its Big Rapids location at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11. This will be the company's sixth store in Michigan, and the fourth to offer recreational adult-use marijuana.

The Big Rapids store is located at 113 S. Michigan Ave. It will be open until 9 p.m.



Lume operates Lit Provisioning Centers in Evart, Mich. which opened on Dec. 6, as well as Lume stores in Adrian, Owosso, Honor and Kalamazoo. According to a press release from the company, there are plans to have 11 stores open by April 2020.

Lume's Evart location, which is currently 50,000-square feet, will be expanded to 150,000-square feet by the end of 2020.

The recreational marijuana industry has garnered more than $1 million since retail sales were legalized back in December. And the number of recreational and medical retailers continues to grow -- including in West Michigan.

There are two recreational marijuana shops operating in Muskegon County, one operating in Newaygo County and Kent County's first adult-use pot shop will open on Friday, March 13.

Grand Rapids' first medical marijuana dispensary opened on Friday, Feb. 7 -- but the future of medical and recreational marijuana in the city is currently at a standstill. The city commission met last month to discuss a moratorium proposal and a date for the public hearing on the proposed zoning text amendments -- which all failed by a voice vote.
 
Michigan Allows Curbside Cannabis Pickup Over Coronavirus Fears

Concern over the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic has led regulators in Michigan to temporarily permit cannabis dispensaries to offer curbside pickup services. The move is an effort to support social distancing measures encouraged by health officials as a way to slow the spread of the virus.

On Monday, the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) issued a statement containing temporary rules that allow customers to purchase cannabis products from licensed medical marijuana provisioning centers and adult-use retailers without entering the building or standing in line.

“Customers may complete an order including payment for their product via the internet or they may place their order once parked at the facility,” the agency said in its notice. “An employee from the licensed facility or adult-use establishment is permitted to complete the sales transaction by interacting with the customer in the parking lot and recording the necessary information into the statewide monitoring system.”

“We want to protect the safety of workers and avoid crowding at the stores,” said David Harns, a spokesman for the MRA.

Cannabis Home Delivery Encouraged
Regulators also encouraged consumers and patients to utilize cannabis delivery services when possible and announced that a requirement that deliveries may only be made to the address on a customer’s ID would be temporarily lifted. There are currently more than 200 medical marijuana dispensaries and at least 53 adult-use retailers licensed in Michigan. However, only 85 provisioning centers and 17 shops selling recreational pot have been licensed to make home deliveries.

To increase the availability of home delivery during the coronavirus crisis, the MRA said that it would expedite the application process for those businesses not yet licensed to provide the service.

“The MRA will make every effort to review, process and approve requests from licensees within 24-48 hours,” the MRA said in the advisory bulletin.
Robin Schneider, the director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association, praised the MRA for taking steps to enable consumers to protect themselves during the coronavirus outbreak.

“During a crisis like this, you really get to see if state government is prepared or not,” said Schneider. “And in this case, our department is absolutely shining.”

Calming Fears During A Crisis
Schneider said that the curbside delivery would make a “world of difference” in protecting the health of cannabis business employees. She also said that in addition to helping patients obtain their medicine, improving access through curbside pickup and increased home delivery can help those who are worrying about the spreading pandemic.

“Everyone is having anxiety and stress right now over this entire situation,” she said. “And cannabis does have a calming effect on people. We don’t want people going back to opiates and this is an essential item that is very important to many of our citizens.”

The temporary permission that allows provisioning centers and adult-use shops to offer curbside pickup will be in effect until canceled by the MRA.
 
Michigan's marijuana industry is deemed 'essential' during coronavirus outbreak

Looks like marijuana is “essential” in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday required all non-essential businesses to close as part of a stay-at-home order to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Under the executive order, marijuana dispensaries are allowed to continue selling recreational and medical marijuana products, but only at the curb or by delivery, the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) tells Metro Times. Patients and customers are not allowed inside dispensaries until the executive order is lifted. For now, it's in place for three weeks.

For the past week, the MRA has encouraged dispensaries to begin curbside or delivery services to promote social-distancing.

Michigan’s marijuana industry began urging the governor last week to classify marijuana as an “essential item” to ensure that it remains available in the event of a broader lockdown.

“Studies have shown that cannabis can reduce anxiety and stress and we believe continued access to this product during this time is pertinent,” Michigan Cannabis Industry Association Executive Director Robin Schneider wrote to Whitmer last week. “More importantly, patients with cancer, AIDS, chronic pain, seizures, and pediatric patients have reduced or replaced pharmaceuticals, including opiates, with medical cannabis.”

Without access to cannabis, Schneider says patients and customers will begin relying on an already inundated medical system.

Some dispensaries, including the Greenhouse in Walled Lake and Herbology in River Rouge, have begun online orders to streamline curbside delivery.

“Governor Gretchen Whitmer is doing a great job caring for people throughout the state of Michigan," Greenhouse owner Jerry Millen says in a news release. "Giving Medical Marijuana Patients and others the opportunity to continue obtaining various cannabis products for their needs is so very important and on behalf of all of my patients and other customers, we owe her a great deal of gratitude during this difficult time for all of Michigan’s residents."
Here's a list of places in Michigan where you can buy recreational marijuana now. Be sure and call ahead to make sure what their policy is at this time.
 

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