MICHIGAN—Between the lawsuits, the loopholes, and the low prices, Michigan’s cannabis scene stays anything but boring. Here’s what’s been burning up the headlines lately:
THE NAUGHTY LIST: Michigan reportedly led the country in cannabis-related regulatory violations last year, with 928 infractions—more than a third of the national total. Fines topped $3.7 million and Cresco Labs was among the biggest offenders, according to Cannabiz Media.
BORDER BACKLASH: Some Michiganders in border towns like Coldwater and Menominee say their communities are being overrun by dispensaries catering to out-of-state shoppers, Bridge Michigan reports. Some argue the weed business is changing the character of their towns, even as officials defend the economic boost from tax revenue and revitalized storefronts.
LEGAL LOOPHOLE: Michigan’s conflicting laws are creating wildly different outcomes for similar crimes and the state Supreme Court has declined to intervene, MLive reports. One person is facing prison under an old felony law for possessing 85 pounds of weed, while another person growing 1,100 plants got off with a misdemeanor under a newer state cannabis law.
GOODBYE GUMMIES: A Lansing-based cannabis brand is shaking up Michigan’s edible market with freeze-dried candies and ice cream bites that dissolve on your tongue and hit fast.
WEED PRANK: Pranksters reportedly uploaded a series of marijuana photos to the Taylor Police Department’s Google listing—briefly making it look like the cops had gone into the weed business. In a social post, the department later clarified that it wasn’t hacked and that random images of weed “do not reflect the values or mission of the Taylor Police Department.”
PUBLIC PAINT: Voting is now open for NOXX Cannabis’ mural contest, where locals will choose a design to take over a 430-square-foot wall along Woodward Avenue in Detroit. The winner gets $1,000 and their work seen by 100,000 people a week, Detroit Metro Times reports.
READ MORE: Why Michigan weed is cheaper than ever—and how that’s a huge problem
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