Michigan
Michigan dispensaries wait and watch as Ohio votes on recreational marijuana. Here’s why
Ohio voters will decide Tuesday whether to approve a proposed law to legalize recreational marijuana, which would allow people 21 and older to buy, possess and grow recreational marijuana.
Proponents say it will bring in tax dollars that Ohio residents are currently sending to Michigan.
But Michigan dispensary owners are some of the biggest opponents of the proposal, the spokesperson for the group behind the effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio has said.
That’s because it’s widely acknowledged that Ohio residents cross state lines to buy marijuana in Michigan and if it becomes available in Ohio, that could mean fewer customers for Michigan dispensaries, leading to an oversupply of marijuana that could drive prices even lower than what they’ve fallen to in the last few years.
Counting on Ohio customers
There are a slew of dispensaries near the Ohio border. Monroe, Michigan, about a 30-minute drive from Ohio’s fourth-largest city by population, Toledo, has more than a dozen dispensaries. Morenci, Michigan, which shares its southern border with Ohio and has a population of about 2,000, has five recreational marijuana dispensaries.
Michigan dispensaries even advertise their proximity to Ohio on their websites and on signs displayed at their stores.
Green Labs Provisions’ website, a medical and recreational dispensary in Luna Pier, south of Monroe, describes itself as “Only 15 Minutes from Downtown Toledo” on its website.
That’s a big reason why the company chose to open a dispensary in Luna Pier, said Sean Lyden, president of Green Labs Provisions. Lyden said he, and some of the owners of the company, are from the Toledo area.
“We’re already Ohio people,” he said. “We love the fact that we have so many great Ohio customers and that they already know and love our brand and will continue to stay loyal to us, hopefully.”
Lyden estimates more than half of the dispensary’s customers are from Ohio and are both medical marijuana patients and recreational shoppers. Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016.
Lyden said he’s not particularly worried about what happens Tuesday because “we feel that our level of quality and our established customer base is going to remain loyal to us even if some stores pop up across the border.”
While it’s legal for an out-of-state visitor to buy recreational marijuana in Michigan, it’s illegal for them to drive the products to states where recreational marijuana isn’t legalized. However, there’s no way for stores to verify where customers are traveling after they make a purchase.
Setting the price of marijuana in the Midwest
Not all cannabis company executives are as optimistic about what happens to Michigan’s cannabis industry if Ohio, and other Midwest states, legalize recreational marijuana.
Dave Morrow, founder and CEO of Lume Cannabis Co., one of the biggest cannabis companies in Michigan, describes that scenario as a “gigantic shoe to fall.”
Morrow said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press earlier this year that he estimates about one-third of the cannabis sold in Michigan is leaving the state. Lume has dispensaries in Adrian, Monroe and Petersburg, all Michigan cities near the Ohio border, and in locations that border other states.
In Ohio, he said, prices for medical marijuana are higher compared with prices for recreational marijuana in Michigan. Indiana hasn’t legalized marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. Illinois has, but prices are also higher compared with prices in Michigan, Morrow said.
Marijuana prices have declined drastically in Michigan compared with what prices were during the recreational industry’s early days in 2020. The average retail price for an ounce of recreational marijuana flower was $100.14 in September, according to data from Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, compared with $393.66 in September 2020, a 75% decrease.
Lyden said he hears from Ohio medical marijuana patients that prices have dropped so much in Michigan that it doesn’t even make sense for them to pay the fees to keep and renew their medical marijuana cards.
What that means though, according to Morrow, is that Michigan is effectively setting the price for the rest of the Midwest.
“If you’re in northern Ohio, all your customers are already used to paying the market price,” he said. “You’re not going to be able to charge them $6,000 a pound. If you go ahead and put it out at that price, everyone’s going to say, ‘Yeah, right. I’m going to keep driving to Michigan.’ “
If Ohio legalizes recreational marijuana, along with other border states like Indiana and Wisconsin, “it will immediately create a massive oversupply issue in Michigan,” Morrow said.
More on the marijuana industry: Tours of Michigan cannabis companies reveal inner workings of marijuana business
More on the marijuana industry: Michigan cannabis regulator recalls certain Viola edibles for excessive THC
A ‘yes’ vote for recreational marijuana begins a long process
However, even if Ohio does legalize recreational marijuana and prices are comparable to Michigan’s, it will likely be at least a year before dispensaries start to open in Ohio, said Scott Johnson, a member of the law firm Eastman & Smith, which is based out of Toledo.
That’s because it needs to go to the Ohio state legislature, where adjustments can be made because it’s an initiated statute, not a constitutional amendment. The legislature will have to pass rules and regulations and essentially put them into place, Johnson said.
He anticipates that if the measure passes, the state would handle the recreational marijuana industry similar to what it’s done with medical marijuana and liquor, where prospective licensees must first be qualified to receive a license and then are entered into a lottery to receive a capped number of licenses.
The market research firm BDSA predicts that if Ohio voters legalize recreational marijuana, sales will start in 2025 and by 2027, the state will see $1.3 billion in recreational marijuana sales.
Michigan, meanwhile, is forecast to bring in $3.7 billion in recreational marijuana sales in 2027, BDSA said, more than double Ohio’s predicted sales. That’s up from $2.8 billion in sales expected this year.
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.
Michigan
New Year’s Eve: How to follow Michigan fireworks laws, keep pets safe
2025 numerals arrive in Times Square for New Year’s Eve celebration
The seven-foot-tall 2025 numerals, with 620 total bulbs, have arrived in New York’s Time Square ahead of this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration.
New Year’s Eve is one of five holidays when Michigan state law permits the use of fireworks. From 11 a.m. Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, consumer-grade fireworks, like sparklers, smoke bombs, Roman candles, and aerials, which launch into the air to explode, can be set off on personal property.
Some places in Michigan have less restrictive local ordinances that allow more time and days for fireworks, but state law requires fireworks to be allowed after 11 a.m. on certain holidays. Violations of local ordinances can result in a $1,000 civil fine.
Lighting fireworks on public property — including sidewalks, schools, and churches — or another person’s property without permission is punishable by a fine of up to $500.
Aerial fireworks, including Roman candles, cannot be used at Michigan state parks, trails, and harbors. However, smaller fireworks like sparklers and fountains are permitted, per the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Selling fireworks to a minor is illegal in Michigan.
“When fire-related incidents involve consumer, low impact, or illegal fireworks resulting in property damage, injury or death of another person, individuals are subject to a misdemeanor or felony punishable by imprisonment of not more than five years and fines of up to $10,000 or both,” according to the state’s website.
Fireworks can be a nightmare for pets. Here are some tips for keeping your pets safe and reducing their anxiety this New Year’s Eve:
- Don’t leave your animals alone if they have trouble with loud noises.
- Keep pets indoors in a safe room or cage to avoid injury from running into dangerous items in your home.
- Close all curtains and windows to reduce noises from outside.
- Tire pets out with exercise, like walks or playtime, earlier in the day.
- Provide pets with enrichment activities, like a frozen lick mat with treats.
- Get your pet soundproof earmuffs or play soothing sounds on a sound machine to muffle noise.
Michigan
Michigan superintendent accused of smoking weed with colleague, having gun on school grounds
A Michigan school superintendent was ousted from her position for allegedly getting high with a colleague on school grounds and then driving off in her car – where police found a hunting rifle stashed in the backseat.
Hollie Stange, who headed Fitzgerald Public Schools in Warren, is accused of getting behind the wheel after police spotted her smoking marijuana with the district’s food services director for several minutes in a parked car 1,000 feet from school grounds, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police arrested Stange and Amanda Carroll, both 38, after the pair left in separate vehicles on Dec. 20, and were found allegedly driving “under the influence.”
“This is deeply concerning and violates the trust our community places in these school administrators,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said.
“Driving under the influence and possessing drugs near school grounds is not only unlawful but also puts the safety of our children at risk. As individuals entrusted with the well-being of Macomb County’s children, we will take all necessary legal steps to ensure accountability.”
Police found a rifle wrapped in a blanket in the backseat of Stange’s car, along with a 50-gram bag of marijuana in her purse, WWJ reported.
A 6-year-old was inside Carroll’s vehicle when police pulled her over.
Carroll was also in possession of more than 25 grams of weed, the outlet reported.
Prosecutors believe Stange had the gun in her car while she was on school grounds.
Both women were placed on leave, pending an internal review, on Sunday following a unanimous vote by the Fitzgerald School Board.
“The Fitzgerald Public Schools Board of Education today voted unanimously to place District Superintendent Stange and Amanda Carroll on leave effective immediately pending our internal review and the ongoing criminal investigation,” board president Julia Yokel said in a Facebook post.
“The school district is cooperating with local law enforcement and will continue to do so.”
Stange is charged with possession of marijuana on school grounds, possession of a weapon in a weapon free zone and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, prosecutors said.
Charges against Carroll include possession of marijuana on school grounds, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated second offense and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with an occupant less than 16 years old.
Both women were arraigned on Dec. 21 in Warren District Court, and their bond was set at $5,000 each.
Both are barred from entering school grounds unless otherwise directed, no uses of alcohol or drugs with random testing twice a week and limited contact with each other, prosecutors said.
Stange is also restricted from using any firearms.
“My client is a dedicated educator and administrator with two decades of services, a mother of two young children herself, and is presumed innocent under the law,” William Barnwell, defense attorney for Stange, told the Detroit Free Press.
“They have to prove she knew the weapon was in the vehicle, they have to prove distance (from school grounds) and they have to prove impairment.”
They will appear in court next on Jan. 2.
Michigan
Will Mikey Keene be Michigan’s Week 1 starting quarterback in 2025?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Michigan Wolverines fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Michigan now has a veteran quarterback in the fold for the 2025 season. On Monday afternoon, Fresno State transfer QB Mikey Keene committed to the Wolverines.
Keene had a 70.5 completion percentage in 2024 with 2,892 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions at Fresno State. Keene was at Central Florida for his first two years and is familiar with Michigan’s new offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsey. Lindsey was Central Florida’s offensive coordinator in 2022 while Keene was at UCF. Keene fared well in ‘22 with Lindsey when he saw the field, throwing for 647 yards, six touchdowns and one interception with a 72.3 completion rate.
Does Keene’s veteran presence and familiarity in Chip Lindsey’s scheme give him the edge to ultimately be named Michigan’s starting quarterback in Week 1 against New Mexico next season? Or will the 2025 No. 1 overall prospect and No. 1 QB Bryce Underwood prove to be ready to roll right out of the gate? Vote below.
Whether Keene winds up starting or not he was brought in to compete with Underwood and receive a shot at the starting position in 2025. Keene, who stands 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, will be entering his fifth collegiate season in 2025 and has amassed 8,245 passing yards, 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his career with a 67.8 completion percentage.
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