Last update: 5/3/2020

Resources:  

This is a brief list of news articles and information about legal marijuana as a business and legal right.  I found these while googling around to learn about issues at the periphery of Northfield Township's confused response to the Michigan Citizen mandate making the use and possession of marijuana legal.

 

Michigan State Law explainers 

State of Michigan: EMERGENCY RULES, Filed with the Michigan Secretary of State, 7/3/2019

State of Michigan:  List of municipalities who have notified LARA that they have opted out of the licensed facilioties portion of MRTMA.  Updated as of 7/5/2019

Detroit News: Now cleared to fly: Hemp products and CBD meds, TSA says, Samantha J. Gross (Miami Herald) 5/29/2019

Metro Times: Michigan's Cannabis Laws for Dummies: The dos and don'ts of dope,  4/17/2019

PotGuide.com: Michigan Marijuana Laws

The Colorado Sun: Cannabis lobby gains new clout in Colorado as its spending tripled in the past five years, Sandra Fish, 3-13-2019

Michigan Municipal League:  Fact Sheet – Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) compared with Proposal 1—the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA)

Michigan Municipal League:  White Paper: Recreational Marijuana Proposition

Michigan Legislature, Act 281 of 2016,  MEDICAL MARIHUANA FACILITIES LICENSING ACT

Initiated Law 1 of 2018,  MICHIGAN REGULATION AND TAXATION OF MARIHUANA ACT

Wikipedia:  Cannabis in Michigan

MLive:  A complete guide to Michigan's 3 ballot proposals, Emily Lawler, 10/24/2018

State of Michigan: ADULT-USE MARIJUANA

PotGuide.com:  Michigan Marijuana Dispensaries - An online map

Explainer: The State of Cannabis Legislation & Licensing: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, 6/11/2019 

Explainer: The State of Cannabis Legislation & Licensing: Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, 6/7/2019

Explainer: The State of Cannabis Legislation & Licensing: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, 5/31/2019

Explainer: Oklahoma: The Pioneering Wild West of Weed, 5/24/2019

The Oklahoma market was refreshingly different from any other state: rapid licensing approvals and relaxed laws minimize the need for complex testing.  In what today resembles a not-so-United States of America, to see Oklahoma respond to new laws with unmatched velocity for bona fide, critical mass demand is a refreshing return to pioneering American values: work hard, work the land, and grow for unity, liberty, and justice for all.

 

News: 

10/19/2020:   Half a ton of marijuana seized from trash hauler at U.S.-Canada border in Michigan, by Roberto Acosta, MLive

SciTechDaily:  Alcohol Taxes Only Cover a Fraction of the Costs of Excessive Drinking, 9/11/2019

The total harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption is a staggering $2.05 per drink in the United States, and, of this, the government ends up paying about 80 cents per drink. However, the federal government and states only bring in about 21 cents per drink on average in alcohol taxes, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. This leaves the majority of the cost of alcohol’s harms borne by those who don’t drink excessively or who don’t drink at all.

 

“The disparity between alcohol-related cost to government and alcohol taxes amounts to a large taxpayer-funded subsidy of excessive drinking and alcohol companies,” says senior author Timothy S. Naimi, M.D., M.P.H., of the Boston Medical Center and the Boston University School of Public Health.

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs: The Composition and Magnitude of Alcohol Taxes in States: Do They Cover Alcohol-Related Costs?, Jason G. Blanchette, Frank J. Chaloupka, and Timothy S. Naimi, 9/10/2019

The Detroit Free Press:  Macomb County Circuit Court judges to meet May 20 to appoint county prosecutor, by Christina Hall, 4/10/2020

Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith resigned from office March 30. He is facing multiple charges of embezzlement as well as misconduct in office and other offenses over how $600,000 in drug and alcohol forfeiture funds were spent.

 

His resignation came less than week after the longtime prosecutor was charged by the Michigan Attorney General's Office in a nearly yearlong probe of how his office spent the funds.

Pinned: MLive: An ounce of wisdom from Oregon as Michigan considers legalizing marijuana, Amy Biolchini, 10-22-2018

Perspective on the liberation of business by Legalized Marijuana in Oregon. Dozens of photographs by MLive journalist Tanya Moutzalias illustrate the depth and diversity of the islands of prosperity that have risen in the wake of Oregon legalization.  Note the contrast with Michigan's broken asphalt, political entropy, and conservative caterwauling.

Cassius: The Statement: Weed and the Free Black Woman, Jamilah Lemieux, 3/15/2018

Guess who else uses weed? A whole lot of people you know. Doctors, lawyers, sandwich artists, Soundcloud rappers, activists, scholars, stay-at-home-moms, retail workers, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, teachers—like, EVERY teacher I know, seriously. From poor to rich, GED certified to PhD holders. It is virtually impossible that you have no marijuana enthusiasts in your life, if you aren’t one yourself.

Willamette Week: You Can Legally Smoke Weed Naked on the Patio of a Southeast Portland Sex Club, Meghan O'Dea, 7/9/2019

He wore a towel, which was more than I had on. He looked up and asked what my favorite strain was, and we spent the next hour swapping hits of Jack Herer Diamond Sauce, as regulars emerged for the occasional blunt before returning to the bacchanal inside.

The New York Times: Need Etiquette Tips for Cannabis? For Starters, Don’t Call It ‘Marijuana’ or ‘Weed’, Dwight Garner, 7/8/2019

Humphrey Bogart had a way with life’s little vices. When he bought you a drink, the critic Kenneth Tynan recalled, he wouldn’t just pass it across — “he’d take me by the wrist and screw the glass into my hand as if it was a lamp socket.” Bogart’s manner with a cigarette was so vivid that his surname became an admonishing hippie-era verb: “Don’t bogart that joint.”

Willamette Week:  Toke Up For Pride With Six Queer-Friendly [Portland] Cannabusinesses, Meghan O'Dea, 6/11/2019

CNN:  Study: Marijuana legalization tied to decline in teen pot use, Jacqueline Howard, 7/8/2019

"Just to be clear, we found no effect on teen use following legalization for medical purposes, but evidence of a possible reduction in use following legalization for recreational purposes," said Mark Anderson, an associate professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, who was the first author of the paper.

 

"Because our study is based on more policy variation than prior work, we view our estimates as the most credible to date in the literature," he said.

Detroit Free Press:  Pot for pets: Here's how vets and others say it can help, Kathleen Gray, 3/13/2019

There aren't many scientific studies about the benefits of CBD for pets, but researchers at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine published a study last summer showing that 80 percent of a small sample of dogs showed pain relief and increased mobility after two to four weeks of CBD treatment. Colorado State University also is working on a clinical trial that is showing early positive results of treating epileptic dogs with CBD.

Detroit Free Press:  Minorities find themselves almost shut out of Michigan's marijuana business, Kathleen Gray, 6/25/2019

The exact number of African American-owned marijuana businesses isn’t known, but Bruner estimates that out of the 233 licenses awarded by the state, only a handful have been given to minorities — roughly four or five dispensaries and one grower. In a city like Detroit, where African Americans make up 80% of the population, only a couple of the two dozen or so licenses have gone to blacks.

Michigan Radio:  What new state rules mean for MI’s recreational marijuana marketplace, A Stateside conversation with Amy Biolchini, 7/8/2019 

MLive:  11 things to know about Michigan's new recreational marijuana rules, Amy Biolchini, 7/7/2019

Mega-growers are getting a hand from the state. Under the new state law, the number of large-scale grow licenses a business can hold are capped at five. That means the maximum number of plants a commercial grower could have is capped at 10,000.

 

For some large-scale businesses, that's not close to enough. Regulators have created a new license type -- called excess grow -- for large-scale businesses that operate in both the medical and recreational market. The new license type allows growers to have more plants than is currently capped under state law.

Detroit Free Press: Recreational pot in Michigan: 6 things to know as state prepares for licenses, Kathleen Gray, 7/5/2019

How easy will it be to get a pot license?

It'll be easier with these new rules. Under state law designed to ensure that the businesses would succeed, medical marijuana applicants had to prove that they had assets worth $150,000 to $500,000, depending on the license, to qualify for the industry.

But the recreational market rules don’t have any capitalization requirements, which state officials believe will open up the market to people who haven’t been able to qualify, so far, for a license. 

MLive:  Michigan drops capitalization requirements for recreational weed businesses, Amy Biolchini, 7/3/2019

Detroit Free Press:  Michigan has rules for selling recreational pot. Here they are, Kathleen Gray, 7/3/2019

Under the new rules, three new categories of licenses will be available. They will allow people to become marijuana-themed event planners; hold marijuana events, such as Cannabis Cup competitions, which have been held in recent years but not sanctioned by the state and where pot can be sold and consumed, and open social clubs, where people can gather to use marijuana, but where nothing else can be sold, such as coffee or snacks. Those categories will need to get local approval.

MLive: Michigan issues emergency recreational marijuana rules, Amy Biolchini, 7/3/2019

About 4.7 million Michigan residents live in one of the nearly 600 communities with a ban on adult-use marijuana businesses, according to an MLive analysis.

 

Regulations on the recreational marijuana market mostly mirror those on the medical marijuana market, except when it comes to money: officials are dropping the capitalization requirements for prospective recreational marijuana businesses. That’s a stark difference from medical marijuana businesses, who have to show they have from $200,000 to $500,000 in assets, depending on the license they seek.

 

Additionally, the rules allow for the temporary transfer of medical marijuana to the recreational market if the Marijuana Regulatory Agency determines it is necessary and possible, Brisbo said. However, officials aren’t guaranteeing that will happen.

Merry Jane: Scientists Sue DEA for Delaying Weed Research, Chris Moore, 7/3/2019

A collective of researchers has filed a lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) demanding a response to their three-year-old application to grow cannabis for research purposes.

 

The federal government has been providing cannabis to US scientists ever since 1968, but this government-sanctioned grass is notorious for being some of the lowest-quality schwag that researchers have ever encountered. The quality of this product – which is apparently full of stems, seeds, mold, and pathogens – is so bad that many researchers have flat-out rejected it for fear that it would destroy the validity of their research.

University of British Columbia:  Study: Presence Of THC In Blood Not Associated With Crash Culpability, Paul Armentano, 5/22/2019

Researchers reported, “In this multi-site observational study of non-fatally injured drivers, we found no increase in crash risk, after adjustment for age, sex, and use of other impairing substances, in drivers with THC less than 5ng/ml. For drivers with THC greater than 5ngml there may be an increased risk of crash responsibility, but this result was statistically non-significant and further study is required. ... Our findings ... suggest that the impact of cannabis on road safety is relatively small at present time.”

 

By contrast, authors reported, “There was a significantly increased risk for drivers who used alcohol, sedating medications, or recreational drugs others than cannabis.” Drivers who tested positive for the concurrent use of cannabis and alcohol possessed a higher risk of accident as compared to drivers who tested positive for alcohol alone – a finding that is consistent with other studies.

MLive:  $15 Million investment to redevelop Gibraltar Trade Center as a Marijuana-Grow Op, Amy Biolchini, 6/22/2019

Thanks to a $15 Million personal investment by the Chairman of the McLaren Macomb hospital’s Board of Trustees, James George, the former Gibraltar Trade Center -- known for its larger-than-life billboard on Interstate 94 in Mount Clemens -- will soon have a second life as a marijuana grow facility.

 

The nearly 300,000-square-foot trade center at 237 N. River Road was purchased in 2017 by James George, a local developer and businessman, through his company Hidden Ridge Investments LLC.

Merry Jane:  Last year, Billionaire JB Pritzker ran for the Illinois governor’s office on a promise to legalize weed. On Tuesday, June 25, he made that promise a reality by signing HB 1438 into law. Randy Robinson, 6/25/2019

Illinois is now the 11th state to legalize cultivation, sales, and possession of recreational, or adult-use, cannabis. But it’s the first state to do so through its legislature rather than ballot question left to the voters.

 

“Studies have shown time and time again that black and white people tend to use cannabis at the same rates, but black people are far more likely to be arrested for possession,” Gov. Pritzker said during a press conference. “Criminalization offers nothing but pain, disruption, and injustice. The legislators and activists standing with me today have heard you.”

 

Why did the signing take so long? According to Rep. Cassidy, the governor joked that he wanted to hold off on signing it until “Snoop comes to the State Fair.”

 

Uncle Snoop is set to perform in Illinois in August.

CNN:   'Museum of Weed' coming to Hollywood, Alicia Wallace, 6/24/2019

MLive:  Michigan towns and cities have three months left to ban recreational marijuana, Amy Biolchini, 6/24/2019

For at least the first year of adult-use marijuana sales, most of the business licenses are required by law to go to existing medical marijuana companies.

 

But unlike medical marijuana -- where a company needs both state and local approval to operate -- adult-use cannabis businesses only need a state license. Officials with the Marijuana Regulatory Agency will still vet applicants, and will check to see if the local city or township has passed a ban.

Detroit Free Press: Gibraltar Trade Center to be turned into medical marijuana facility, Micah Walker and Christina Hall, 6/18/2019

The city commission voted last December to allow medical marijuana sites in the city after significant research on the topic. The approved sites are in commercial and/or industrial areas of the 4-square-mile city, Dempsey said. The city received 13 applicants, which brought in $65,000 in fees to the city. The three-member committee of city officials approved the permits.

 Macomb Daily: Mount Clemens grants medical marijuana licenses for Gibraltar, Kraatz sites, Mitch Hotts, 6/16/2019

In terms of the economic impact for city government, the move is projected to generate about $65,000 in annual licensing fees.

 

“That may not seem like a lot of money, but it is to Mount Clemens,” Mayor Barb Dempsey said.

MLive:  Governor Whitmer backs federal overhaul to marijuana banking, Amy Biolchini, 6/17/2019

Whitmer added her signature to a letter signed by 19 governors calling on Congress to pass the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act.  “Michiganders turned out in historic numbers in this last election to legalize the use of recreational marijuana, and we must respect the will of the voters,” Whitmer said.

 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel also has joined a group of attorneys general from 38 states to support the passage of the same law -- H.R. 1595. The proposed bill would prevent federal officials from penalizing banks and financial institutions that accept money from marijuana businesses.

Merry Jane: Mainstream Media Rehashes Old Myths About Teens, Weed, and Brain Damage, Randy Robinson, 6/17/2019

Two other studies released this week concluded that dispensaries operating near high schools doesn’t lead to increased teen use, but greater proximity to pot shops does increase use among young adults who are old enough to legally blaze (shocker).

Merry Jane: $1 Billion Worth of Cocaine Found in History-Making Cocaine Bust, Zach Harris, 6/21/2019

• Two thousand miles from Donald Trump's wall: 

A massive drug bust at the Port of Philadelphia turned up approximately 17.5 tons of cocaine, an amount that authorities say would have fetched over $1 billion on the black market. During a press conference on Friday, June 21st, authorities said it’s “the largest cocaine haul in the history of US Customs,” according to the Associated Press.

 

The nose candy was found packaged in large bails on the intercontinental freighter the MSC Gayane, as it docked at the Packer Marine Terminal in South Philly.

• Last time I looked, Philadephia wasn't on the Mexican border.

Merry Jane: Oregon Is Now the First State That Can Export Weed, Randy Robinson, 6/21/2019

Merry Jane: Psychedelic Mushrooms and Cannabis Are the World’s Safest Recreational Drugs, Suggests Global Drug Survey, Zach Harris, 5/24/2017

When anti-drug advocates talk about mind-altering substances they often suggest that one puff, pop or snort will leave you dead in a ditch wishing you had just stuck to beer.

 

Numbers, of course, are the enemy of prohibitionists and fear mongers, and a new set of statistics from this year’s Global Drug Survey will give you prime ammunition to refute those teetotalers. According to the survey, compared to alcohol users, less than half as many cannabis users needed emergency medical treatment.

Merry Jane: Could Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome Be the Cause of IBS and Migraines? - Randy Robinson, 6/3/2019

Supplementing a balanced diet with omega-3s helps the body produce more endocannabinoids — which is why doctors and health-nuts promote omega-3s, even if they don’t know why, exactly. Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in avocados, coconut oil, grass-fed beef, and fish, are the precursors to our own endocannabinoids. Our body basically makes its own weed from healthy fats.

Merry Jane: Baby Boomers Are Consuming Pot at Ten Times the Rate of Past Senior Generations, Zach Harris, 6/10/2019

According to CNBC, federal data has shown a tenfold increase in senior cannabis consumption over the past decade or so, with 0.3% of Americans 65 and older admitting to using cannabis in 2007, compared with 3.7% of the same age cohort in 2017.

 

Of adults aged 60-64, the same research shows nearly 10% had used marijuana in 2017.

Drugs & Aging: Qualitative Analysis of Cannabis Use Among Older Adults in Colorado, Julie Bobitt, Sara H. Qualis, Melissa Schuchman, Robert Wickersham, Hillary D. Lum, Kanika Arora, Gary Milavertz, Brian Kaski, July 2019

Science Daily: Sewage Study in Washington Suggests Recreational Weed Weakened the Black Market, University of Washington, 6/18/2019

"We set out to perform a wastewater-based analysis that explored the impact of newly legalized retail cannabis sales on its use, and to determine if this approach could estimate the size of the legal market place," says Burgard, who chairs the chemistry department at Puget Sound.

 

The researchers estimate that THC-COOH (the metabolite of psychoactive THC in cannabis created within the human body) found in wastewater has increased by 9% per quarter, on average, from December 2013 to December 2016. During this time, cannabis sales increased at nearly 70% per quarter, on average, for stores operating from August 2014 to December 2016.

 

"Given that wastewater represents a total population measure, these findings suggest that many established users switched very quickly from the illegal to the legal market," says Burgard. "This is the strongest statement possible regarding displacement of the illegal market."

Daily Mail:  Woman, 46, who was given the name MARIJUANA PEPSI at birth defies bullies and critics to earn her PhD, Emily Crane, 6/19/2019

Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck, 46, has spent her entire life embracing the name her mother gave her despite others pushing back against her.

She refused to change the unusual name in a bid to prove to herself and to others that overcoming obstacles is possible.

Now, the mother-of-one is officially Dr Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck after earning her PhD in higher education leadership from Cardinal Stritch University in Wisconsin last month.

MerryJane:  Alabama Bucks Its History of Prohibition, Plants First Hemp Crop Since 1937, Chris Moore, 6/10/2019

At the end of April, the state Department of Agriculture and Industries granted 180 hemp cultivation licenses under Alabama's new Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program.

 

Out of the 180 cultivation licenses granted by the state, only 152 growers coughed up the $1,000 fee necessary to get their licenses.

Rolling Stone:  Willie Nelson says weed saved his life by helping him kick a booze habit, Patrick Doyle, 4/29/2019

In addition to being the world’s most legendary country artist, Willie Nelson might also be the world’s most legendary stoner. Before Snoop or Cheech and Chong or Woody Harrelson, there was Willie. He has been jailed for weed, and made into a punchline for weed. But look at him now: Still playing 100 shows a year, still writing songs, still curious about the world. “I’m kind of the canary in the mine, if people are wondering what happens if you smoke that shit a long time,”

Merry Jane: HiTunes: Are People Actually Afraid of Smoking with Willie Nelson? Patrick Lyons, 1/15/2018

"I'll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again" - Toby Keith and Scott Emerick

The New York Times: Scientists Find Ancient Humans Used Weed 2,500 Years Ago, Too, Jan Hoffman, 6/12/2019

Researchers have identified strains of cannabis burned in mortuary rituals as early as 500 B.C., deep in the Pamir mountains in western China, according to a new study published Wednesday. The residue had chemical signatures indicating high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant’s most psychoactive, or mood-altering, compound.

Merry Jane:  Alcohol, Not Cannabis, Manipulates the Structure of the Brain, New Study Finds, Mike Adams, 7/12/2017

The study, which was first reported by NORML, falls right in line with others studies of this kind, showing that the cognitive deterioration often attributed to marijuana use is more than likely the result of alcohol abuse.

 - a medical dispensary location service.

This will point you at a large number of Michigan dispensaries, many located in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit.  

MLive: Michigan speeds up medical marijuana licensing as recreational launch looms, Amy Biolchini, 6/13/2019

There are now 202 licensed medical marijuana businesses in Michigan; half of which are retail stores.

Detroit News: New pot agency approving more medical pot shop licenses faster, Beth LeBlanc, 6/13/2019

'In its first public meeting, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency accepted public comments.  People expressed continued frustration over a shortage of medical marijuana. Licensed growing facilities are trying to scale up their supply to meet the demand that was previously supplied through the unlicensed market.  “There is no flower available,” said Jacob Abraham, owner of an Ypsilanti provisioning center.'

The Hill: Nevada bans employers from refusing to hire applicants who test positive for pot, Aris Folley, 6/12/2019

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) has signed into law a bill making his state the first in the nation to ban employers from failing or refusing to hire applicants who test positive for marijuana.

AP: AP analysis: Broad legalization cuts into medical marijuana, Gillian Flaccus and Angeliki Kastanis, 6/11/2019

In Oregon, where the medical program shrank the most following recreational legalization, nearly two-thirds of patients gave up their medical cards, the AP found. As patients exited, the market followed: The number of medical-only retail shops fell from 400 to two, and hundreds of growers who contracted with individual patients to grow specific strains walked away.

Associated Press: Marijuana health claims lure patients as science catches up, Carla K. Johnson, 6/11/2019

Detroit News: Promise of marijuana leads scientists on search for evidence, Carla K. Johnson, 6/11/2019

The number of medical marijuana cardholders more than tripled in the last five years as more states jumped on the bandwagon. The analysis is based on data from 26 states and the District of Columbia. The total climbs to 2.6 million patients if California, Washington and Maine are included, the AP estimates.

Associated Press: Medical pot laws no answer for U.S. opioid deaths, study finds, Carla K. Johnson, 6/10/2019

Sun Sentinal: Buyer beware: CBD products could be this century’s snake oil, Cindy Krischer Goodman, 6/10/2019

Detroit News: Kroger joins growing number of CBD retailers in Michigan, Breana Noble, 6/10/2019

MLive:  Cancer patient sues Michigan over access to medical marijuana, Amy Biolchini, 6/5/2019

Newsweek:  Former House Speaker and Marijuana Foe John Boehner Set to Make Millions from Cannabis Legalization, Alexandra Hutzler, 6/4/2019 

The move was a tectonic shift for the longtime Republican, who spent his 24-year career in federal government as a formidable foe of marijuana. In the four years that Boehner ran Congress, nearly half a million people (mostly black and Latino) were arrested for selling the drug.

Oakland Press: Masked men take $25K in drugs from Royal Oak pharmacy, Mike McConnell, 6/3/2019

If only they'd been protected by local ordinances making marijuana sales illegal.  Oh, wait... They are. 

Police said the break-in and theft took only three minutes. The men wore masks and one of them used a crowbar to pry open the front door of the business. Among the different types of drugs taken were codeine, Vicodin, Xanax and amphetamine pills.

Merry Jane: "American Relapse" Reveals the For-Profit Corruption of the Heroin Rehab Industry, Seth Ferranti, 6/3/2019 

American Relapse, a new documentary by filmmakers Pat McGee and Adam Linkenhelt, dives into the cyclical system of addiction and recovery by following Holmes and Severino around for 72 hours. The film — which also inspired VICELAND’s Dopesick Nation — gives a poignant bird’s-eye-view of how big business has turned rehabilitation into a profitable market, thanks to insurance money and betting on patient relapse.

MLive: Michigan’s legal medical marijuana market remains dominated by illegal product, Amy Biolchini, 5/31/2019

“Caregivers have worked in the pseudo gray market for so many years,” Millen said. “Why would they take a chance with $50,000 worth of product to be handled by people they don’t know, when if it doesn’t pass testing it has to be destroyed? Most of these guys are involved in the black market -- they don’t trust the police or the government.”

Detroit Free Press: Michigan's top doctor accused of overprescribing opioids; he says he's innocent, Georgea Kovanis, 5/31/2019

Michigan's chief medical director for Medicaid — a doctor who has received honors for helping combat the state's opioid crisis — is on administrative leave after being accused of negligence over allegedly overprescribing opioids. 

Merry Jane: 73% of Cancer Doctors See Cannabis as Medicine, Survey Says, Randy Robinson, 5/31/2019 

A new survey from the University of Colorado Cancer Center revealed that most oncologists support medical marijuana, but many of them are afraid to recommend it because they haven’t received any training regarding cannabis-based therapies.

 

Of the 172 health professionals surveyed, 73 percent said they “believe that medical marijuana provides benefits for cancer patients.” However, 53 percent of respondents said they did not feel comfortable recommending cannabis to their patients.

Associated Press: Joints for aching joints: More seniors use marijuana, John Rogers, 3/25/2019

The 2018 General Social Survey, an annual sampling of Americans’ views, found a record 61 percent back legalization, and those 65 and older are increasingly supportive.

 

Indeed, many industry officials say the fastest-growing segment of their customer base is people like Atkin – aging baby boomers or even those a little older who are seeking to treat the aches and sleeplessness and other maladies of old age with the same herb that many of them once passed around at parties.

 

“I would say the average age of our customers is around 60, maybe even a little older,” said Kelty Richardson, a registered nurse with the Halos Health clinic in Boulder, Colorado, which provides medical examinations and sells physician-recommended cannabis through its online store.

Detroit News: U.S. holds CBD hearing as fans, sellers await legal clarity, Candice Choi, 5/31/2019

Oakland Press: Waterford says no to recreational marijuana, medical to be discussed in summer, Natalie Broda, 5/30/2019

Waterford now joins more than 30 other Oakland County communities that have banned recreational marijuana businesses.

MLive: Not on Main Street: Michigan communities confront legal weed, Amy Biolchini, 5/29/2019

“Communities have the right to ban -- hopefully they’re doing that in line with their voters’ wishes,” said Josh Hovey, spokesman for the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association.

 

That’s not the case in many Michigan towns: officials are overriding the will of their constituents as they pass bans.

Detroit News: Now cleared to fly: Hemp products and CBD meds, TSA says, Samantha J. Gross (Miami Herald) 5/29/2019

In an update to its website’s “What Can I Bring?” section, the Travel Security Administration clarified that Food and Drug Administration-approved hemp products like certain CBD medications are now allowed in both carry-on and checked bags.   “TSA was made aware of an FDA-approved drug that contains CBD oil for children who experience seizures from pediatric epilepsy,” the TSA spokeswoman wrote in an email.

Detroit News: Michigan, Indiana farmers eager to start growing hemp, South Bend Tribune, 5/26/2019

PHM Brands, a Denver-based food manufacturer, is spending $6 million on an old plant that will be converted into a facility to process cannabidiol, or CBD, from hemp plants, said Clarence Hulse, executive director of the Michigan City, Indiana’s Economic Development Corp. The facility is expected to generate 32 new jobs with salaries at an average $20 per hour.

 Detroit News: 'It hurts to throw hard': Ex-Tiger Joel Zumaya admits using marijuana during playing days, Tony Paul, 5/24/2019

Detroit News: Report: Michigan recreational pot market to rival Colorado's, Breana Noble, 5/23/2019 

“We’re seeing a shift from the West Coast to the East Coast,” said Kay Tamillow, Research Director for the Chicago-based Brightfield Group. “Cannabis is not just for West Coast hippies anymore. It’s a growing industry, and it’s everywhere.”

Detroit News: Michigan House throws support behind federal act shielding marijuana biz banking, Beth LeBlanc, 5/22/2019

The federal protections become increasingly important as Michigan’s cannabis industry expands; currently, the state is second to California in regards to the size of its marijuana market, the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association said in a statement.

Merry Jane: Marijuana Patients Are Ditching Benzos for Weed, Study Says, Randy Robinson, 5/9/2019

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research: Reduction of Benzodiazepine Use in Patients Prescribed Medical Cannabis, Chad Purcell, Andrew Davis, Nicol Moolman, and S. Mark Taylor, 2019-01-23

UnDark: Reefer Madness 2.0: What Marijuana Science Says, and Doesn’t Say, Dave Levitan, 1/21/2019

A new book and New Yorker feature are filled with cherry-picked data, oversimplified studies, and scientific errors

 

One of the authors of the NASEM report, Ziva Cooper of the Cannabis Research Initiative at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently told Rolling Stone: “To say that we concluded cannabis causes schizophrenia, it’s just wrong, and it’s meant to precipitate fear.”

 

On virtually every issue in his 272-page book, [Berenson] commits one of the most common logical errors: He mixes up correlation and causation. The classic example: Crime tends to spike in the summer; so does ice cream consumption. Did all that ice cream cause the crime? Of course not.

Detroit News: Social equity a key issue in cannabis legalization movement, Jennifer Peltz, (AP) 5/19/2019

Michigan Radio:  Some Michigan lawmakers calling for federal government to change cannabis banking law, Virginia Gordon, 5/15/2019 

Rep. Yousef Rabhi (D-Ann Arbor) and Rep. Jim Lilley (R-Park Lake) are introducing a resolution in the Michigan House, and Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D-East Lansing) is introducing a concurrent resolution in the Senate, pushing for legal marijuana businesses to have access to the banking system and to be allowed to open bank accounts.

 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general for 38 states and territories urging Congress to pass the SAFE Banking Act.

Detroit News: Editorial: Nessel right to support pot business, 5/15/2019 

Detroit News: State police prepare to crack down on Michigan's marijuana black market, Beth LeBlanc, 5/15/2019 

The promised enforcement comes none too soon for licensed marijuana businesses, which have complained about facing unfair, illegal competition.

Livingston Daily: CBD products 'solid money maker' at Howell video store, Jennifer Timar, 5/14/2019 

FYI: CBD products are prominently advertised in The Courant, distributed with our Township's blessing at Township Hall.

Reason:  Illinois Survey That Supposedly Shows Support for Legalizing Marijuana Is 'Dwindling' Actually Shows It Is Rising, Jacob Sullum, 5/13/2019

Only 9 percent thought marijuana should be completely illegal, down from 18 percent in the earlier survey, while 3 percent weren't sure, down from 8 percent in 2017.

AP: Michigan’s marijuana industry now has a regulatory referee, Amy Biolchini, 5/13/2019

Detroit News: Mother's Day gets lit with pot gift baskets, Breana Noble, 5/10/2019

Detroit News: Nessel backs federal efforts to give marijuana businesses more banking options, Beth LeBlanc, 5/9/2019

More than 33 states and territories have legalized medical marijuana but the federal ban on the substance opens banks to federal sanctions if they do business with medical marijuana facilities, the National Association of Attorneys General said in a letter to Congress.

Michigan Public Radio: Michigan Attorney General joins coalition pressing for change to marijuana banking law, Steve Carmody, 5/8/2019

Detroit News: Detroit dispensary launches first licensed pot delivery service in Michigan, Breana Noble, 5/8/2019

"This is amazing," said 34-year-old Rashon Massey after Utopia Gardens LLC manager Donnell Cravens rolled up to his Detroit residence with $70 in joints of Elmer's Glue hybrid and Sunshine Daydream indica and a vape cartridge of Durban Poison sativa. "I never imagined Michigan would see something like this so soon. It's like ordering Uber Eats."

Free Press:  Royal Oak Township voters say no to marijuana businesses, Kathleen Gray, 5/8/2019

Only 14.6% of the registered voters turned out for the election, which also included a millage renewal for general operations, which passed, 57%-43%.

 

Township officials have refused to return phone calls and emails to talk about the election.

MLive: Lawmakers reject latest Louisiana medical marijuana rules, Joel Bissell, 5/8/2019

MLive: Holton voters narrowly defeat medical marijuana proposal, Justine Lofton, 5/7/2019

Detroit News:  Marijuana proposal loses amid controversy, Mike Martindale, 5/7/2019

In a news release Tuesday, former state Sen. Virgil Smith, a spokesman for the group Invest in Royal Oak Township, said the township failed to post the proposal on its website. As of late Tuesday afternoon, the website did not list the marijuana issue but did include a notice of the township's request for a 4.5-mill levy renewal also on Tuesday's ballot.

 

The group also says the township failed to post the ballot language for the marijuana initiative at polling places and alleges officials violated state election law by distributing lawn signs and flyers opposing the proposal without disclosing the funding source for the campaign.

 

Proposal 1 would have authorized an unlimited number of marijuana-related businesses on parcels with the township that are larger than five acres and have been continuously unoccupied for at least five years.

 

WXYZ Detroit: Royal Oak Twp Supervisor refuses to answer question about impact of marijuana ballot proposal, Kim Russell, 5/6/2019

ROYAL OAK TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXYZ) — The ballot proposal exists because people who own a vacant car dealership on Eight Mile in Royal Oak Township want to build a marijuana campus. They have hired former State Senator Virgil Smith to be their spokesperson.

WXYZ-TV:  Royal Oak Voters will decide if pot businesses will be allowed in Royal Oak Township, 5/6/2019

Free Press:  13 Traverse City marijuana shop licenses will be drawn from bucket,Kathleen Gray,5/2/2019

Free Press: State to accelerate decisions on unlicensed pot shops, recreational market, Kathleen Gray, Paul Egan, 5/2/2019

MBDaily:  Colorado lawmakers give final OK to bill allowing social use of marijuana, 5/2/2019

Westworld:  Marijuana Consumption and Hospitality Businesses Passes Legislature, Thomas Mitchell, 5/2/2019

MI medical marijuana sales could benefit from quicker online patient approvals, 5/1/2019 

Westworld:  Colorado Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Delivery, Thomas Mitchell, 5/1/2019

WXYZ-Detroit:  You can now get medical marijuana immediately after online approval, 5/1/2019

 

Free Press: Michigan township's voters could be first to reverse ban on legal pot businesses, Kathleen Gray, 4/30/2019 

Royal Oak Township voters will become the first to decide whether they want to buck their elected officials and allow marijuana businesses into their town.

The township board voted unanimously last year to prohibit marijuana businesses in the community, even though the township’s voters passed the statewide marijuana legalization proposal 61-39%.

Royal Oak's attempt at a legal marijuana fact sheet - for those wondering what professional grade bullshit looks like.

Free Press: Unlicensed Michigan medical marijuana shops can't be shut down — yet, Kathleen Gray, 4/30/2019

Free Press:  Can you die from just touching the nation's deadliest drug? Depends who you ask,  Georgea Kovanis, 4/29/2019

"If you could absorb drugs by touching them, why would people bother to inject them?'' said Dr. Andrew Stolbach, a medical toxicologist and emergency physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He also is an expert on the subject of fentanyl exposure.

 

“Drugs like fentanyl and analogs of fentanyl aren't absorbed through the skin very well at all," Stolbach said. "So brief, incidental contact isn't going to cause somebody to absorb a therapeutic dose, let alone a toxic dose."

Free Press:  Fentanyl: 12 questions about the hidden drug that's killing people every day,  Georgia Kovanis, 4/15/2019

Here, 2,033 of the overdose deaths in 2017 involved opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Of those, 1,368 involved synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl.

 

To put fentanyl's growth into perspective, Michigan had 72 synthetic opioid overdose deaths in 2012.

New Yorker: America's Real Drug Lords: Untouched by Law because it's all "very legal and very cool."  Patrick Radden Keefe, 10/23/2017

 

Detroit News:  Michigan police can't search passengers in stops without consent, ruling finds,  Mark Hicks, 4/29/2019

MLive: House moves to set June 1 deadline for closing unlicensed pot shops, Lauren Gibbonsi, 4/26/2019

House Bill No. 4400

Detroit News:  Michigan's new marijuana agency will regulate a market in turmoil,  Beth LeBlanc, 4/25/2019

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order, which takes effect at the end of the month, combines adult use and medical marijuana regulation under one agency  to streamline what has been a cumbersome and slow-moving licensing and regulatory process. The agency will bring a swift end to the hours-long public licensing meetings held by a licensing board that became a symbol of Michigan’s obstacle-laden transition to a marijuana state.

Detroit News:  Michigan licensing board ends nearly 2 years overseeing pot regulation,  Beth LeBlanc, 4/25/2019

Detroit News: Marijuana supper clubs in Chicago the new high, Ally Marotti (Chicago Tribune) 4/24/2019

Detroit News:  Tire chalking in Michigan declared unconstitutional,  A.P.  4/22/2019

Detroit News: Pot uncovered: 4/20 holiday comes into the light after legalization, Sarah Rahal, 4/20/2019

Willamette Week:  Mountains of Unwanted Bud - Oregon Growing More Cannabis Than Customers Can Smoke, Katie Shepard, 4/19/2019

Potlander - a Willamette, Oregon Pot Business blog. 

• Trigger warning:  to those of you who've hung around Whitmore Lake too long to remember what thriving business looks like.  Thriving will be illustrated.

MLive, Mega growers, medical marijuana caregivers battle over industry control, Amy Biolchini, 4/19/2019

The Inquirer: Clean Slate Act, pioneered in Pa., is a win for society, Tom Wolf and Lisa Blunt Rochester, 4/19/2019

Unemployment among formerly incarcerated people is five times higher than it is for the general public. In effect, it’s harder to get a job after leaving prison than it was to find work at the peak of the Great Depression. But it’s not for lack of trying.

Free Press:  Michigan looking for people to try growing, processing hemp,  Kathleen Gray,  4/18/2019

MLive: Michigan’s unlicensed pot shops likely will get a break from judge, Amy Biolchini,4/18/2019

Metro Times:  Michigan Republicans cash in on the cannabis industry,  Steve Neavling, 4/17/2019

Metro Times: Michigan's Cannabis Laws for Dummies: The dos and don'ts of dope,  4/17/2019

Metro Times:  Finding the best marijuana strains for you,  Steve Neavling, 4/17/2019 

Metro Times:  Metro Detroit Canna-Business Directory,  Metro Times staff,  4/17/2019

Metro Times: Grateful for Michigan's Marijuana Legalization?  Thank John Sinclair,  by Larry Gabriel, 4/17/2019 

Metro Times:  A Beginners Guide to Marijuana,  Lee DeVito, 4/17/2019

Metro Times:  How to smoke, vape, dab, and otherwise get super high,  Jerilyn Jordan,  4/17/2019

WXYZ-TV:  Watch out for these bugs headed for Michigan, experts warn, Associated Press, 4/17/2019

Scientific American:  The [Non]Science behind the DEA's Long War on Marijuana,  David Downs, 4/16/2016

Experts say listing cannabis among the world’s deadliest drugs ignores decades of scientific and medical data. But attempts to delist it have met with decades of bureaucratic inertia and political distortion

Reason: Alabama Police Ruined a Couple’s Lives Over $50 of Weed. Now the Charges Against Them Have Been Dropped,  C.J. Ciaramella, 4/16/2019

"The decision to jail Greg and Teresa over $50 worth of marijuana and a Lunesta pill cost them their house. The raid and its consequences ruined their small business and Teresa's health."

Reason: The Worst Areas in America For Weed Arrests: Reason Roundup, Elizabeth Nolan Brown,  4/16/2019

“The federal government incentivizes aggressive drug enforcement via funding for drug task forces and generous forfeiture rules that allow agencies to keep cash and other valuables they find in the course of a drug bust,” notes Ingraham. “And because marijuana is bulky and pungent relative to other drugs, it’s often easy for police to root out.”

NPR Code Switch: What John Boehner's Pivot On Cannabis Tells Us About The Legal Weed Boom,  Gene Demby,  4/16/2018

Detroit News:  Pot growers, retailers clash as industry takes shape,  Breana Noble, 4/16/2019

Detroit News:  CBD products generating buzz in retail market,  Anne D'Innocenzio,  4/16/2019

Washington Post:  Where the war on weed still rages,  Christopher Ingraham, 4/15/2019

“The status quo allows law enforcement and their associations to profit in many ways,” she said. “Marijuana continues to be an easy way to create probable cause for searches, arrests and civil asset forfeiture.” 

Traverse City Record-Eagle: Michigan Village wants to sell land to medical pot industry,  Sheri McWhirter, 4/14/2019

The nearly 10 acres of village property now up for sale at 616 E. Dresden St. is within the municipality's industrial district and therefore already zoned for medical marijuana purposes. The decision to market the spot for the medical marijuana industry is based strictly on business analysis, said Scott Yost, village manager.

"We've been following the marketplace and have observed that property transactions seem to be at a higher value with the medical marijuana industry," Yost said.

Cynthia Nixon Puts Legalizing Marijuana Front and Center of Campaign, Vivian Wang, NYTimes, 4/11/2018

80 percent of New Yorkers arrested in connection with marijuana use were black or Latino, despite roughly equal rates of use among white people and communities of color.  “There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana, but for me, it comes down to this: We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity,” she said.

Free Press:  Michigan's unlicensed pot dispensaries to get firm closure deadline,  Paul Egan,  4/10/2019

Free Press:  Marijuana-infused edibles ready to flood Michigan market,  Kathleen Gray,  4/5/2019

Free Press:  Slideshow: Marijuana-infused edibles in Michigan,  4/4/2019

Free Press:  Why more than 400 Michigan communities are saying no to recreational pot businesses,  Kathleen Gray,  4/1/2019

Free Press:  These Michigan communities have decided to prohibit marijuana businesses,  Kathleen Gray,  4/1/2019

Livingston Daily:  How schools and communities are pushing back against youth vaping trend, Sean Bradley, 3/28/2019

KHOU-11 TV:  DEA looking for a contractor who can burn 1,000 pounds of marijuana per hour, KHOU.com, 3/28/2019

Detroit News: Taxes on marijuana grow for recreational users, Clarence Tab, Jr., 3/29/2019 

Stuart Carter, owner of Utopia Gardens, talks about the expiration of a 3% excise tax on medical marijuana and the upcoming 10% excise tax on recreational marijuana.

MLive:  Michigan shouldn’t set legal limit for driving while high, commission says,  Amy Biolchini, 3/26/2019

Free Press:  Joint Venture: A new direction for Michigan marijuana market?  Elissa Robinson, 3/20/2019

Free Press: Sign up for Joint Venture, a free press newsletter about recreational marijuana. 

NPR:  John Boehner Was Once 'Unalterably Opposed' To Marijuana. He Now Wants It To Be Legal,  Jason Breslow,  3/16/2019

Cannabiswire.com: USDA Listens to Public Comments on Hemp Regulations, 3-14-2019

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a webinar on Wednesday during which stakeholders offered suggestions for hemp regulations, which was recently legalized through the 2018 Farm Bill. 

Chicago Tribune:  A Chicago-based marijuana company is being bought for $850 million,  Ally Marotti,  3/11/2019

Cannabiswire.com: FDA: Public Meeting About CBD Is Still On, Julia Barajas, 3/8/2019

Free Press: After 4 months, medical marijuana sales in Michigan exceed $42 million, Kathleen Gray, 3/6/2019

MLive:  Tracking legal weed: How marijuana is regulated from seed to sale in Michigan,  Amy Biolchini,  3/6/2019

Free Press: CBD regulation remains jumbled in the marijuana market nationwide, Kathleen Gray, 3/3/2019

Free Press: Gretchen Whitmer signs executive order to abolish Michigan marijuana licensing board, Kathleen Gray, 3/1/2019

Monroe News:  Michigan Marijuana Laws a work in progress,  Brandon Watson,  3/3/2019

Free Press:  Medical marijuana user loses workplace case in Court of Appeals, Kathleen Gray, 2/21/2019

Free Press: Officials order metro Detroit businesses to pull CBD-infused food, drinks off menus, 2/18/2019

Youtube:  "Dirty Hippies" Build Michigan's Largest Medical Marijuana Facility and Company,  2/15/2019

MLive: Michigan’s biggest weed company plans to harvest 30,000 pounds a year - Amy Biolchini, 2/13/2019

Green Peak Industries -- which is now going by the brand name SkyMint -- has now started growing plants in the 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art headquarters building at Harvest Park, an industrial park for marijuana-related businesses.

Michigan Public Radio: First harvest for company angling to be a major player in Michigan's cannabis business, Steve Carmody, 2/13/2019

Radway says 50% of Michigan’s medical marijuana dispensaries have committed to carrying Green Peak’s Skymint brand. The company is also planning on opening 19 retail stores.

CoNecTar: Pennsylvania Representative Wheatey introduces bill to legalize recreational marijuana - 2/13/2019

MLive: Michigan expects $18.2M in taxes on medical marijuana this year - Amy Biolchini, 2/12/2019

MLive: Cuts to medical marijuana card fees proposed after state rakes in $7M extra cash - Amy Biolchini, 2/12/2019

420 Intel: Canadian Cannabis Shortage Expected to Last Years - Carlie Green, 2/12/2019

News:@natsfert "Will the folks who profited off for-profit incarceration be the first to profit off legalization?"  Natalie Fertig, 2/13/2019

PR0HBTD: Chocolate and Cannabis Share Something Special - David Jenison, undated

Chicago Tribune: First bill emerges this year to legalize marijuana in Illinois — would allow up to 24 plants at home - Robert McCoppin and Dan Petrella, 2/8/2019

Bridgemi.com Meet the ex-drug cop who now helps regulate Michigan marijuana - Riley Beggin, 2/8/2019

WNDU TV: Sharp Foundation holds town hall with law enforcement on Michigan marijuana law - Ibrahim Samra, 2/7/2019

Weed News: Hemp and CBD Are Legal, Why Does Law Enforcement Continue The Money Grab? - Miguel, 2/3/2019

BridgeMi: Legal marijuana didn’t end black market elsewhere. What can Michigan learn? - Riley Beggin, 2/1/2019

Detroit Free Press: Oakland County to get its 'first licensed marijuana dispensary' - Bill Laitner, 2/1/2019 

Detroit News: State issues another medical marijuana recall, this one for chemicals, arsenic, cadmium - Beth LeBlanc, 2/1/2019

MLive: Marijuana businesses banned in more than 250 Michigan communities, Amy Biolchini, 1/31/2019

WXYZ: Hundreds of Michigan communities ban marijuana businesses - 1/31/2019

DETROIT (AP) — More than 250 Michigan communities have banned marijuana businesses just two months after the state became the first in the Midwest to legalize the drug for recreational use.

MLive: Marijuana’s growing presence in Ann Arbor offers a new city revenue stream, Ryan Stanton, 1-30-2019

Weed News: Baltimore State’s Attorney Will No Longer Prosecute Marijuana Possession Cases - Johnny Green, 1-30-2019 

MLive, ‘Gray market’ marijuana businesses sprout in Michigan, Amy Biolchini, 1-28-2019

Weed News: AG Nominee Reiterates Non-Interference Stance For State-Legal Cannabis - Johnny Green, 1-28-2019

Free Press: Ale Mary's serves Michigan's first cannabis-derived cocktail, Robert Allen, 1-25-2019 

Free Press: Wealthier Michigan communities opting out of allowing marijuana shops, Bill Laitner, 1/24/2019

MLive, Cannabis advocates sue to remove marijuana from controlled substances list in Michigan, Amy Biolchini, 1-23-2019

BridgeMi: Whitmer administration changing tone around Michigan marijuana regulation - Ted Roelofs, 1-22-2019

MLive, Michigan marijuana businesses find ways to bank cash as industry launches, Amy Biolchini, 1-22-2019

MLive, Business offers free marijuana with book-bundle purchase, Amy Biolchini, 1-22-2019

Detroit Free Press: More than 60 closed Michigan medical marijuana dispensaries may reopen - Paul Egan, 1-16-2019

MLive, Michigan officials grapple with CBD oil regulation, Amy Biolchini, 1-16-2019

MLive, Free marijuana with art purchase expands to Ann Arbor, Amy Biolchini, 1-14-2019

Free Press: Cannabis food, drinks to be 2019's hottest dining trend, top chefs say, Trevor Hughes, 1-13-2019

MLive, Many medical marijuana patients drive while high, Amy Biolchini, 1-10-2019

MLive, Recreational weed may spark up Michigan’s medical marijuana industry, Amy Biolchini, 1-9-2019

Metro Times: These Michigan companies will 'gift' you marijuana until we get real pot stores - Lee DeVito, 1-3-2019

Detroit News: Gift of pot? Marijuana businesses work in Michigan law's gray area - Breana Noble, 1-2-2019

MLive: 80 Michigan communities are blocking recreational marijuana businesses, 1-2-2019

Detroit Free Press: Unlicensed medical marijuana shops face another deadline to shut down - Kathleen Gray, 12-31-2018

MLive, Michigan officials switch from ‘marihuana’ to ‘marijuana, Amy Biolchini, 12-24-2018

MLive: 500-plant marijuana grow operation coming to Ann Arbor research park, Ryan Stanton, 12-23-2018

MLive, ‘Sky’s the limit’ for hemp farming in Michigan, Amy Biolchini, 12-19-2018

MLive, Legalized marijuana has state’s largest grow facility hitting the gas, Amy Biolchini, 12-16-2018

Forbes: Cannabis Businesses In Michigan Gift Marijuana To Bypass Law, Mike Adams, 12-15-2018

MLive, New township regime cuts elected official pay, approves 87th marijuana license, Taylor DesOrmeau, 12-14-2018

News: ‘Buy some chocolate, get some weed,’ says new Ann Arbor business, Lauren Slagter, 12-13-2018

MLive, More marijuana businesses allowed as Jackson passes revised ordinance, Taylor DesOrmeau, 12-12-2018

MLive, Spring Arbor Township opts out of recreational marijuana businesses, Taylor DesOrmeau, 12-12-2018

The Detroit News: When is marijuana legal in Michigan? What to know about passage of Proposal 1 - Jonathan Oosting and Sarah Rahal, 11-7-2018

Detroit News: Michigan's new marijuana law brings confusion - Breana Noble and Sarah Rahal, 12-7-2018

ClickOnDetroit: Marijuana in Michigan: First day of legal recreational use - Jason Colthorp, Dane Sager Kelly, 12-6-2018

Michigan Radio: Recreational marijuana is legal today in Michigan. Here are 5 things to know before lighting up. - Emma Winowiecki, 12-6-2018

WWMT: FAQs about Michigan Marijuana: What to know now that recreational consumption is legal - 12-5-2018

BridgeMi: You can smoke pot in Michigan but not buy it. What you need to know - Riley Beggin, 12-4-2018

WSBT: Recreational marijuana will be legal in Michigan on Thursday - Brooke O’Daniel, 12-3-2018

Detroit Free Press: What you need to know about legalized marijuana in Michigan - Mike Thompson, 11-29-2018

MLive, 10 things to know about Jackson's new marijuana ordinance, Taylor DesOrmeau, 11-28-2018

WOOD TV'Green rush' hits Grand Rapids real estate market - Barton Deiters, 11-21-2018

Leafly:  Elevate the Mood with Cannabis-Infused Sex Lubes,  Janelle Lassalle, 11/13/2018

Detroit Free Press:  Legal Marijuana in Michigan: What you need to know,  Kathleen Gray, 11/7/2018

Free Press:  Michigan employers still can fire you for smoking pot, Kathleen Gray, 11/7/2019

Bridgemi.com Michigan approves recreational marijuana. What you need to know. - Chastity Pratt Dawser, Alexandra Schmidt, 11-6-2018

MLive: An ounce of wisdom from Oregon as Michigan considers legalizing marijuana, Amy Biolchini, 10-22-2018

This report is a stunningly deep perspective on the liberation of Legalized Marijuana in Oregon.

Dozens of Tanya Moutzalias' photographs illustrate the depth and diversity of the islands of prosperity that have risen in the wake of Oregon legalization.  What's hard to overlook is the contrast to Michigan's broken asphalt and political entropy.

USA Today: What is CBD? And why is the cannabis-derived ingredient on the rise for wellness products? Carly Mallenbaum, 10-21-2018

MLive:  A complete guide to Michigan's 3 ballot proposals, Emily Lawler, 10/24/2018 

Cannabiz Media: Are Local Marijuana License Fees Extortionate? - Susan Gunelius, 9-28-2018

NCIA: Member Blog: How Much Does it Actually Cost to Open a Dispensary? - Gary Cohen, 9-25-2018

MLive, To rein in medical marijuana business, Leoni township amends ordinance, Taylor DesOrmeau, 9-21-2018

USA Today: Coca-Cola: We're 'closely watching' the market for drinks infused with cannabis extract, Josh Hafner, 9-17-2018 

USA Today: Molson Coors readying sales of marijuana-infused drinks available only in Canada, Trevor Hughes, 8-1-2018

USA Today: Pot smokers are setting aside their joints in favor of edibles, pills and extracts, Trevor Hughes, 7-24-2018

Curbed.com: Cannabis, coworking, and the marijuana-industry land rush; Legal weed could be a $75 billion business by 2030 - Patrick Sisson, 7-24-2018

Weed News: Senator McConnell Secures Hemp Farming Act In Senate Farm Bill - Johnny Green, 6-9-201USA Today: Medical marijuana used pot's emotional connection to spread nationally, Trevor Hughes, 5-2-2018

USA Today: Marijuana industry poised for supercharged growth thanks to President Trump, Trevor Hughes, 4-20-2018

USA Today: Blue Moon's brewer launching marijuana-infused 'beer', Trevor Hughes, 3-28-2018

Fort Myers News-Press: Craft brewers tap into cannabis-infused beers, Annabelle Tometich, 3-27-2018

Weed News: Hemp for Victory: Bipartisan Hemp Bill Could Be a Game Changer - Anthony Johnson, 3-27-2018

Saginaw News: Chesaning marijuana land rush gets more acreage - Isis Simpson-Mersha, 3-21-2018

MLive, Will this be last Hash Bash before marijuana is legal in Michigan?, Ryan Stanton, 3-19-2018

Saginaw News: Marijuana land rush in Chesaning prompts hold on more facilities - Isis Simpson-Mersha, 2-22-2018

cannasafesolutions.comWhat Licenses Are Needed To Start A Dispensary in 2018? - 12-8-2017

Detroit Free Press: Marijuana industry high on prospect of Michigan's cannabis market - Kathleen Gray, 11-20-2017

MLive: Michigan announces new fees, transition rules for medical marijuana businesses - Julie Mack, 11-18-2017

WKSU: The Rush is on for Ohio's Marijuana Dispensary Licenses - Adrian Ma, 11-17-2017

Los Angeles Times: New rules with hefty fees set for growing and selling marijuana in California - Patrick McGreevy, 11-16-2017

Free Press: Is the best marijuana investment a beer stock?, Jeremy Bowman, 11-5-2017

 Detroit Free Press: Despite complaints, state sticks with pricey asset requirements for medical pot licenses - Kathleen Gray, 11-8-2017

Gallup: Record-High Support for Legalizing Marijuana Use in U.S., Justin McCarthy, 10-25-2017

 Detroit Free Press: Michigan officials prepare for influx of medical marijuana applications - Kathleen Gray, 10-15-2017

Oakland Press: New medical marijuana regulations produce high opportunities - Charles Crumm, 9-1-2017

The Capital Press: The marijuana farmer next door - Mateusz Perkowski, 8-3-2017

KPCC FM: Costa Mesa to charge $50,000 licensing fees for medical marijuana firms - Jill Replogle, 4-17-2017

Metro Times: How special interests are looking to cash in on Michigan’s homegrown medical marijuana industry - Violet Ikonomova, 4-12-2017

Merry Jane:  Cannabis Researchers Are Fed Up with Ditch Weed Supplied by the Federal Government, Zach Harris, 3/14/2017

“That is, flat out, not a usable form of cannabis. In two decades of smoking weed, I've never seen anything that looks like that,” Browne said. “People typically smoke the flower of the plant, but here you can clearly see stems and leaves in there as well, parts that should be discarded. Inhaling that would be like eating an apple, including the seeds inside it and the branch it grew on.”

 

But not only is the NIDA weed barely recognizable, it also happens to be contaminated. During their testing, Sisley and her team found mold and other pathogens at levels much higher than most weed found in legal state dispensaries. For the MAPS team, that might be the most challenging aspect of the whole ordeal.

cleveland.com: Ohio medical marijuana panel questions high license fees - Jackie Borchardt, 1-27-2017

Vice: The Making of the Most Potent Weed Oil on the Market, Daniel Oberhaus, 11-12-2016

KUSA-TV, Denver: Yes, cannabis-infused beer is a real thing you can drink, Victoria Sanchez, 10-1-2016

Lansing State Journal: With a puff of smoke, Lansing's Cannabis Church kicks off, RJ Wolcott, 6-27-2016

Salem Statesman Journal: U.S. Senate may ease banking for marijuana businesses, Gordon Friedman, 6-21-2016 

USA Today: Microsoft makes bold move into marijuana biz, Marco della Cava, 6-17-2016

The Indianapolis Star: Cannabis church founder sues, says he was defamed, Mark Alesia, 3-4-2016

The Indianapolis Star: Indiana's Church of Cannabis files religious liberty suit, Stephanie Wang, 7-8-2015

Cannabis Business Times: Your State-by-State Guide to Marijuana Application and Licensing Fees - Noelle Skodzinski, 1-12-2015

NPR Code Switch:  The Mysterious Racist History Of 'Marijuana' Prohibition,  Matt Thompson,  7/22/2013

"The political upheaval in Mexico that culminated in the Revolution of 1910 led to a wave of Mexican immigration to states throughout the American Southwest. The prejudices and fears that greeted these peasant immigrants also extended to their traditional means of intoxication: smoking marijuana. Police officers in Texas claimed that marijuana incited violent crimes, aroused a "lust for blood," and gave its users "superhuman strength." Rumors spread that Mexicans were distributing this "killer weed" to unsuspecting American schoolchildren. Sailors and West Indian immigrants brought the practice of smoking marijuana to port cities along the Gulf of Mexico. In New Orleans newspaper articles associated the drug with African-Americans, jazz musicians, prostitutes, and underworld whites. "The Marijuana Menace," as sketched by anti-drug campaigners, was personified by inferior races and social deviants." 

In 1937, U.S. Narcotics Commissioner Henry Anslinger testified before Congress in the hearings that would result in the introduction of federal restrictions on marijuana. According to druglibrary.org, Anslinger's testimony included a letter from Floyd Baskette, the city editor of the Alamosa (Colo.) Daily Courier, which said in part, "I wish I could show you what a small marihuana cigaret can do to one of our degenerate Spanish-speaking residents. That's why our problem is so great; the greatest percentage of our population is composed of Spanish-speaking persons, most of who [sic! such an enthusiastic sic!] are low mentally, because of social and racial conditions."

Folks weren't just worrying about Mexicans and jazz musicians, either. "Within the last year we in California have been getting a large influx of Hindoos and they have in turn started quite a demand for cannabis indica," wrote Henry J. Finger, a powerful member of California's State Board of Pharmacy, in a 1911 letter (page 18). "They are a very undesirable lot and the habit is growing in California very fast; the fear is now that it is not being confined to the Hindoos alone but that they are initiating our whites into this habit."

PR0HBTD: How Much Does it Cost to Open a Dispensary? - Michael Cheng, undated

  

Video: Commercial growing:

• Marijuana in Michigan  (WOOD TV8, 2018)
• What Happens When A State Grows Way Too Much Weed (VICE NEWS)
• Tommy Chong's Medical Marijuana Garden (Complex)
• Starting a Recreational Marijuana Business: CannaMan Farms  (Food, Farmer, Earth)
• Will California Weed Growers Survive Legal Marijuana? (VICE NEWS)
• Take a tour of the Aurora Cannabis production facility (CBC NEWS) 
• Medical marijuana grower James Bowman tours his Southern Oregon farm (The Oregonian)
• Why Kentucky farmers are quitting tobacco and turning to hemp (PBS)
• 5 Things to Know About Hemp Farming (Gold Shaw Farm)
• Historic 2016 Virginia Hemp Planting to Harvest Compilation (Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition)
• Why Hemp Matters | Kind of a Wonder Crop (prAna) 

Video: Weird Marijuana Science:

• Hemp Battery - Almost Unbelieveable (Rupert Murray-Smith)
• Hemp based Supercapacitor (Steve Raguskus)

Video: Home Agriculture:

• Building an Inexpensive Hydroponics/Aeroponics System (Family Plot)
• Best Grow Room Setup Design. Fully Automated SuperRoom! (SuperCloset Hydro, 2012) 
• How to Setup a Indoor Grow Room (GrowAce, 2014)
• Gorilla Grow Tent Lite vs Yield Lab: Grow Tent Review and Comparison (GrowAce, 2018)
• Hydroponic Vs Soil Experiment - 6 Weeks Growth Comparison  (Khang Starr, 2015)
• What Grow Tents Are For and How to Ventilate For Beginners (Growing Answers, 2018)
• How To Setup a Hydroponic DWC Deep Water Culture System (GrowAce, 2015)
• 3 Amazing Ways to Grow with Hydroponic Systems - The Complete Guide  (GrowAce, 2016)
• COMPLETE INDOOR ORGANIC BLUE DREAM GROW-CANNABIS (CALIGREEN MERCHANDISE, 2018)
• Grow Tents - Buyers' Guide (Everest Fernandez, 2017) 
• Soil vs Hydro vs Coco Blend for Indoor Gardening and Hydroponics (GrowAce, 2015)
• 5 Grow Tent Environment Problems (Everest Fernandez)
• Gorilla Grow Tent Lite vs Yield Lab: Grow Tent Review and Comparison (GrowAce, 2018) 
• Hydroponics: 7 mistakes I made growing things in my basement (Old Planty, 2017)
• gorilla glue bagseed flowering weeks 1 and 2 time lapse  (timelaps) 

Video: Lighting and Gear Reviews:

• Top 10 Best LED Grow Lights 2019 (LED Grow Lights Depot)
• 10 Best LED Grow Lights 2018 : Reviews & Buyer's Guide (LED Grow Lights HQ)
• Best LED Grow Lights (uPONICS, 2017)
• Lex's Mars Hydro LED Grow Journal - 2 Weeks Into Flowering (Lex Blazer)
• Mars II 400 LED Grow Light - Unboxing, Review, PAR Testing (LED Grow Lights Depot)
• Viparspectra PAR700 LED Grow Light Review (LED Grow Lights Depot)
• Dutch Bucket Hydroponics inside Harbor Freight 10x12 Greenhouse (Brandon Matthew, 2014) 
• SuperCloset Review | Bubble Flow Buckets | Best Hydroponics System (SuperCloset Hydro, 2015)
• Controlling DIY LED Grow Lights (growmau5, 2018)

Video - Explaining and Making Marijuana Oils and Extracts:

• Cannabis Extracts. CBD or THC? Rick Simpson makes it all clear. (GeeGee Tee, 2018)
• Making A Small Batch of Rick Simpsons Cannabis Oil (Chef Derek Butt, 2013)
• How to Make a Small Batch of Rick Simpson Oil (DrT H. Hunt DNM, 2013)
• Health Benefits of CBD Oil - Dr. Michelle Bean (Silicon Valley Health Institute, April 2018)
• How to Extract CBD/THC from Cannabis with Alcohol/Everclear (Flaco Watts, 2018)
• Pure Pressure Half Lb of herb into 60 grams of Rosin (Bubbleman's World, 2018) 
• What You Need To Know About CBD Oil, The Health Craze Getting National Buzz (NBC Nightly News )