The winter chill or a tax-induced freeze?
Lansing’s cannabis district is used to a little haze, but as we slog through the end of February, the fog over the local market is getting thick. If you’ve been looking at the January and …
Chris's Latest Articles
The cannabis job miracle:
In the boardrooms and legislative offices of Lansing, the green rush is often framed as a historic victory for Michigan’s labor market. By the end of 2025, economic reports touted cannabis as the …
The high cost of the race to the bottom
Lansing just wrapped up a 2025 that would make even the most seasoned dealer’s head spin. We’re smoking more and growing more, but the industry is somehow making less. According to the …
Is the 24% ‘road tax’ burying Michigan’s social equity?
When Michigan voters legalized adult-use cannabis in 2018, the mandate wasn’t just about tax revenue — it was about repair. The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act was written with …
Potholes and pipe dreams
By CHRIS SILVA As 2025 comes to a close, the cannabis landscape in Michigan is shifting from a wide-open frontier to a walled garden. We’re continuing to see record-breaking sales numbers, but …
Michigan’s path to Schedule III The $1.8 billion tax break and the ghost of prohibition
For years, Michigan’s cannabis operators have been fighting a war on two fronts. Locally, they face a race to the bottom, with the average price of an ounce having dropped to double digits. …
Pothole Tax Unleashed: Judge Denies Injunction, 24% Levy is Coming
The Grinch came early to Michigan’s cannabis industry this year, and he wore a black robe. The clock is officially ticking. In a decision handed down on Monday, Dec. 8, Court of …
The kings of Lansterdam: How Pure Options and Pro Gro built a dynasty on old-school quality
In Michigan’s flooded cannabis market, Lansing’s own Pro Gro — the cultivation heart of the retail powerhouse Pure Options — isn’t just surviving; it’s dominating. …
Deck the halls with buds and bongs: Lansterdam’s 2025 gift guide
The holiday lights are strung, the snow is falling (maybe) and every shopping list needs a little something something to make the season bright. For the discerning cannabis enthusiast—or that …
The next level of a low-key high: Michigan’s KSHN pouch is a game changer
Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. You pop a classic edible—a gummy, a chocolate, maybe a questionable homemade brownie—and then you wait. And wait. And then, two hours …