![]() ![]() Schneider said her association has been working hard to provide resources to its members, including human resource assistance, best manufacturing practices, regulatory compliance and insurance information. “We’ve been very successful at working with banks and carrying them with our members geographically around the state.” “When we first launched, most of our members didn’t even have a bank to house their money,” Schneider said. Without a bank, businesses would have to resort to a cash-only enterprise, storing their money in their own personal safes. That, along with the still-taboo nature of marijuana as a detrimental drug, has made it difficult for many marijuana businesses to find someone to create an account or take out a loan with. Robin Schneider, executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association in Lansing, said banks have to comply by federal laws, which still prohibit the sale of marijuana products. In November 2019, though, Lynch was not too worried about this prospect for his own business. “The volume of sales for recreational adult-use is going to be astronomical.” “The word on the street is that it’s going to be more like 3 million, 3 million regular adult-use customers, and that doesn’t include the 25 million that come up here between Memorial Day and Labor Day for vacations,” Lynch said. While not official, Lynch shared his insights on the potential the market has from being in the market itself. The five shops open tended to run low on their limited supply of goods quickly.Īccording to the Michigan House Fiscal Agency, once the adult-use market is fully established after 2020, annual sales could near $950 million. 1 to 8 totaled $1.63 million, according to the Detroit Free Press. Many did not yet have the approval to grow for non-medicinal use. The industry’s growers were used to about 300,000 medical patients. There were not enough plants being grown to supply non-medical buyers, Lynch said. If anything, that helped the larger marijuana industry. When sales began, few businesses had proper licensing. In summer 2019, the state of Michigan surprised many by announcing it would open up adult-use marijuana licenses and sales in December. He thinks the adult-use recreational market is coming too quickly. He is worried, however, that current realities across Michigan could pose challenges not only to his business, but the industry in general. He is excited to provide a safe, tested product to people, whether for medicinal or recreational use. Lynch’s anxiety is both nervous excitement and worry. “We’re very anxious to get this thing going and get up and running because we think we got a lot to offer,” he said, hands in his Pandora varsity jacket pockets. Lynch said Niles, with its helpful city staff, ideal industrial space and proximity to major Midwest cities, could be a hub of the Michigan marijuana industry. On Jane’s work desk, where her self-designed layout of Green Stem is sprawled, sits an open code compliance book lit up by highlighter lines. The Lynches said they spent hours poring over the viability of their venture, the specifics of marijuana laws locally and statewide, and the municipalities most willing to listen to a marijuana entrepreneur’s proposition. They are hoping to employ many locals into what Lynch said will be well-paying jobs, too. They have all relocated to Niles, bringing more employees from other states with them. Lynch, a former Pandora Music executive, said he has invested millions of dollars and many months in his own project to eventually grow, process, provision and transport marijuana with his wife, Jane, an interior designer, and his children. 23, The ReLeaf Center became the first Niles business to grow, process and sell marijuana after months of licensure approval, plan approval and building renovations. “I would feel better to have it legally … rather than the back doorway.” “If they really want it, they’re going to get it, legal or illegal,” councilmember Charlie McAfee said about adult-use users. “I believe we have more to benefit by opting in and making it more commercially available, more affordable, and hopefully discouraging the home growers and that material, which I think would be more likely to get out on the street in the black market,” said councilmember John DiCostanzo the night he cast his vote.
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