Marijuana Business Daily

Former Michigan marijuana regulator pleads guilty to taking bribes

Published

2 years ago

April 25, 2023

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A former Republican House speaker in Michigan officially pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to accepting bribes totaling more than $110,000 while head of the state’s medical marijuana licensing board.

Rick Johnson, who led the Michigan House from 2001 to 2004 before joining the MMJ board, admitted he took cash and flights from Detroit-area businessman John Dalaly, who was seeking lucrative cannabis businesses licenses, the Associated Press reported.

Dalaly pleaded guilty last week.

Johnson, Dalaly and co-defendants Brian Pierce and Vincent Brown – who also were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery – had agreed to plea deals earlier this month.

Johnson led the state Medical Marihuana Licensing Board from its inception in 2017 until it was abolished by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2019.

At the time, Whitmer and other critics cited the board’s inefficiency and slow pace approving licenses as reasons for its elimination.

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Marijuana Business Daily

MJBizCon offers speakers chance to share cannabis insights, shape industry

Published

1 day ago

April 4, 2025

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The most fulfilling part of an MJBizCon presentation is right after the Q&A, when the speaker is met by exuberant and inspired audience members.

Questions are asked, cards are exchanged and the excitement is palpable.

Cannabis industry experts interested in inspiring their peers and advancing the industry have until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 11 to apply to speak at MJBizCon 2025. Replies will likely go out in May.

So far, nearly 170 speaker applications have been received.

This year’s MJBizCon – the 13th edition – is scheduled for Dec. 2-5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Speaking at the world’s largest marijuana business conference and trade show “offers a chance to share insights and strategies that empower others to elevate their businesses

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As cannabis consumer tastes evolve, industry must look beyond potency

Published

3 days ago

April 2, 2025

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(This is a contributed guest column. To be considered as an MJBizDaily guest columnist, please submit your request here.)

Chris O’Ferrell (Courtesy photo)

For years, the cannabis industry has been shaped by a singular focus: THC potency.

Store menus highlight percentages, consumers chase high numbers, and many strains have been bred to maximize THC content at the expense of other characteristics.

But is that truly what makes marijuana special?

Beyond THC levels, branding, packaging and promotions heavily influence consumer choices.

The classic $200-per-ounce deal has evolved into a $100 mix-and-match special, allowing consumers to explore a variety of terpene profiles and effects.

Just as craft beer enthusiasts appreciate curated tasting flights, cannabis enthusiasts now seek diversity in their experiences.

Keeping up with industry trends while

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How a Colorado operator stumbled onto ‘blueprint for laundering marijuana’

Published

5 days ago

March 31, 2025

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Justin Trouard thought he was doing a favor when he agreed in January to look at the books of a struggling, licensed Colorado marijuana cultivation company to see if he could help turn the business around.

Instead, the CEO of licensed outdoor cultivator Mammoth Farms stumbled onto “the blueprint for how to launder marijuana” in and out of the state’s regulated industry, he told MJBizDaily.

While examining the cultivator’s track-and-trace records in Metrc, a widely used software program that’s Colorado’s mandated seed-to-sale compliance tool, Trouard noticed some suspicious activity.

In one column, the company reported purchasing 25 pounds of cannabis flower from an unidentified cultivator for $16,250. That’s a normal transaction at Colorado’s average market prices in 2025. In another column in

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