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Michigan Judge Allows Marijuana Tax Increase To Take Effect Despite Industry Lawsuit

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Cannabis industry groups argued that the tax violates the state Constitution by amending a voter-approved legalization law without following due process.

By: Ben Solis, Michigan Advance

A group of cannabis industry advocates failed to convince a Michigan Court of Claims judge that it would suffer irreparable harm. A new 24 percent wholesale tax on marijuana went into effect To fund future road repairs in the state.

In an opinion issued Monday, Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel said Holistic Research Group Inc./Michigan Cannabis Industry v. That the Michigan Department of Finance was denying plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction.

The joint lawsuits said the new tax was approved in October as part of a comprehensive budget deal for 2025-26. Raising new revenue for road repair and reconstruction Until 2030, because it was against the Constitution violated the title-object clause of the state Constitution.

Patel said Monday, after hearing oral arguments on the case in November, that the industry’s advocates had failed to argue that there was a genuine constitutional issue, nor had the group briefly shown that the Michigan Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which legalized the use and sale of cannabis in Michigan, was the only legal mechanism for taxing the flower.

“(The road funding act) is consistent (with the marijuana tax law). Plaintiffs say the phrase ‘all other taxes’ … refers only to generally applicable taxes, like the 6 percent sales tax imposed on all retail sales,” he wrote. “If that were true, however, the initiative could have simply said that. Instead, the initiative clearly stated that the 10 percent retail excise tax was in addition to ‘all other taxes.’

Patel also pointed out that the Legislature did not directly change any of the existing taxes in the regulatory act, nor replace them with the new tax in the road funding legislation; rather, the Legislature established a new separate tax, which is allowed under the governing law.

“The two statutes can be read together,” Patel wrote.

So the claim about the mechanism by which a new tax could be imposed was dismissed, Patel wrote.

Patel, however, allowed the case to go forward to determine whether the tax interferes with the intent of the voter-initiated law that allowed the consumption, regulation and sale of marijuana. Patel said there remained a genuine issue in the matter, which required further consideration by the court.

“The court must consider the intentions of the (tax act) drafters and the effect of the new wholesale excise tax on the (tax law’s) objectives,” Patel wrote. “The court will not be able to resolve these questions of fact at the summary disposition stage. Discovery will be necessary to develop the evidence necessary to support the parties’ positions.”

This story was first published by the Michigan Advance.

Photo elements courtesy of the user rawpixel and Philip Steffan.

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By concentrating our portfolio, we create room for innovation and growth

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14 minutes ago

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December 8, 2025

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Viscon transfers the range fork product portfolio to Flier






Viscon Plant Technology will transfer its spacer fork product portfolio (including spacer forks and fixed forks) to Flier Systems effective January 1, 2026.

“The furrows are a proven solution for spacing within the sector. By transferring this portfolio to Flier Systems, the technology will remain available to both existing and new customers, with continued quality and support. Flier Systems will take over development, sales and technical service, while Viscon Plant Technology focuses on its core activities,” the team says.

© Viscon

“The transfer of the fields is a deliberate strategic step to strengthen our focus on automation solutions for plant growers and young breeders. In addition to concentrating our portfolio on technologies such as tissue culture automation, phenotypic sorting and somatic embryogenesis automation, we create room for further innovation and growth. We are pleased to have found a reliable and dedicated partner in Flier Systems,” said Nigela, who will continue the same product portfolio. Viscon Plant Technology.

“Acquiring spacer forks fits perfectly into our strategy to automate the entire production process for professional plant growers. Having just introduced the upgraded SPH transplanter/sorter, we have already taken an important step in the automation of potted plants. Acquiring spacer forks is a logical addition as it allows us to offer a complete and integrated package. Viscon,” said Ad Kranendonk, Flier Systems.



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HoneyGrove Dispensary selivers affordable small-batch flower to patients amid push for MMJ reform

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1 day ago

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December 7, 2025

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HoneyGrove Dispensary has partnered with Ewing-based medical cannabis company Noble Valley Harvest Company to offer small-batch flowers at reduced prices to medical marijuana patients.

Half ounces are available for $75 and full ounces are available for $125, with no sales tax applied to cardholder purchases. HoneyGrove waives sales tax on adult-use transactions for patients with a valid medical card to support patient access.

Within NJ’s three-ounce monthly purchase limit, cardholders can get $100 off multiple ounce purchases.

© Rey Fernandez

The initiative addresses ongoing concerns about affordability in New Jersey’s medical marijuana program, which has drawn criticism for high costs and limited supply. By offering premium, small-batch products at prices associated with lower-quality options, HoneyGrove and Noble Valley aim to improve immediate patient access while advocating for broader program reforms.

“HoneyGrove and HoneyStash are committed to patient care by partnering with local growers,” said Dave Valese, CEO of HoneyProjects, the management company for both dispensaries. “This partnership with Noble Valley ensures that medical patients receive high-quality flower at affordable prices, supporting our broader efforts to improve New Jersey’s medical cannabis program.”

“Noble Valley Harvest is producing small-batch cannabis for the New Jersey market,” said Dr. Lisa Grega, founder of Noble Valley Harvest Company. “We’re excited to give medical patients first access to help boost a market that’s shrinking in size and selection.”

For more information:
Honey Projects
honey-projects.com



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Ohio Senate Expected To Vote On Bill Recriminalizing Some Marijuana Activity That Voters Legalized

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1 day ago

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December 7, 2025

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“You can be charged with a felony for having legal weed in a package other than what you bought it from. You can be charged with a felony for buying legal weed in Michigan.”

By Jake Zuckerman, Signal Cleveland

It was this story originally posted By Signal Cleveland. Sign up for their free newsletter at SignalCleveland.org/subscribe.

A new law to be passed in the Statehouse next week would establish a series of juveniles Criminal penalties for persons illegally transporting or possessing marijuana in Ohiowhile withdrawing legal protections for users, such as child custody or professional license disputes.

That’s why NORML, the oldest marijuana advocacy organization in the US, is leading a quixotic effort to urge the Ohio Senate to reject Senate Bill 56 before a final vote next week.

With Senate approval, the bill would go to Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for his signature or veto.

The marijuana changes are part of a larger package that also establishes a new, comprehensive regulatory system for the intoxicant hemp, a product functionally similar to legal marijuana, but sold without age restrictions, taxes or quality controls. DeWine, a Republican who opposed relaxing Ohio’s marijuana laws, has been making public the issue of hemp more than a year ago.

But perhaps due to a political compromise, marijuana users have been caught up in the crackdown on hemp, according to Morgan Fox, NORML’s political director.

“A lot of this stuff is completely nonsensical,” he said in an interview. “This is recriminalizing a lot of behavior that is relatively innocent and has been legal for a long time.”

House and Senate lawmakers negotiated the final version of the legislation in a conference committee, which means the bill cannot be changed. The House passed it last month by a 52-34 vote last night, with a handful of Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

Committee members described the final version as a compromise between mixed blocs of voters: Democrats who don’t want new criminal penalties for regular users, Republicans who support the right to grow marijuana, religious conservatives who oppose the expansion of legal use of the intoxicant, local governments who want their money to ruin a gas station. retailers, and both the hemp and marijuana industries seeking market advantages. (In all, 153 lobbyists signed up to work on the bill in August, state records show.)

In 2023, Ohio voters passed Issue 2 by 57 percent to 43 percent, allowing adults to legally use, buy, sell and possess cannabis. Those rights remain intact under the bill.

However, SB 56 imposes legal penalties for not having marijuana in its original container or buying legal marijuana in Michigan, where it is usually much cheaper.

Below is a closer look at some of these rules.

Out-of-state marijuana

SB 56 reclassifies what counts as the “legalization scope” of marijuana. And under its rules, marijuana that isn’t grown at home or purchased at a state dispensary is illegal. Prices are much lower in Michigan’s more mature cannabis market, and SB 56 would make it illegal to bring the substance back into Ohio.

Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of $150, but no jail time.

Fox, the state lobbyist for NORML, said he is not aware of any adult-use states that outlaw the simple possession of cannabis produced in another state.

Driving with marijuana in the car

Under the bill, drivers could legally transport marijuana. However, it must be stored in the trunk or, in cars without a trunk, behind the last upright seat of the car. Marijuana and any paraphernalia must also be stored in its “original, unopened container.”

Likewise, edibles must be kept in their original packaging to complete the bill.

Offenses are minor fouls.

“You can be charged with a felony for having legal weed in a package other than the one you bought it from,” Bride Rose Sweeney, one of the top Democratic negotiators in the House, said at the conference. “You can be charged with a felony for buying legal Michigan weed.”

Loss of legal protections

In addition to legalizing marijuana, the voter-approved 2023 law created legal protections for adults who use marijuana in many civil and administrative contexts.

For example, state licensing boards cannot penalize licensees solely for using marijuana. A judge cannot deprive a parent of parenting time or responsibilities based solely on marijuana use and absent clear and convincing evidence of the child’s lack of safety.

Similar protections exist in relation to access to medical care, such as organ donation, in relation to denying a person as a tenant or disqualifying them from public benefits.

The bill removes almost all of these protections, although users can access public benefits (except unemployment compensation).

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