A trade group that represents some of the largest cannabis companies in Michigan is lobbying for more regulations for medical cannabis caregivers, pushing some activists to boycott several popular pot brands – including Skymint, Pleasantrees and High Life Farms in Greater Lansing.
And if the proposed restrictions come to fruition, some activists think they could throw a wrench into longtime patient-caregiver relationships statewide, reducing the number of cannabis plants that caregivers can grow and the number of patients they can serve. Some also suggested the changes could toss the whole medical cannabis program into jeopardy, ultimately steering up to 72,000 medical cannabis patients away from their caregivers and into licensed pot shops.
The Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, the trade group leading the crackdown efforts, formed in 2019 to “operate exclusively for the promotion of the cannabis manufacturers by promoting the common business interests and general welfare of the industry,” according to articles of incorporation filed with state records.
Its executive director, Steve Linder, is a longtime lobbyist in state politics and a Republican activist with a history of advocating for more stringent cannabis regulations. Among its board of directors are executives with High Life Farms, Skymint, LivWell and Common Citizen, which Linder has described as the “General Motors, Fords and Chryslers” of the weed business.
Read more at lansingcitypulse.com.