Report: MI marijuana market top in the country – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — In Michigan, the marijuana industry continues to reach new highs.

According to a Friday report from Crain’s Detroit Business, Michigan is the top marijuana market in the country. Bigger states like California will always beat Michigan in total sales, but when it comes to sales per capita, Michigan has a higher ranking.

Through the first seven months of 2023, Michigan’s marijuana industry sold $1.7 billion worth of product, Crain’s reported based on data from the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency. Of that, $58.8 million was medical marijuana, and just over $1.6 billion was recreational.

“If you look at it, California is a much larger marijuana state,” explained Dustin Walsh, a senior reporter with Crain’s Detroit Business and the author of the report. “But because we propped up our system with a low tax regime, the market ended up being low prices. It allowed consumers to be on that market very quickly.”

Michigan is also an unlimited licensure state. This, along with the state’s low taxes, is the reason why Michigan is in the lead, according to Walsh.

“So basically, anyone that could raise the amount of funds and find a local municipality to allow them to open up a dispensary or a grow operation could do so,” Walsh said.