ANGOLA — Legal recreational marijuana in Michigan has led to a proliferation of retails stores in neighboring Branch County, which now boasts approximately a dozen outlets and at least one more on the way.
Their marketing efforts are clearly being seen in bordering counties in Indiana, especially on Interstate 69 where billboards invite the motoring public to head north and stop by such stores as The Nest and The Tree House Provisioning (where all their little trees get lit, so the sign says near the 354 interchange in Steuben County).
With all of these stores popping up in the Wolverine state where both medical and recreational marijuana is legal, it comes as no surprise that the product is being bought up by customers from the south and southeast, in Indiana and Ohio where marijuana is still illegal.
One store, Lume Cannabis Co., the largest chain in Michigan, is literally a couple blocks south of the mile 13 northbound exit off of I-69, tucked in with neighboring retail outlets such as Walmart and a strip center that features a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and GameStop store in Coldwater, Michigan.
“Yes, we are seeing a majority of our marijuana arrests are individuals who went north into Michigan to buy product,” said Noble County Sheriff Max Weber.
Often what happens, said Steuben County Sheriff R.J. Robinson, is people will buy marijuana from a store in Michigan and not wait to get home in Indiana before lighting up then they get stopped for some minor traffic infraction and the officer smells the pot, resulting in the arrest of the driver and possibly passengers.
While there might be more marijuana in the local market, Robinson said it has led to a proliferation of product, both from Michigan and the black market locally.
“I wouldn’t go as far to state that it has replaced our illegal market locally, in fact I believe it has in certain ways energized the local grower to attempt to grow their own product with less fear of drawing as much attention to themselves as a small grower or fear of any long term criminal conviction. This is due to the fact the market is completely saturated with both Michigan Marijuana products and local product,” Robinson said.
An incentive for the local grower, Robinson said, is that the cost of the legal product in Michigan is much greater than the illegal weed.
“Due to the cost we are not seeing large quantities of purported Michigan product in a single incident as much as we are finding what is described as a user amount in most contacts with individuals,” Robinson said.
Weber said what his officers are seeing is a much higher grade product, particularly when people can get a hold of medical grade marijuana.
“Yes, the majority of marijuana being found is pharmaceutical grade,” Weber said.
Robinson said local and legal marijuana being available has increased use beyond the stereotypical stoner. The product is more accessible and less of a taboo with it being legal in Michigan. He said the customers in Michigan cut across all socioeconomic and cultural demographics.
When speaking in Angola on Sept. 10 during the Steuben County Democrats’ annual dinner, 3rd congressional district candidate John Stephens said Indiana should legalized marijuana in order to, among other things, keep the revenue in state.
“Indiana is an exporter of marijuana tourism,” said Stephens, of Roanoke.
Weber said while there might be more marijuana use in his community, he is still combating more serious drugs, like methamphetamine.
“Yes (marijuana) is a problem, but we are still dealing heavily with meth and other narcotic drugs,” Weber said. Robinson said the legal products in Michigan means more products and methods of delivery. Now, instead of rolling up a joint and lighting up, you can ingest marijuana in gummies, suckers, brownies and the like. You can also ingest oils through a vaping pen.Both Robinson and Weber believe the legal product has not pushed the illegal sellers or marijuana out of business.
“The pot dealers have just transitioned into selling other forms of drugs to people,” Weber said.
One KPC Media Group editor said on a recent drive by at one of the Branch County stores, a majority of the vehicles in the parking lot had Indiana plates.
A visit to the Coldwater Lume store by this reporter revealed a clientele that was middle-aged to retirement-aged people. The vehicles in the parking lot were late model, including one Lexus and other high-end makes.
The sheriffs say the marketing efforts by the businesses are paying off, attracting a client who can afford legal marijuana.
“Yes, I do believe that marketing strategy is effective for both Indiana and Ohio residents,” Robinson said.
“Yes, I think the business opening just north of the state line are taking advantage of a situation,” Weber said.
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