Cannabis ‘Cartel’ Lawsuits Are Reshaping Two State Markets
Two states, two lawsuits, one argument: the legal cannabis market has been rigged.
Two states, two lawsuits, one argument: the legal cannabis market has been rigged.
Trump’s DOJ moved medical cannabis to Schedule III on April 23. Here is exactly what changed, what did not, and what questions the order still has not answered.
Gen Z is not just buying cannabis. They are also the ones growing it, packaging it, and selling it to you at the register. They are the workforce. And almost no one taught them how money works.
Gen Z is not just buying cannabis. They are also the ones growing it, packaging it, and selling it to you at the register. They are the workforce. And almost no one taught them how money works.
PharmaCann has laid off 534 cannabis workers across 6 states in 14 months. Here’s the breakdown.
6 States. 8 Recalls. THC at 133x the Legal Limit. A Lab That Lied for Two Years. And Untested Flower at Nine Ohio Dispensaries.
On January 1, 2026, Michigan added a new tax on cannabis. Every time a grower or processor sells cannabis to a store, the state now takes 24 cents out of every dollar.
Over $225 million from Roman Abramovich – routed through offshore shell companies in the British Virgin Islands – quietly built the foundation of Curaleaf.
Minnesota just recalled Tidal Wave vapes after testing found up to 40% THC in products labeled as containing less than 0.3%. Same week, Colorado issued its eighth cannabis recall of 2026. This is a product safety problem the industry isn’t talking about loudly enough.
Six licensed cannabis companies paid into a city-backed equity program for years. The nonprofit created to distribute the funds still has no IRS tax status. A former city commissioner is now named in a fraud and conspiracy complaint. Grand Rapids, Michigan · March 23, 2026 Between 2022 and 2025, six licensed Michigan cannabis companies – Fluresh, Ascend Cannabis, High Profile, and Skymint – collectively paid nearly $2.3 million into Grand Rapids’ Cannabis Social Equity Program. They’re now alleging that the money is largely unaccounted for, and on March 17 they filed an amended lawsuit in Kent County Circuit Court adding fraud and conspiracy charges against two new defendants: Seeding Justice Grand Rapids – the nonprofit created to receive the funds – and former City Commissioner Joe Jones. The companies are seeking a full refund of more than $3 million in payments made since 2022, with interest. The city says it cannot comment due to pending litigation. Jones told Crain’s Grand Rapids