LANSING - For years, Michigan leaders have searched for the next economic engine that can help the state remain competitive in a rapidly changing global economy. Today, the answer increasingly appears to be artificial intelligence. The Whitmer administration and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have spent the past several years positioning Michigan as a hub
DETROIT – A new legal challenge seeking to halt federal marijuana rescheduling is creating uncertainty for cannabis businesses nationwide, including in Michigan, where operators have been hoping federal reform would ease tax burdens and improve profitability. A coalition led by the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association and a cannabis-focused pharmaceutical company has asked a
LANSING – The regulator overseeing Michigan's $3.17 billion cannabis industry has been elected president of the nation's leading organization for marijuana and hemp regulators at a time when federal marijuana rescheduling and hemp regulation are reshaping the industry. Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency Executive Director Brian Hanna was elected president of the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA)
COLUMBUS – Ohio consumers are increasingly asking whether they will be forced to pay higher electric bills to support the massive power demands of AI data centers, a debate that is now beginning to take shape in Michigan. While average residential electric bills in Michigan remain lower than those in neighboring Ohio, regulators, utilities, consumer
LANSING — Michigan could lose an estimated $11.7 billion a year in Social Security income if automatic benefit cuts take effect in 2032, according to a new analysis that ranks Michigan among the states most vulnerable to the program's looming funding crisis. The report from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found the average
DETROIT – Michigan cannabis consumers purchased an astonishing 56 million pre-rolls during the first five months of 2026, even as the state's overall cannabis market continued to shrink. New data from Headset.io, a cannabis market intelligence and analytics firm, shows Michigan pre-roll sales reached $250.6 million from January through May, up 3.1 percent from the
COLUMBUS - The fight over hemp-derived THC products is moving from statehouses to courtrooms, and Michigan businesses are watching closely. Several hemp companies have filed lawsuits challenging Ohio Senate Bill 56, a law that restricts or bans many hemp-derived THC products, including popular THC-infused beverages sold in grocery stores, breweries and convenience stores. Industry groups
GRAND RAPIDS – Michigan's economy continues to expand, but new data from West Michigan suggests employers may be becoming more cautious about hiring as concerns grow over consumer spending, global uncertainty and the future direction of the manufacturing sector. A monthly survey conducted by Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business found West Michigan
DETROIT — Michigan cannabis consumers planning summer vacations are receiving conflicting signals about whether they can legally fly with medical marijuana. The Transportation Security Administration recently updated its guidance to indicate that medical marijuana may be permitted in carry-on and checked baggage under certain circumstances following the federal government's move to reclassify state-authorized medical cannabis.
DETROIT - For years, state-legal cannabis companies operated under a unique federal tax penalty that prevented them from deducting ordinary business expenses such as payroll, rent, marketing and utilities. That changed in April when the U.S. Department of Justice moved federally recognized medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, potentially saving cannabis businesses billions
