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John Fraser

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John provides cannabis businesses with the regulatory guidance and counsel they need to secure and maintain licensure. John has organized, guided, and secured state and local licensure for dozens of cannabis businesses of all sizes and types throughout Michigan.

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Paraphrasing Whitesnake, “Here we go again on our own!”

Michigan cannabis growers need no reminding that by this time last year, the Michigan House of Representatives had passed a road funding plan, and members were tripping over themselves to say it wouldn’t require any tax increases. At the eleventh hour, though, with the cannabis industry hanging on the promises of no new taxes, everything changed. The House threw a 24% wholesale tax on marijuana into a bill that didn’t even mention the industry, and, wasting no more time (not even a single committee hearing), rammed it through.

Continue Reading Hey, Michigan Growers! Legislators Want More Taxes!

NOTE: After the publication of this post, Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced that it will have a second public hearing and comment period before finalizing its draft rules and sending them to the Legislature for review. CRA has not yet announced a date for the hearing. Given that CRA’s request for rulemaking was approved more than three years ago, and that there are just seven months until the next Michigan Governor takes office, it’s reasonable to question whether the currently proposed revisions will ever take effect.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been nearly three years since the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced that it was seeking stakeholder feedback on proposed changes to its administrative rule sets. The process started in May 2023, with CRA releasing a list of topics and proposed changes to the rules that it was considering. After receiving and considering a substantial amount of comments and stakeholder feedback, CRA then proceeded to undertake a comprehensive rewriting of its administrative rules.

Continue Reading “Final” Draft CRA Rules Are Published

On April 23, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Justice Department ordered the rescheduling of marijuana products that are FDA-approved or regulated by a state medical marijuana program. These products will move from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). Today’s order also creates an expedited DEA registration framework for state-licensed medical marijuana businesses.

We previously covered President Trump’s December 18, 2025, executive order to fast-track rescheduling. But news had been quiet on rescheduling for months, making today’s groundbreaking announcement, while welcome, a bit unexpected. In this post, we quickly highlight what today’s DOJ order does and does not do, and we look ahead at what’s to come.

Continue Reading Breaking Down the Groundbreaking Rescheduling Of Medical Marijuana To Schedule III

Takeaways

  • Michigan’s new 24% wholesale cannabis tax is in effect on January 1; however, Treasury’s last-minute guidance raises significant compliance, pricing, and litigation risks for licensees.
  • Treasury’s use of a blanket “average wholesale price” based on assumed markups—not actual transaction data—may conflict with statutory and constitutional requirements.
  • With constitutional challenges pending and more litigation expected, cannabis businesses should prepare now for audits, disputes, and rapidly evolving enforcement positions.

As the new year is upon us, Michigan’s wholesale cannabis tax takes effect on January 1. A mere 35 hours beforehand, Michigan’s Department of Treasury published the “average wholesale price” to be used for affiliate transfers and updated its FAQ’s. Treasury has also prepared a draft Revenue Advisory Bulletin—although Treasury has not made this public on their wholesale marijuana tax webpage.

Continue Reading January 1 for Michigan Cannabis: A New Year, A New Headache