Higher Love closes 5 UP dispensaries
Norway outlet remains open
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Higher Love Cannabis Co. has closed its Crystal Falls dispensary along with four other locations in what the company called a "consolidation" of its Upper Peninsula retail operations.
The Marquette-based Higher Love will focus its resources on four sites that include Norway, the company stated in a news release Monday.
Along with Crystal Falls, Higher Love shuttered outlets in Escanaba, Houghton, Munising and Ontonagon. The final day for pickup was Sunday, according to the news release.
Remaining open for now are Norway, Ironwood, Marquette and Menominee locations.
The company said the move comes after the state placed a new 24% tax on certain wholesale marijuana sales and transfers, effective Jan. 1. The wholesale tax is in addition to the state's 10% cannabis excise tax and 6% sales tax at retail, Higher Love noted.
"Their collective impact has created an increasingly unsustainable operating environment -- particularly for compliant businesses serving smaller and rural communities," the company stated in its news release.
The new 24% cannabis wholesale tax was part of an $81 billion budget Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed that aimed to raise $420 million in new revenue for road repairs and construction in the new fiscal year, according to a Michigan Advance story in October. It was a key component of the budget deal reached by Whitmer, Republican state House Speaker Matt Hall of Richland Township and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids.
Higher Love also cited "broader pressure across Michigan's cannabis industry, where oversupply, price compression and declining revenue have already forced numerous businesses to consolidate, suspend operations facilities and eliminate jobs."
It concluded, "The added tax burden has further strained the supply chain and made it increasingly difficult for responsible operators to remain viable. Higher Love joins industry leaders in calling for balanced policies that protect consumers while allowing businesses to retain employees, serve their communities and build a sustainable future."
It referred customers to its website at www.findhigherlove.com for hours, ordering information and additional updates on its remaining locations.
Higher Love Cannabis Co. has been operating in northern Michigan since 2019, after Michigan voters in 2018 approved adult use marijuana sales. It also has a cultivation facility in Republic in Marquette County.
Crystal Falls was Higher Love's first dispensary when it opened at 116 Superior Ave. in February 2021, though other sites soon followed. The Norway store opened at 650 U.S. 2 in June 2023.
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Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.