by Ben Horner
With more retail locations in Michigan than any other retail cannabis store chain, Lume is the self-proclaimed largest single state operator in the country. Funded by the owners of Belle Tire, Lume has a solid footprint around the state. As the market prices of cannabis fall dramatically around the Great Lakes State, retailers are facing stiff competition to draw in and retain customers. In July, the company closed four stores in Bay City, Christmas, Cheboygan, and Southfield. Employees at the location report that they were not given advance notice, however they were offered a severance package and an opportunity to apply at other company stores.
The new Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids Lume locations opened in July. Lume is a vertically integrated cannabis company, so it makes many of its own products. This brings the new total of stores to 29. Lume is represented by Byrum & Fisk and is a member of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association (MCMA). Members of the competing cannabis lobby group, Michigan Cannabis Industry Association (MICIA), have called for a boycott of Lume, stating that they support legislation to attack the cannabis caregiver program that allows MMJ caregivers to grow up to 72 plants for their patients. MICIA has supported legislation that limited people’s right to make certain forms of hash oil extractions that patients use for cancer treatments.
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