Menominee Cannabis Vote Overturned, Viridis Banned from Michigan Industry

Menominee Cannabis Vote Overturned, Viridis Banned from Michigan Industry

Michigan’s legal cannabis market faces a double shock: a city frozen by politics and the state’s biggest testing lab shut down for good.

Here in the Great Lakes state, our amazing industry is never short on drama, and this past week proved it again. From courtroom chaos in Menominee to the long-awaited collapse of Viridis Labs / Viridis North, these stories are redefining what consumers, operators, and investors can expect in the state’s market.

We’ve covered both of these ongoing battles for you before on the Glacier Cannabis blog. Now, they’ve rapidly updating and reached turning points that every cannabis consumer in Michigan should understand.

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Let’s read all about the drama this week in the Marijuana Mitten:

Starting with Viridis, the deceitful testing company, being banned!

Viridis Labs Banned: How Michigan Finally Shut the Door on a Major Marijuana Problem

It always ends the same way. When shortcuts pile up, when arrogance replaces accountability, when former lawmen try to play kingmakers in a world they once tried to crush; collapse is inevitable.

We said it more than a year ago in “The Ball Problem – Viridis Labs Yields Unfair Results.” Back then, it was about kief, ceramic grinding balls, inflated THC numbers, and a pattern of manipulation that tilted Michigan’s cannabis market. But we also said something bigger: that the cannabis community should never let former law enforcement officers slide into the industry, hiding behind their badges while cutting corners for profit.

Now we have the final verdict

On August 24, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) issued its strongest crackdown yet. Viridis Laboratories, once the state’s largest testing company, controlling more than half the market, is finished.

• All Lansing licenses (Viridis) revoked.
• Bay City (Viridis North) ordered shut by September 28.
• And its founders — Todd Welch, Gregoire Michaud, and Michele Glinn — permanently banned from the cannabis industry they tried to dominate with deception.

Good riddance! We dont’ need Ex-LEO lying in our market.

What Consumers Should Take Away

For everyday cannabis users, this isn’t just a story about one company going down, it’s about trust.

• Potency labels will mean more. With Viridis gone, the inflated numbers that juiced sales are gone too.
• Safety comes first again. The CRA’s case made clear that Viridis failed basic testing protocols and that risk is now out of the supply chain.
• Short-term pain, long-term gain. Expect minor restock delays while other labs absorb the load. But the trade-off is worth it: more reliable results, safer products.

What Operators Need to Understand

For businesses, the fall of Viridis is a flashing red warning light.

• Nobody is untouchable. If the biggest lab in Michigan can be banned, so can anyone else who cuts corners.
• Bay City’s uncertain future. We’ve seen internal communications confirming that a new entity is trying to take over the Bay City facility before the September 28 deadline. If CRA approves, operations could continue (vermin are conniving and difficult to eradicate), but the Viridis name is finished. 👏
• The market just shifted. Labs that were once competing against an outsized player now have breathing room. Expect reshuffling and new winners.

The Larger Lesson

Viridis is not just a business story. It’s a parable for Michigan cannabis. 💯

This industry was built by people who risked everything under prohibition. It wasn’t built for ex-LEOs to step in, wave their old credentials, and distort the market for their gain.

When we reported on the cheating Viridis was doing in 2024 with “The Ball Problem,” we said those practices were dangerous. Today, the CRA proved that problems like that don’t just disappear, they explode.

Viridis thought they were too big to fail. Michigan regulators just showed otherwise.

And the message to anyone still playing games in this market is simple: Your time will come too.

Menominee’s Cannabis Cap Collapses in Court and the Market Stays Frozen

Last week, we broke down Menominee’s latest attempt to “solve” its cannabis problem: a plan to cap dispensaries at nine (while there are already 13 if you include shops about to open). We said then that this wasn’t a resolution, it was just another layer in a city that’s made a habit of turning cannabis into courtroom drama.

Yesterday, the drama escalated.

On August 26, 2025, Judge Mary Barglind struck down the August 5 ballot measure that Menominee voters had approved to cap cannabis businesses. The reason was simple: Michigan law doesn’t allow citizen initiatives on special ballots. They must appear on regularly scheduled elections.

Menominee tried to bend that rule. The court just bent it back.

Now the proposal heads to the November 4 general election, so until then the freeze on new cannabis licenses remains in place.

For Consumers: Same Story, Higher Prices

Menominee’s residents and customers from across the Wisconsin border were already living with limited dispensary options. Now, nothing changes until November at the earliest.

• Fewer shops means higher costs. Without competition, prices remain elevated.
  
• Limited variety on shelves. Smaller craft brands are squeezed out, leaving consumers with a narrow menu.
  
• Cross-border buyers keep the squeeze tight. Wisconsin residents, who still lack legal access at home, are flooding Menominee, draining supply and inflating demand.
  

If you’re a local cannabis consumer in Menominee, the message is clear: don’t expect relief any time soon.

For Operators: A Costly Waiting Game

Entrepreneurs in Menominee have spent months, in some cases years, burning cash on properties, buildouts, and plans that remain on ice. Yesterday’s ruling just extended the freeze.

• Investments remain stuck. Until November, operators can’t open, expand, or even plan reliably.
  
• Uncertainty reigns. Even if voters approve the cap in November, more lawsuits could follow. Stability isn’t guaranteed.
  
• Reputation risk grows. Menominee is earning a reputation as one of Michigan’s most hostile environments for cannabis entrepreneurs, despite being one of its most profitable markets.
  

The Bigger Picture

Menominee’s story isn’t about one vote or one ruling. It’s about a city that can’t decide whether it wants to embrace cannabis or strangle it.

The irony? Menominee benefits more than most cities. Its border-town geography makes it a gold mine! Wisconsin residents pour millions of dollars across the line. But instead of leveraging that advantage into a thriving, stable cannabis market, Menominee has chosen lawsuits, political maneuvering, and delay tactics.

Last week we said Menominee’s tug-of-war wasn’t ending soon. Yesterday, the court confirmed it.

For now, Menominee’s cannabis industry remains frozen: profitable for the few, painful for the many, and defined more by courtrooms than dispensary counters.

So now you may be asking yourself, “How to find a good cannabis company in Michigan?” 

What do you think? Do you see the difference with a Michigan cannabis company that truly care about it’s customers and doing business the right way? Let your voice be heard on our Instagram @Glacier.MI today and comment on the state of the Michigan cannabis industry. 

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