Cover Stories
Cannabis growers and regulators confront Michigan’s oversaturated market
Michigan has a weed problem — and consumers are loving it. More than three years after legal recreational marijuana sales began in the state, the market is saturated with cannabis at bargain-basement prices. The average price of an ounce of adult-use flower dropped from $512 in January 2020 to $80 today, according to the Michigan…
Michigan cannabis industry employees say they’re being left behind
For many, the “green rush” of Michigan’s blooming cannabis industry seemed like an exciting new career opportunity. That was true for one woman, who says she left a corporate job in 2019 to work as a trimmer with dreams of learning the basics and one day owning her own company. “When I started, I was…
Is there room for Detroit-grown organic biodynamic cannabis in Michigan’s saturated market?
Marilyn Manson must have predicted the future of legalized cannabis when he sang, “We’re all stars now, in the dope show.” That’s according to James Meyers, an architect, farmer, and cannabis grower living in Detroit. Meyers is the owner of ROI Urban Farms, which includes a biodynamic marijuana grow operation off W. Chicago Boulevard and…
Flint STILL has a water crisis — 9 years later
Imagine for a moment that you and your children are poisoned. The culprit who attacked you is, unbelievably, your own government. The life that you worked hard to build, overcoming obstacles and life’s curveballs, has been forever damaged. Many of your family, friends, and neighbors have grown ill as the months and years drag on.…
Michigan school’s ban on ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirt leads to lawsuit
Two students in western Michigan are suing their school district after they were prohibited from wearing “Let’s Go Brandon” sweatshirts. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday alleges the Tri County Area Schools violated the First Amendment rights of the students, who are in seventh and ninth grade. A teacher and principal at…
Detroit teacher charged after unlicensed gun fell out of his bag at school
A teacher at Cody High School in Detroit has been charged after his unlicensed handgun spilled out of his bag onto the floor of a hallway at the school, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Monday. Willam Kenneth Howard, 57, of Southfield, is charged with one count of carrying a concealed weapon and one count…
Marianne Williamson made a campaign stop in Detroit where she railed against the 1%. The media didn’t cover it.
In a small room in the New Center area on Monday, Marianne Williamson described her eight years living in Detroit as “a very deep experience for me on many levels” that showed her “there really are two Americas.” Nothing will change, she says, “unless we who see such things have the levers of power.” The…
THC-infused iced tea aptly called ‘Pleasantea’ hits Michigan shelves
Emerald Canning Partners is hitting us with another cannabis-infused drink, this time in the form of iced tea. The company’s latest beverage Pleasantea will hit Michigan shelves on Friday, April 28. It comes in three flavors — raspberry, lemon, and peach — with 10mg of nano-emulsified THC per 16oz can, which sell for $5 each.…
Review: In ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline,’ nihilism is optimism
Even before I saw this movie, I thought it had a good chance of being the film of the year. Of the decade, even. I wondered if this might even feel like the first movie of the 21st century, zeitgeist-wise. Like, in 2099, when we start looking back at what the past hundred years had…
An angry letter from a weed dealer
In last week’s 4/20 issue, we looked at problems caused by Michigan’s legal cannabis industry. However, we missed one important perspective… the humble weed man, aka the “caregivers” that operate outside the licensed system. —Lee DeVito, editor in chief I’m just some lazy pothead that wants to sit around on their lazy ass growing marijuana,…
Upscale restaurant Aurora Italiana headed to West Bloomfield
The former Ciao Italian Bistro & Wine Bar at 6199 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield is set to be reimagined under new ownership as Aurora Italiana, an upscale restaurant inspired by the cuisine of Italy’s Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri. The development is from Prime Concepts Detroit, the restaurant group behind Prime29 Steakhouse…
Local Buzz: Detroit R&B artist Kesswa releases trippy 360-degree music video
Got a Detroit music tip? Send it to music@metrotimes.com. Kesswa re-releases EP with trippy video: The interdisciplinary artist Kesswa, aka Kesiena Wanogho, is known equally for her experimental-leaning R&B music and her video work. So it’s fitting that her re-issued EP’s lead single “WAV,” Kesswa’s first new solo material since 2019, is accompanied by a…
Cannabis company offers jobs to all 400+ Burger King workers laid off in Michigan
Stiiizy, a popular cannabis brand in Michigan, is offering to hire every Burger King employee who was laid off after a franchise owner closed 26 locations, mostly in metro Detroit, last week. The company says the new jobs will pay more than most Burger King workers got — $16 an hour for the day shift,…
These 41 officials in Michigan labeled ‘ongoing threats to democracy’ by watchdog group
More than 40 local and state officials in Michigan have been deemed “ongoing threats to democracy” by a nonpartisan watchdog group for their role in sowing disinformation about election fraud. Informing Democracy, a non-partisan, nonprofit organization made up of election professionals, researchers, and lawyers, identified eight local officials in five counties and 33 state lawmakers…
Willie Nelson announces Pine Knob concert
Country music icon Willie Nelson announced a fall leg to his 2023 Outlaw Music Festival tour, including a Friday, Sept. 22 concert at Pine Knob. The dates are part of Nelson’s largest-ever Outlaw tour, a celebration of the year of the singer-songwriter’s 90th birthday, which is April 29. The Pine Knob date is also set…
Lizzo sweeps Detroit Music Awards
Lizzo told us back in 2019 she had the juice, and her slew of wins at this year’s Detroit Music Awards is the pudding in the proof. The Detroit-born performer was nominated in four categories for the 32nd annual Detroit Music Awards and won every single one. The awards premiered Sunday, April 23 at Emagine…
Lapointe: This just in! Airplane lands safely at Detroit Metro Airport
As my red-eye flight from Los Angeles descended through choppy winds toward Detroit, the landing gear lowered and a young woman suddenly sprang from her seat to bolt up the aisle. Disruptions like this were scary enough even before 9/11. What might this be? A flight attendant was sitting next to me, in the exit…
Warren Mayor Fouts cannot run for reelection, Court of Appeals rules
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is barred from running for a fifth term as mayor, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday. Fouts, who has been mayor since 2007, is ineligible to run for reelection because of term limits approved by voters, the court ruled. In 2016, voters limited the mayor to five terms. And in…
Cannabis retreat in Michigan offers women a chance to relax in a safe space
Cannabis has become a popular way to relieve stress and anxiety. Now you can take that relaxation to a new level with a cannabis retreat. MoodRXtreats, a new cannabis retreat company, is hosting a three-day getaway for women on a luxurious estate in Hopkins, a rural town about 175 miles from Detroit on the west…
‘Legalization without justice is half baked’ Ben & Jerry’s says in billboard message to Gov. Whitmer
You may have spent 4/20 getting baked and eating Detroit-style pizza, but Ben & Jerry’s used the holiday to address something more serious. The Vermont-based ice cream company took out a billboard in Lansing calling out the hypocrisy of having legal cannabis in Michigan while people are still serving time for marijuana-related offenses. “Governor Whitmer:…
The Emory to retool with sliders-focused menu
Come the end of the month, The Emory in Ferndale plans to close for a week while it revamps its menu with a focus on sliders. General manager Jesse Shepherd-Bates, who also oversees the nearby Woodward Avenue Brewers, Port bar, and the Loving Touch, says it was time to reimagine the restaurant— it first opened…
Barkside dog park and beer garden planned for Detroit’s West Village
A new dog park and beer garden that says it’s the first in the city to offer both indoor and outdoor space for Detroiters and their canine friends is set to open this summer. West Village’s Barkside, located at 7960 Kercheval Ave., Detroit, will feature a 10,000-square-foot facility that includes craft beers, cocktails, and coffee…
Sheefy McFly is Detroit’s cultural mascot
This feature highlights a different local artist each week. Got someone in mind you think deserves the spotlight? Hit us up at arts@metrotimes.com. Artist of the week: Sheefy McFly If Detroit had a cultural mascot, it would be Tashif Turner, aka Sheefy McFly. The rapper and DJ turned painter, muralist, and weed entrepreneur represents the…
Coalition takes aim at factory farms in Michigan
Within the last 20 years, Lynn Henning’s family farm in Lenawee County has become encircled by a dozen new corporate animal agriculture factories. They dump manure into open lagoons that drain into the headwaters of Lake Erie, causing massive algae blooms. Henning has reported many violations of environmental regulations, yet the state has never enforced…
Bill repealing antiquated Michigan law criminalizing cohabitation met with GOP pushback
The repeal of an antiquated, unenforced Michigan statute on cohabitation received unexpected pushback in the Senate Wednesday, as several Republicans argued in support of the century-old statute that criminalizes unmarried couples living together. Senate Bill 56 would amend Section 750.335 of the 1931 Michigan Penal Code, which currently states: “Any man or woman, not being…
He wanted to clean up a building in Detroit. Then the city ‘stole’ his large sign.
Patrick Giroux was shocked when he noticed that the big steel sign on his building on Mack Avenue in Detroit went missing. The culprit, it turned out, wasn’t a scrap metal thief looking for quick money. City workers removed his sign, ripping off bricks on the facade and puncturing a hole in his roof. He…
Corktown restaurant Alpino has an opening date
Corktown restaurant Alpino is now taking reservations for its first dinner service. The European Alps-inspired restaurant is set to open on Monday, May 1 at 1426 Bagley St. The 3,200-square-foot restaurant’s menu features wine and traditional dishes from countries along Europe’s Alpine Mountains like Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Think lots of cured meats,…
Supercoolwicked’s off-grid performance rocks the Charles H. Wright for Earth Day
A carpet of fog rolls across Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum as Supercoolwicked and her praise team take the floor. As their chorus of voices rings in harmony with their dance moves, the R&B singer cocoons herself in a shroud and emerges as if she’s just traversed the spirit realm. The interdisciplinary Detroit artist is…
Steve’s Family Dining in Livonia has the family restaurant formula down to a science
There’s no specific recipe for success for restaurateurs. Aside from the good food and service essentials, the mix of elements that can make for a long run in this business get muddled. Dining trends come and go. Success can be fleeting when feeding fickle consumers. One day, you’re getting five-star Google reviews galore. The next,…
Asian-fusion restaurant and cocktail lounge to open in downtown Detroit
Hand-rolled sushi and other Asian-inspired dishes will be on offer at two new dining concepts in downtown Detroit. Experience Zuzu and Upstairs Bar are set to open a block from Campus Martius in an office building at 511 Woodward Ave. this July. That’s the same building the Capital One Cafe is in. Experience Zuzu will…
Dirty Detroit cop sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for bribery in towing scandal
A former Detroit police lieutenant whose job was investigating dirty cops was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison Tuesday for his role in a wide-ranging towing scandal. John F. Kennedy, 57, of Rochester Hills, pocketed nearly $15,000 in cash, cars, and auto repairs from an FBI informant between October 2018 and…
Free Will Astrology (April 19-25)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In English, the phrase “growing pains” refers to stresses that emerge during times of rapid ripening or vigorous development. Although they might feel uncomfortable, they are often signs that the ongoing transformations are invigorating. Any project that doesn’t have at least some growing pains may lack ambition. If we hope to…
