The owner of a high-quality cannabis grow operation in Kalkaska called a former employee the N-word and then insisted he wasn’t a racist, according to text messages obtained by Metro Times.
Flos Cannabis owner Timmy Holton, who is white, made the comments about his former employee in a text message to someone else.
“He’s a [N-word] who dose [sic] not know what to do with his life,” he wrote. “He’s gonna sell the weed for 7% commission. No mileage or salary but first come first serve.”
In a now-deleted Facebook message riddled with grammar errors from last week, Holton acknowledged he used the slur.
“I’m not going to sit here and deny what I said sometimes in the heated moment you say stupid things,” Holton wrote.
He added, “If you’ve met me, you know I’m not racist. Just trying to grow fire smoke and support my family.”
Holton said the text messages involved two former employees.
“I could post all about there [sic] business too,” he wrote. “But I dont like gossip. I dont like to drag peoples [sic] name threw [sic] the dirt. I shoot it straight.”
And then came his apology attempt: “Im sorry if i offended anyone but i only got love for everyone.”
Before the Facebook post, one person urged Holton in a text message to apologize.
Holton responded, “I’m not trying to defend myself. I fuccked up.”
In another text, Holton wrote, “Bro, I’m sorry you feel [the] need to try and destroy Flos in my life.”
The texter responded, “I am sorry that you feel that way to call someone the N word when you’re a business owner and prolly half your money comes from people of color.”
Holton texted back, “Dude, this is being taken way out of contact [sic]. I fucked up. What do you want me to do? I can’t take back what I said. I can only go forward.”
The texter, whom Metro Times is not identifying, wrote, “Hold your nuts and stand on what the fuck you said. By the way, if you gotta say I’m not racist, you’re probably fucking racist.”
Metro Times couldn’t reach Holton for comment.
Flos is known for flavorful, potent flower that is sold in 7-gram and 14-gram jars.
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency cited Flos two times this year for alleged violations, ranging from using a carbon dioxide system without permission to failing to properly tag products with information from the statewide monitoring system.