Thousands of people travel to the first High Times Cannabis Cup in Michigan since the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes

VIENNA TWP, MI – The lineup of participants heading to the Auto City Speedway in the Canton of Vienna will make their way down a long dirt road and along the Saginaw North Road, but no race will be organized.

Thousands of people filled the infield area and were held inside the facility, but no inflamed rubber layer was deposited on the runway.

The smell of cannabis has invaded the first High Times Cannabis Cup in Michigan, after voters approved in November 2018 the legalization of recreational marijuana use in that state for adults from 21 years old and over.

The two-day event, which took place on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June, attracted thousands of spectators who attended musical performances, including Busta Rhymes and Too Short, at various demonstrations and performances. dozens of vendors selling marijuana in all its forms. – edible products with pre-rolled joints, rosin, plants and seeds.

Mike Lansford, who was sitting in a tent in the rain Sunday afternoon at the Top Notch Terps booth, was among those selling their wares.

He was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 1996 and turned to marijuana to deal with the complications of the medical problem that affects his immune system.

"That's what I did," said Lansford, about marijuana use. "It saves me almost life. It helps me to eat, to sleep, to everyone, to a better motivation to do things. "

Its business centers are solvent-free rosin.

"I do not like to smoke the flower too much. I do not really like rolling joints. "I do not smoke cigarettes or anything like that," Lansford said. "I turn my flower into rosin. It only takes a few small mistakes … That's all I have to do. I have to hit him once or twice and I'm good … I can do it several times a day and it keeps me in line. "

The Millington resident saw no reason why marijuana should not be legal even before the vote.

"I hoped it would be (to be approved)," Lansford said. "It's a plant. It saves lives.

He theorized that the sitgma around marijuana use came from a bygone era, with progressive legalization, state by state, while officials "look for ways to tax it and regulate it".

"Why not, that's what people want," Lansford said.

Rick Thompson, board member of the NORML (National Organization for the Legalization of Marijuana) Michigan Chapter, said the success of the Cannabis Cup in Michigan was another indicator of the period. of legalization in force in the state.

"I think a lot of the expectations people have for this industry will be sorely missed," he said. "I see a lot more interest than anyone has ever recognized."

Thompson sees Michigan as a destination for Midwesterners "whose states may have trouble developing legitimate cannabis laws," as well as for those who have provided medical marijuana to patients who turn to to leisure.

Only Michigan medical marijuana licensees can apply for recreation licenses to expand on a large scale, operate supply centers and process marijuana in the first two years of the new law. Retail sales of marijuana for recreational purposes are expected to begin in 2020.

A non-partisan analysis released by the Senate Tax Agency in October 2018 estimates that tax revenues from recreational marijuana could generate up to $ 287.9 ​​million in new tax revenue in 2023, including $ 105.6 million in sales tax and $ 182.3 million in excise tax.

Several vehicles in the budding parking area outside the expressway and in makeshift lots in some houses on the other side of the street were carrying registration plates originating from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Regarding Michigan, Thompson said the legalization program is "moving at the right pace".

"We wanted it to be faster than the medical program, which was the case, but also at a deliberative level, so that they did not have to constantly change the rules," he said. he declares.

Thompson pointed out that the application of the Marihuana Licensing for Medical Purposes Act posed problems for applicants because regulations were constantly evolving, which created a lack of confidence in the system.

"This also makes communities more hesitant to say yes to marijuana laws for medical or legal purposes, so we need more organization and trust in the population so more communities can say yes," he said, with some future improvements the administration of both sides now under the authority of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs of the State .

With the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes in Michigan, Mr. Thompson said that the state had become an "indicator" for others.

"In Illinois, their governor was elected and declared that I would legalize cannabis immediately," said J. B. Pritzker's Thompson. "It was a real selling point for his candidacy and we are seeing a huge change because just a few years ago, saying yes to the legalization of cannabis was the cornerstone of anyone's political career."

After attending the Ann Arbor Hash Bash earlier this year and the Cannabis Cup this weekend, in front of a record crowd, Mr. Thompson said, "Every time I turn around, it's another milestone that makes me eager to contribute to the success of Proposition 1. "

"Recreational (marijuana) really allowed an average Joe to be interested in that," Thompson said. "I think the public really shows that it was something that was long overdue."