Politics
Michigan GOP Lawmaker Seeks To Repeal Marijuana Tax Increase As Rising Costs Cause Businesses To Close
A Michigan Republican representative has filed legislation that would reverse a recently enacted tax increase on marijuana businesses.
The new bill, from Rep. James DeSana (R) would repeal the 24 percent wholesale cannabis tax that was enacted as part of legislation negotiated by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and House and Senate leaders last year.
The tax was projected by state officials to raise $420 million, with the revenue aimed at funding road repairs and construction.
The levy has been challenged in court through lawsuits filed by the cannabis industry.
“It’s time to repeal this failed tax and stop forcing taxpayers and businesses to pay for a policy that simply isn’t working,” DeSana told WNEM-TV
The GOP lawmaker said the tax is generating in less than half of what its supporters anticipated—falling roughly $70 million less in the first four months of the fiscal year, which could rise to a $210 million shortfall from projections, he told the local news outlet.
Removing the new wholesale tax would ease the fiscal burden on legal cannabis businesses and help them compete with the unregulated market, he argues.
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To that point, the company Higher Love Cannabis Co. on Monday announced it will be suspending operations at five of its nine dispensaries, citing the “mounting tax burden” on marijuana businesses in the state and specifically calling out the new wholesale tax, which it said “introduced another substantial cost in a market already subject to a 10% retail excise tax and 6% sales tax.”
“This decision comes amid broader pressure across Michigan’s cannabis industry, where oversupply, price compression and declining revenue have already forced numerous businesses to consolidate, suspend operations facilities and eliminate jobs,” Higher Love said in a press release. “The added tax burden has further strained the supply chain and made it increasingly difficult for responsible operators to remain viable.
“Higher Love joins industry leaders in calling for balanced policies that protect consumers while allowing businesses to retain employees, serve their communities and build a sustainable future,” it said.
DeSana’s new bill, HB 6224, is only a sentence long, simply reading, “The comprehensive road funding tax act, 2025 PA 23, MCL 205.901 to 205.913, is repealed.”
It has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced it is distributing nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue to over 300 local governments and tribes across the state. The money is intended to support various local infrastructure, education and other programs and services in 313 municipalities, counties and tribal areas.
