Michigan Cops Bust One Of The Largest Illegal Weed Grow Operations To Date

Despite Michigan’s flourishing legal marijuana market, which reported sales exceeding $3 billion in 2023, the state is grappling with a thriving illicit market.

This stark reality was highlighted by a major bust by the Michigan State Police's Marijuana & Tobacco Investigation Section, reported Crain's Detroit Business on Tuesday.

In the March 7 crackdown, the state police dismantled what Crain's Dustin Walsh called Michigan's largest illegal marijuana grow operation to date. The operation involved raids on four commercial buildings in Livonia, resulting in the seizure of over 6,000 marijuana plants, 2,500 pounds of psilocybin mushroom bars, and 700 pounds of marijuana flower. The market value of the marijuana flower alone surpasses $1 million. The Michigan State Police (MSP) clarified that these operations all lacked legal operators' licenses.

First Lt. Tom Kish, head of the specialized unit, pointed to Michigan’s lenient laws on illicit marijuana as a key factor behind the persistence of large-scale illegal operations. He noted that following the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2019, the state’s Court of Appeals ruled that illegal grow operations could face only misdemeanor charges. Kish observed that this has led to increased criminal activity in the sector.

"These larger grows are becoming a big issue," Kish said per Crain's. "I can tell you the perception was that black market marijuana would go away when the adult-use market came online. That's not true. The black market in Michigan is a huge problem and it's a booming illegal marketplace. That's largely because of our penalties, or lack thereof."

Meanwhile, Kish’s unit has been busy, having seized over 10,000 illegally grown marijuana plants in the last month alone. He stressed the illicit market’s disregard for safety and testing standards, citing the squalid conditions of the facilities in Livonia. He also pointed to a connection between these operations and human trafficking, with foreign nationals often found working in substandard conditions.

During the Livonia raids, foreign nationals were indeed found. "We have a lot of foreign nationals that are connected to these illegal grow ops," Kish said. "Some from China, South America or Mexico; people who are trafficked here to produce or procure black market marijuana. Many don't speak English and are forced to process flower or tend to plants under terrible living conditions. It's becoming a serious problem.”

Cannabis from the seized operation also tested positive for banned pesticides, heavy metals, and molds, posing significant health risks.

Illegal operators’ use of trafficked labor and hazardous chemicals enables them to undercut Michigan’s legal market, which happens to be one of the most affordable in the country.

Read more at Crain's Detroit Business