Kevin Kuethe, Chief Cultivation Officer, Lume Hashish Co.

All photographs by Bryan Esler

Anybody following the hashish business’s ups and downs has Michigan on their radar. Since adult-use gross sales launched in December 2019, the state climbed to No. 2 in gross sales nationally, eclipsing $3 billion in 2023. However—and this can be a massive however—the state endured unprecedented worth compression. As Hashish Enterprise Instances reported in December 2023, Michigan’s common adult-use retail flower costs plunged 78% in 4 years. Nevertheless, there are vivid spots that exist right here. In simply 4 years, vertically built-in Lume Hashish Co. grew gross sales from $2 million to closing in on $200 million, because of investments in expertise and automation that reduce manufacturing prices by 50%, and an engaged and skilled staff. With a stable basis within the Midwest, the corporate is planning to increase to the Sunshine State.