By ILSA MINOR

Escanaba Daily Press

ESCANABA — While only a handful of Upper Peninsula communities have embraced legalized recreational marijuana, those that have have profited from it. A total of $87,093,279.90 was distributed late last month to the cities, villages, townships and counties that are home to licensed retail marijuana establishments.

The more than $87 million was the result of taxes levied on recreational marijuana, an industry that has boomed throughout the state since the drug was first legalized in 2018. According to the state distribution documents, there were 737 licensed retail stores and microbusiness in Michigan in 2023 — not including any that may be located on tribal land, like The Fire Station in Harris or Lume in Escanaba, which are not taxed by the state and whose communities are ineligible the tax reimbursements for those stores.

All Michigan communities are opted into the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, the law that legalizes recreational cannabis, by default. However, individual communities have the ability to “opt out” of the law, barring retail and grow operations from operating in their borders, or to enact restrictions limiting what types of marijuana business can open, where they can be located, and how many can operate.

The amount of money a community is reimbursed is entirely dependent on the number of microbusinesses or retail stores, often known as “dispensaries.” Communities that opt out of the law or that only allow grow operations do not receive reimbursement.

For 2023, each community with retail stores or microbusinesses received $59,086.35 for each business. Counties where these businesses are located also received $59,086.35, for a total of $118,172.70 distributed from the state per business to governmental units.

Delta County received $177,259.05 for its three licensed retail businesses not on tribal land. In addition to the funds that went to the county, Escanaba received $118,172.70 for its two businesses and Nahma received $59,086.35 for its single licensed outlet.

Menominee County, which sees substantial business from Wisconsin residents seeking legal marijuana, was reimbursed $295,431.75 for its non-tribal marijuana businesses. All of those establishments are located in the city of Menominee, which also received $295,431.75.

Schoolcraft County and Mueller Township each received $59,086.35 for the single licensed cannabis retailer in the county not located on tribal land.

The vast majority of marijuana funding for municipalities in the Upper Peninsula went to Marquette County. The county has 15 non-tribal licensed retail or microbusiness establishments, bringing in $886,295.25 for the county and an equal amount for the cities and townships that are home to the businesses. The city of Marquette received $295,431.75 for its five businesses; Marquette Township, Ishpeming, Sands Township, and Negaunee each got $118,172,70 for their two businesses.

Chippewa County received $295,431.75 for its five businesses. Four of those businesses are located in Sault Ste. Marie ($236,345.40), with the remaining business in Detour ($59,086.35).

Iron County also received $295,431.75 for five businesses. Those businesses are located in Crystal Falls (two businesses, $118,172.70), Iron River (two businesses, $118,172.70), and Mastodon Township (one business, $118,172.70).

Houghton was given $295,431.75 for its five businesses. Three of those businesses are in the city of Houghton ($177,269.05), one is in Portage Township ($59,086.35), and one is in Torch Lake Township ($59,086.35).

Alger County received $177,259.05 for three businesses, all of which are located in the city of Munising, which also received $177,259.05.

Dickinson County also received $177,259.05 for three businesses. Two of those businesses were in Iron Mountain ($118,172.70) and one was in Norway ($59,086.35).

Gogebic received $118,172.70 for two business, both of which are located in Ironwood. The city received an equal amount.

Mackinac County received $59,086.35 for the single business in its borders, located in Newton Township, which received an equal amount.