According to a respected business publication, New Buffalo Township’s Exit 1 corridor has suddenly become the epicenter of cannabis sales in the entire nation.
Crain’s Chicago Business recently published a feature story on the boom in cannabis sales in New Buffalo Township, quoting the attorney for the newly opened ‘Puff Cannabis’ superstore, Mike DiLaura:
“it’s the hottest market in the country right now…The one mile stretch of stores near I-94 is probably the biggest seller of cannabis in the entire world,” DiLaura told Crain’s.
Several factors have combined to drive the growth of the local ‘marijuana mecca.’
–Cannabis prices in SW Michigan are among the lowest in the country, according to Crain’s.
–Busy I-94 between Chicago and Detroit provides built in traffic any retailer of almost any product would love.
–The nearby Four Winds Casino draws thousands of people from all over the Midwest every week, many in a fun-seeking, get-away mood. A stop at a weed store is not a big stretch.
–Indiana, a few hundred yards away, prohibits almost all forms of cannabis use or sale.
–And, Illinois, an hour away levies a heavy tax on cannabis that puts the price of comparable products much higher there.
It’s apparently a perfect storm, in the most positive sense, for sellers of cannabis in New Buffalo.
How long will it last? No one knows. We’ve heard speculation that any enforcement action by Indiana state troopers on Illinois residents traveling through Indiana with cannabis could put a quick damper on the sales.
For now, however, New Buffalo has one more thing to be famous for, beyond a casino & a hamburger stand!
By Gayle Olson, MOTM Contributor
