NOBO, the first recreational cannabis retailer and production center in Benton Harbor, will celebrate a grand opening at 4 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 7 at its new location, 107 Water Street.
For the event, NOBO Benton Harbor will introduce itself to the community with a welcoming open-house environment and a variety of sales specials.
“NOBO strives to provide a welcoming and educational atmosphere where the public can feel comfortable in asking questions, whether you are an experienced cannabis consumer or trying it for the first time,” said Daniel Paul, NOBO VP of Marketing.
“The goal for the event is to open the doors, let people see what we’re doing, and reduce the stigma.”
NOBO Inc., which opened its fourth location in Benton Harbor, made a big splash in the West Michigan cannabis market in 2021, opening retail stores in Edwardsburg and Muskegon in February and April, respectively. New locations in Benton Harbor and Battle Creek each opened quietly on September 3 to hone its business processes before announcing to the public.
NOBO retail stores provide an assortment of recreational and medical cannabis products, including cannabis flowers, cannabis-infused edibles, cannabis extracts, vaporizers, topical treatments and tinctures. Many of its products are produced in-house under the NOBO brand label, while a portion of its resale products are sourced by other “trusted companies.”
NOBO is a shorthand for the company’s “No boundaries” vision of the emerging legal cannabis industry, as well as a nod to its origins in North Boulder, CO. In Colorado the brand is already regarded in provisioning centers for its wholesale products.
Alan Bosnett, CEO of NOBO, was a well-reputed cannabis grower when he created NOBO in Colorado in 2018 to manufacture products for the Colorado cannabis market. He then began growing cannabis in Benton Harbor in 2019 in anticipation of Michigan’s emerging recreational cannabis market.
“As the rest of the country started to legalize (cannabis), we saw Michigan as a ripe opportunity,” said NOBO VP of Marketing, Daniel Paul.
“In particular Benton Harbor was very welcoming to bringing a new industry to the community. Benton Harbor understood that embracing cannabis as a new industry left them free to explore what cannabis can deliver economically with jobs and revenue.”
The NOBO production facility and cultivation center in Benton Harbor supply products to all four Michigan NOBO retail locations. The company is growing rapidly with almost 150 Michigan employees currently. Around 60% of its employees work in production and 40% in retail sales.
Recreational cannabis sales carry a 16% sales tax, which is shared by local and state governments. Medical cannabis is only subject to the standard 6% Michigan sales tax.
In Colorado, NOBO is undergoing a $10 Million expansion project to update its processing center there, while an expansion to the Benton Harbor processing center is already in the works, according to Cathy Pyle, NOBO VP of Retail Operations and Human Resource Director. The company plans to open more retail centers in Michigan.
Pyle said the company currently has around 10 strains that are NOBO-specific products, and will have more as it continues to expand its line.
“Being a vertically integrated company, we are always coming out with research and development of new products, new edibles, topicals and other things to help the patient,” Pyle said.
NOBO Benton Harbor is also embracing its identity as a member of the Benton Harbor Arts District community by utilizing its street-facing glass window displays as a gallery for local artists like Marty McKiernan to display and sell art.
“Community is a really important part of our mission,” Paul said. “We’re working really hard to remove the stigma of cannabis. We’re not here to tear apart communities, but rather help contribute to the fabric of communities.”
NOBO works with the Benton Harbor chapter of Sons and Daughters United to help people expunge their cannabis-related criminal records.
NOBO also partners with a South Haven based company to recycle plastic waste especially generated by the cannabis industry into planters to use in the grow cycle of its plants.
“We are extremely excited to be in Benton Harbor and look forward to building a long and successful relationship with the community and its members,” Bosnett said in a public statement.
Michigan cannabis questions
For adult recreational consumers (21-years-old and up), Michigan law allows purchase up to 2.5oz of cannabis flower, or 15-grams of cannabis concentrate per transaction, with no monthly limit. Medical consumers with doctor-issued cards are allowed to purchase up to 2.5oz of cannabis flower or 15-grams of concentrate per day, and a total of 10-ounces of flower or 60-grams of concentrate per month.
Out-of-state visitors are able to make recreational cannabis purchases with a government-issued state ID, however transporting cannabis across state lines is prohibited.
Provisioning centers operate in a legal grey area due to cannabis’s federal prohibition status, which denies them access to the federal banking system including credit card sales. Most are strictly cash businesses and many provide ATMs on site. NOBO also accepts Aeropay, a third-party debit-card based baking transfer service.
Visit NOBO Benton Harbor for more information.
