Feedback NEWS & VIEWS
We got responses to contributor Eddie B. Allen Jr.’s cover story about rampant drug smuggling and overdoses in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
This happens EVERYDAY, seen it with my OWN eyes �� it’s sad too! �� they turn the officers, they bring the drugs in, then they all tell on each other, cause people can’t keep their mouth shut in there,��and get busted eventually! ��
—@mlongstreth24, Instagram
The guards are profiting. Jail guards are the most abusive and corrupt state employees. Ask anyone who has served time. Daily prisoner physical abuse goes “unnoticed”. No one cares, including the county Prosecutor,
judges, MDOC.
—Janet Marie Dimeck-Eggen, Facebook
My daughter that went to jail for drugs said she got more locked up than on the streets, all they did is keep her a drug addict.
—Tammi Kauzlarich Ulinski, Facebook
Allowing them a drug & goods trade inside is cheaper than enrolling inmates into programs that teach art, animal training & care, nursing, culinary courses etc. Always has been and that’s why it’s gone on for so long. Heaven forbid some actual rehabilitation happens.
—@dee-hunny.bsky.social, Bluesky
Accountability from any type of leadership in Michigan is a joke ����
—Mark Barker, Facebook
Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com
NEWS & VIEWS
The U.S. and Canada have long managed the Great Lakes together. That era could be ending.
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist, Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan, and WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region.
Great Lakes Day is an annual summit where politicians and officials of all stripes gather in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate their
commitment to the region home to the largest freshwater ecosystem on the planet. For years, leaders from the United States and Canada have met at the event without incident. But amid a tariff dispute between the two nations, the Trump administration abruptly disinvited two Canadian mayors from the long-standing White House meeting.
The last-minute exclusion of Mon-
treal Mayor Valérie Plante and St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe came just 48 hours before the event due to “diplomatic protocols,” according to Christine Maydossian, a spokesperson for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, which coordinates the meeting and submitted the names of the two Canadian mayors and one American to White House officials a month earlier.
Neither Canadian mayor responded to a request for comment.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump and his administration has repeatedly stoked tensions with Canada, once considered the United States’ closest ally. Along with trade and tariffs, this strife has also raised questions about how the region’s water resources will be managed. Amid the escalating political
Political tensions are threatening the future of the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth.
JUANPABLO RAMIREZ-FRANCO / GRIST
tensions, some Great Lakes advocates worry the diplomatic snub is a warning sign that one of the world’s most successful examples of water-sharing could become collateral damage in a geopolitical rift.
“We are worried that maybe behind all this is the idea that a country one day will be able to take water out of the Great Lakes and manage water not as an ecosystem that needs to be preserved in its watershed, but as a resource, as a commodity,” said Jérôme Marty, speaking as the director of the International Association for Great Lakes Research.
The New York Times reported that in calls with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump had “mentioned revisiting the sharing of lakes and rivers between the two nations.”
“President Trump has made clear the need for Canada to stop ripping off the United States on trade. President Trump will explore any and all actions that put the interests of America first,” said Brian Hughes, a spokesperson with the National Security Council, in an emailed statement to Grist. (The White House did not respond directly to Grist’s questions about cooperation between the two countries concerning the Great Lakes.)
For over a century, the United States and Canada have worked in tandem to manage four of the five Great Lakes that straddle both countries: Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. That cooperative arrangement — with which the countries settle everything from water use to
navigation to invasive species to pollution — may now be on the line.
“We cannot let this be sacrificed,” said Rachel Havrelock, a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago who directs the Freshwater Lab, an environmental research initiative focused on the Great Lakes and environmental justice.
“This is the most stable, productive, and mutually beneficial form of binational water governance on Earth,” she added.
The lakes provide drinking water for more than 30 million people spread across both sides of the border. The U.S. and Canada, then under British rule, signed the Boundary Waters Treaty in 1909, a highlypraised water sharing agreement that formed the International Joint Commission, or IJC, a binational organization that aims to prevent and resolve disputes over shared lakes and rivers.
(The arrangements between the two countries long sidelined Indigenous nations, some of which the U.S.-Canada border artificially bisected. For example, the IJC did not invite Indigenous representatives to participate until the 1980s, despite the sovereign rights of those nations. Indigenous communities often face disproportionate impacts from pollution and climate change, and recent IJC assessments have acknowledged that strengthening relationships with Indigenous governments is key to improving its response to those threats.)
The relationship was further cemented by the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission, established in 1955, which coordinates how invasive species and fisheries are managed, and again by the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which committed the two nations to “restore and maintain” the health of the lakes.
Those are just three among a layered patchwork of treaties and other agreements between local, state, federal, and tribal governments that determine Great Lakes management. Some don’t necessarily rely on federal involvement, such as the Great Lakes Agreement and Compact, which protects the water from being shipped to other states and regions.
Trump has cast doubt on the stability of these agreements by breaking a series of diplomatic taboos, including calling Canada the “51st state” and halting negotiations on the Columbia River Treaty, after referring to the British Columbia river as a “large faucet” that could be used to solve California’s water crisis last year.
Policy experts say Trump’s recent tack raises a red flag for the future of the Great Lakes.
“The water and the resources don’t recognize international boundaries,” said Mike Shriberg, a faculty member at the University of Michigan who specializes in Great Lakes policy.
“You can’t manage things like invasive species from only one country and not the other. You can’t manage harmful algal blooms from one country or the other. The information on the flow of ice and what that means for shipping has to be shared across borders.”
Shriberg said the Trump administration’s funding freeze and staffing cuts related to management of the lakes are impacting how the U.S. will protect them and meet its obligations with Canada — concerns that prompted him to write an op-ed making the case for politicians to unify to protect the Great Lakes.
Some areas have shown signs of revival; the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s sea lamprey program can begin rehiring U.S. federal workers to control the invasive species, which can wreak havoc on other fish. That means the program will move forward, albeit weeks behind schedule.
But other threats are visible, according to Shriberg: There are more bureaucratic roadblocks to federal scientists working with their Canadian counterparts on everything from harmful algal blooms to flooding — work he said had until this point been “seamless.”
“It’s often not happening because of the chaos within the agencies that’s being caused by all the cutbacks,” Shriberg said.
Those cutbacks have reached the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, which has been rocked by staffing upheavals, with a fifth of their employees reportedly retiring, resigning, fired, or on leave, including the communications team.
“You’re already seeing a breakdown in capacity to do the basic work that we need to protect the lakes,” he said.
—Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco and Izzy Ross
Detroit resident charged after dog found stabbed in basement
A Detroit resident has been charged in the brutal stabbing of a dog, the second disturbing case of animal cruelty in the city in recent months.
Jordan Love, 29, faces up to seven years in prison on a felony charge of second-degree animal torture and cruelty to multiple animals.
On Feb. 7, Detroit Animal Care and Control officers were dispatched to a home in the 15200 block of Manning Street after receiving reports that a dog had been stabbed. Officers forced entry into the home and found a dog in the basement with multiple stab wounds to its torso.
Prosecutors allege that Love stabbed the dog and then posted a video of the injured animal on social media early that morning before flee -
ing Michigan.
Authorities also removed three dogs and four cats from the property.
Love was arrested on March 20 in Greenville, S.C., and extradited back to Michigan.
“The WCPO has always taken the abuse of animals very seriously,”
Worthy said in a statement. “We have impacted legislation and have been proactive with the applicable laws — seeking and fighting to change them in many instances. Although we never really anticipated the alleged brutality and cruelty that this case represents, as a result of our earlier efforts, this case is a clear representation of why better laws were needed.”
The case comes amid growing public concern over animal abuse
in the city. In a separate and widely followed case, a young Jack Russell Terrier named Gideon was rescued in January after reportedly being intentionally scalded in a Detroit bathtub. He suffered third-degree burns across most of his body and endured months of painful treatments, including daily bandage changes and skin grafts.
The dog, now adopted and living with a local rescue volunteer, has drawn support from across the country. The story has galvanized calls for justice and tougher enforcement of animal cruelty laws.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said its investigation into Gideon’s abuse is ongoing.
“The goal is to have a warrant request be presented for prosecutors to
review and make a charging recommendation to Prosecutor Worthy,”
WCPO spokeswoman Maria Miller tells Metro Times. “Once that is done a charging decision will be made.”
Miller says the prosecutor’s office understands the public’s frustration with the pace of the investigation but emphasized that a thorough legal process is required before charges can be filed.
“We understand that it is difficult for the public to understand why the process is lengthy,” Miller says. “We cannot rely on Facebook posts or allegations that are coming from various online chats. We must prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt by having facts and evidence that can be presented in a court of law.”
—Steve Neavling
More than 40 women sue University of Michigan over stolen private images
More than 40 current and former student-athletes are suing the University of Michigan, alleging that former football coach Matt Weiss exploited systemic data security failures to steal their intimate images and private information, according to an amended lawsuit filed Friday.
The plaintiffs, including former Grambling State softball star McKenzie Johnson, accuse the university of failing to protect sensitive data stored by a third-party contractor, Keffer Development Services, which Weiss allegedly used to access private cloud accounts, emails, and social media profiles of at least 3,300 female athletes.
Johnson, who had no ties to the University of Michigan, said she was notified by the U.S. Department of Justice that she was among Weiss’s victims but was never contacted by the university.
“Despite knowing in February 2023 that Coach Weiss was a vicious predator
with possession of private and sensitive documents, Mr. Johnson was never informed by the University,” the lawsuit states.
Weiss, who served as the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator until January 2023, faces more than 20 federal charges in connection with the alleged hack.
The lawsuit says he used his university credentials to infiltrate poorly secured athlete databases and crack encrypted passwords, ultimately downloading personal content from more than 2,000 accounts.”
Attorneys for the plaintiff filed an emergency motion for an injunction demanding the university relinquish all remaining digital evidence to a neutral forensic firm, saying U-M cannot be trusted to retail the files.
“The time for the University to behave responsibly has passed and now it is critical that the University be ordered to relinquish control of Plaintiff’s private
information and intimate files,” Attorney Jon Marko said in a statement.
“There are nationally renowned data security experts who can safeguard the evidence in this case and prevent the University from inflicting more irreparable harm on Plaintiffs. There is no room for compromise. The University cannot be trusted to handle private documents of an intimate nature that were never meant for anyone other than the young woman. The thought of countless
University employees still having access to what was stolen by Coach Weiss is terrifying.”
The lawsuit accuses the university, its regents, Weiss, and Keffer of violating federal privacy laws, Title IX, and Michigan’s Identity Theft Protection Act, along with a host of other civil rights and negligence claims. It also seeks class-action status on behalf of all people whose accounts were accessed.
—Steve Neavling
WSU faces backlash after police confront peaceful protesters
Wayne State University is under fire again after campus police confronted pro-Palestinian students during a peaceful demonstration inside the Student Center, the latest in a series of increasingly aggressive crackdowns on dissenting voices.
The April 2 protest, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, called on the university to divest from companies profiting from the war in Gaza. It began with banners, posters, and chants urging the Board of Governors to take up a long-ignored divestment resolution that student leaders have pushed since Israel began bombing Palestinians in October 2023.
But within minutes of the protest, police disrupted the demonstration, according to protesters and video footage posted on social media. One female student attempting to speak with a university official was physically grabbed by an officer, prompting a confrontation between police and other demonstrators. Another student was reportedly grabbed in a stairwell after a verbal exchange with police.
Officers also blocked visibly Muslim students, including women in hijabs and others wearing keffiyehs, from entering the building, regardless of their involvement in the demonstration.
Two journalists with press credentials were also denied access.
In a written response to Metro Times, Wayne State University disputed the characterization of the protest, saying the students had not reserved space in the Student Center and were disrupting the activities of “dozens of students.”
“WSU police responded, calmly asking them to remove the banners and lower their voices,” the university said. “Although protestors were welcomed to remain, their continued disruption led the police to escort them from the building.”
The university added that officers “professionally and appropriately implemented university policy” and emphasized that “while free expression is a fundamental right, protesters also have a responsibility to follow reasonable university guidelines regarding space usage and disruption.”
Students for Justice in Palestine is calling on students and others to get involved.
“The physical treatment of students, particularly those remaining calm and seeking dialogue, is unacceptable,” the group said in a statement Wednesday. “Even more disturbing is the silence of bystanders, who watched as their peers, especially young women, were physically confronted by campus officials. In today’s climate, where students are facing increased repression for speaking truth to power, we call on our fellow classmates not to look away. Performative allyship,
likes, shares, and passive support means nothing if we stay silent in the face of injustice.”
This is not the first time Wayne State has been accused of suppressing proPalestinian voices on campus. In March, campus police prevented a group of students and professors from holding a previously permitted vigil and pop-up medical clinic outside the university’s medical school. Despite not impeding traffic or violating any university policies, the group was told to disperse. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan intervened, warning the university that its inconsistent space-use policies were chilling constitutionally protected speech.
Since last spring, the university has drawn sharp criticism for its treatment of protesters. On May 30, 2024, police in riot gear raided a peaceful protest encampment, arrested several demonstrators, and tackled students as they complied with orders to leave. At least one woman’s hijab was ripped off in the process.
A month earlier, officers forcibly removed students from a Board of Governors meeting, prompting more than 100 faculty and staff members to sign a letter condemning the “racist assault” on peaceful demonstrators.
Faculty members have since called
for President Kimberly Espy to resign, citing a loss of confidence in her leadership. Some even considered organizing a no-confidence vote, arguing that her administration has used police force to suppress peaceful activism and silence students demanding divestment from companies tied to Israel.
The university has also been accused of dodging public accountability. In June, the Board of Governors moved its public meeting online and shifted the public comment period to the end of the session, a move that students say was clearly designed to avoid dissent.
Despite mounting criticism and growing protests, university officials have declined to seriously consider a divestment resolution, even after promising to do so.
Students planned another demonstration last week in front of the “W” sculpture on campus, calling for divestment, the release of detained student activists, and the establishment of an ICE-free sanctuary zone at Wayne State.
“Let this be a wake-up call, not just for Wayne State, but for students everywhere,” Students for Justice in Palestine said. “We urge our peers to find courage, even if it feels late. It is never too late when justice has not yet been served.”
—Steve Neavling
Former U-M football coach Matt Weis is accused of stealing private information. SHUTTERSTOCK
NEWS & VIEWS
Opinion
If you were in a room with Trump, what would you do?
By Lee DeVito
It’s safe to say that Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s recent overture to President Donald Trump didn’t go exactly as planned.
Last week, Big Gretch was in Washington, D.C. to bend the ear of Trump — her second such visit in two months. But whatever she hoped to accomplish, a viral photo of Whitmer hiding from cameras as she found herself in an awkward situation in the Oval Office probably wasn’t part of it.
On the one hand, Whitmer can’t be blamed for wanting a fresh start. The two had a high-profile feud during Trump’s first term, with the Democratic governor accusing the Republican president of not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously enough and egging on the militia groups that unsuccessfully plotted to kidnap her. Trump retaliated by threatening to withhold federal aid to who he derisively dubbed “the woman from Michigan,” deeming her insufficiently grateful.
So there Whitmer was, in a rented venue near the White House, giving a “Build, America, Build” speech calling for bipartisanship and offering conditional support for Trump’s tariffs, which he says are necessary to bring jobs back to the U.S. but have caused chaos in the stock market and stoked fears of a looming recession.
“I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and I can tell you here’s where President Trump and I do agree,” she said. “We do need to make more stuff in America. … We do need fair trade. No state has lived through the consequences of offshoring and outsourcing more than Michigan.”
She added, “Let’s usher in, as President Trump says, a ‘Golden Age’ of American manufacturing.”
In a Q&A following the speech, Whitmer elaborated on her goals for her meeting with Trump later that day. “We’re never going to find common ground without talking to each other,” she told former Fox News journalist Gretchen Carlson, adding that she and Michigan state House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, planned on discussing issues pertaining to Michigan including invasive Asian carp in the Great Lakes and invest-
ments in Macomb County’s Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
Fair enough. But what Whitmer assumed would be a private meeting wound up being anything but. A camera crew was on hand as Trump signed the latest in a series of despotic executive orders targeting his critics, including calls for Justice Department probes into officials from his first term who spoke out against his baseless accusations that the 2020 election was “rigged” as well as his handling of classified documents.
Another executive order placed restrictions on the law firm Susman Godfrey, which represented Dominion Voting Systems in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News over Trump’s election lies.
In an Orwellian bulletin, the White House described the orders as part of its efforts to terminate contracts with firms engaged in “activities not aligned with American interests” and “to end the weaponization of the Federal government.”
Whitmer, viewed as a likely 2028 Democratic Party presidential candidate, seemed to realize she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After shielding her face from a New York Times photographer with a stack of folders, video footage showed her standing awkwardly in the background as Trump praised her, saying, “She’s done an excellent job.”
In hindsight, why wouldn’t there be cameras following the ultimate reality TV star?
Speaking to reporters later, Whitmer defended the visit. “My presence was not an endorsement of any of the actions taken or the comments that were made. I was going in for a meeting and they walked me into a press conference,” Whitmer said. “I disagree with a lot of the stuff that was said and the actions that were taken, but I stayed in the room because I needed to make the case for Michigan and that’s my job.”
UAW president Shawn Fain was similarly criticized for his outspoken support of Trump’s tariffs given the union’s longstanding relationship with Democrats, but on Thursday he offered a more nuanced take during a livestream address.
“One of the great divide-and-conquer
tricks the ruling class has played on the working class of this country is to see politics like a spectator sport,” he said from the UAW’s Detroit Solidarity House, adding, “Both sides talk about bullshit issues to hype up their fan base, while the real issues that impact working-class people are never addressed.”
Fain maintained that the UAW’s obligations are to workers, not any particular political party or president. “Our approach to President Trump is no different than our approach was to President Biden,” he said.
“That’s not flip-flopping,” he added. “It’s called integrity.”
Like Whitmer, Fain supported strategic tariffs rather than Trump’s sweeping tariffs, along with other policies that could help restore manufacturing jobs in Michigan. He also applauded Trump for even addressing the issue at all.
“The Trump administration is the first administration in my lifetime that’s been willing to do something about this broken free trade system,” Fain said, while also forcefully denouncing the Trump administration’s attacks on organized labor, support for what he called the genocide in Gaza, and suppression of antiwar protesters at college campuses, among others.
“No matter what party you voted for, understand this — there is a direct line between the free trade disaster and the political chaos in this country,” Fain said. “Plant closures and mass layoffs resulted in intense pain and suffering and anger for hundreds of thousands of working families in our country, and all that pain and anger had to go somewhere. A lot of it went to support Donald Trump for president and now it’s being directed at immigrants, at transgender people, at higher education, and that’s the wrong
target. The right target is corporate America, and the sooner both parties understand this, the sooner our country will begin to deal with our real issues.”
Fain’s speech is worth watching in full on YouTube, a masterclass in noting common ground while also speaking forcefully out against areas of disagreement. So what should Whitmer have done differently?
“She should have punched him in the face,” political commentator Evan Stern wrote in a Substack post. “Or, short of that, Whitmer could have rhetorically assaulted the president, jumped in front of the cameras and eviscerated his plainly anti-American executive orders. .. Had Whitmer recognized the situation for what it was, she could have captured the attention of the nation and catapulted to the forefront of a crowded field of potential presidential candidates. But she stood silent, out of deference — indeed, out of loyalty — to Donald Trump.”
Stern continued, “It’s time for Democratic leaders to summon their fighting spirit and embrace unwavering opposition to Trump’s agenda — not as a matter of partisan strategy, but as a moral imperative to protect what remains of our constitutional republic.”
What would you do if you were witness to injustice anywhere?
Would you speak up against it in the Oval Office, surrounded by cameras?
What if you were just engaging in some “locker room banter” and someone made a crude boast, saying, “when you’re a star, they let you do it … you can do anything … grab ’em by the pussy” — even if you thought nobody else was around to see or hear it?
There’s power in being in the so-called room where it happens, but that power also comes with responsibility.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer got more than she bargained for when she met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. WHITE HOUSE
CANNABIS
The calls almost always come in the dead of night.
For George Brikho, owner of Jazz Cannabis Club on Detroit’s west side, it’s become a nerve-racking routine — the blare of a security alarm, the heartpounding scramble for firearms, and the frantic race toward a dispensary 28 miles away that is already under siege.
“Your heart sinks. You’re grabbing your clothes, trying to get dressed,” Brikho tells Metro Times. “I’m grabbing my rifle and my pistol, and I’m driving, and I just got the hell scared out of me, and all of that anxiety is for nothing. The mindfuck – it’s traumatic. I have anxiety attacks. I say, ‘George, calm the fuck down.’ But you can’t. Your unconscious mind goes into fight or flight mode.”
Jazz Cannabis Club has been broken into three times in the past year, with each hit more brazen than the last. A year ago, thieves used sledgehammers to punch through a wall. In December, a stolen U-Haul was smashed into the rear of the building. In March, burglars ripped the front door off with a pickup truck.
All told, Brikho says he’s lost around $100,000 in cannabis products, and that’s not counting the repeated damage to his building.
He’s far from alone.
Since January 2024, at least 52 cannabis businesses in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties have been burglarized, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and interviews with cannabis business owners. Of those, 39 were in Detroit. Hazel Park has been hit hard too, with at least six break-ins, making it the second hardest-hit city in the region.
The tactics are growing more aggressive. In the first three months of this year alone, at least 22 cannabis businesses were burglarized — 16 of them in Detroit. In about half of those, thieves used trucks to smash through buildings. Most got away.
Between Jan. 11 and Jan. 24, six grow facilities on Detroit’s west side were hit in rapid succession — some just blocks apart — causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
The true number of break-ins is likely even higher. Metro Times filed a FOIA request with the state Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), which requires licensed marijuana businesses
to report any thefts or criminal activity. The agency initially provided records for about 12 break-ins since January 2023. After we pointed out numerous missing cases, the CRA sent a second, more complete response, showing about 30 breakins. Through additional interviews and incident reports, Metro Times identified more than 20 others, raising questions about the state’s recordkeeping at a time when the industry is desperate for accurate data and solutions.
Asked to explain the discrepancy, a CRA spokesperson says the first omission was an error but he wasn’t sure why reports from additional break-ins weren’t disclosed. He says some records may not have been divulged because there was no stolen product during the break-in. The CRA offered to try to identify any missing records, but it was past our deadline.
A GROWING THREAT TO A TROUBLED MARKET
The wave of break-ins comes at a time when Michigan’s cannabis market is struggling. Due to high supply, wholesale prices have collapsed with pounds of marijuana sometimes selling for less than $600, a fraction of what it fetched just three years ago. As a result, many operators are delaying security upgrades, laying off staff, or closing altogether.
Now thieves are making a bad situation worse, but in an unfortunate twist for them, they’re often leaving emptyhanded or with a few garbage bags full of trim, which has an exceedingly low
street value.
Left behind is the damage: gaping holes in the sides of recently renovated buildings.
“They’re doing a lot for very little,” says Jason Wilson, owner of Uncle J’s Joints on Detroit’s west side. “The street prices are way down. It doesn’t make any sense.”
His business has been hit three times in the past year, each time by burglars sending a truck barreling through his gates. One of those trucks smashed through three separate barriers before reaching the garage doors. The thieves made off with about 60 plants — roughly 25 pounds of flower. But the cost of repairs and damage? Close to $100,000.
“I think it’s going to get worse,” Wilson adds. “I hate to say it and think it. But as the economy gets worse, there are going to be a lot more break-ins based on that.”
Even when thieves walk away emptyhanded, the consequences can be severe. At Granny Farm, a family-run grow facility on Detroit’s east side, burglars used a sledgehammer or similar tool to punch a hole into the building last May. A neighbor chased them off, but they returned two hours later with a U-Haul. Police responded around 4 a.m. and caught the thieves in the act, but the damage was already done.
“We got the product back, but it was compromised and couldn’t pass testing,” says co-owner Joanne Manning. “We lost way more money than we thought. Even though they didn’t get away with anything, it still cost us a lot.”
To make matters worse, Manning says
the break-in let in pests that destroyed the next harvests.
She briefly considered quitting. Instead, she enrolled in Project Green Light, Detroit’s real-time camera surveillance program.
“Green Light is quite expensive, but at this point we understand it’s a huge deterrent,” she says. “We have to continue to be proactive.”
A PATCHWORK OF PROTECTION
Security upgrades have become an expensive necessity.
The cost to fully fortify a dispensary or cultivation site can be anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000, not including monthly spending on surveillance systems, private security, and overnight staff, cannabis operators say.
For some, it still hasn’t been enough.
“I’ve basically built a bunker and still got hit,” Brikho says. “And good luck getting insurance unless you’ve built your place like a bank.”
State regulations require cannabis businesses to install commercial-grade security doors, alarms, and a surveillance system with at least 30 days of video storage. But enforcement and protection fall on local police, not the state.
With break-ins on the rise, companies that make metal doors, steel shutters, and concrete barriers are seeing a surge in demand. At Detroit Door Services, owner Nadav (David) Frieder says cannabis businesses are increasingly reaching out, but often after they’ve already been hit. He recently installed
At Liberty Cannabis, brazen burglars committed a robbery by ramming a truck through a wall.
STEVE NEAVLING
hollow metal doors and steel frames at a grow facility that had been burglarized twice in Detroit. For dispensaries with windows, he recommends adding metal shutters.
“There are a lot of break-ins,” Frieder says. “It’s crazy.”
Still, most clients call him too late.
“Nobody wants to spend money until something bad happens,” he says. “Things are already expensive, so they aren’t necessarily wanting to spend money.”
But he urges business owners to act before it’s too late.
“Time is the key,” Frieder says. “You want to make it as hard as possible to get in so it’s too much work to even mess with.”
To keep thieves out, some cannabis businesses are fortifying their buildings with reinforced walls, steel doors, antiram barriers, and vault-style rooms to protect their businesses.
“We joke that this place is turning into Fort Knox,” says James Rissi, head grower at M&T Ventures in Detroit.
“We’re putting vault locks on everything.”
WHEN THE POLICE DONÌT COME
But all the steel and concrete in the world won’t help much if police don’t respond, and that’s where many operators say the system is breaking down.
Rissi’s grow operation was burglarized twice in one week in February.
After the first incident, he says he handed Detroit police a license plate number, surveillance footage, and even a crowbar left behind by the burglars. No one followed up, he says. Days later, the thieves returned and struck again.
“The police have done absolutely nothing,” Rissi says. “It’s crazy out there. They’re hitting everything.”
Then, at another Detroit building Rissi was preparing to open, thieves broke in and stole 84 high-end lights and most of the equipment he had already installed.
“That’s an all-nighter,” Rissi says of the heist. “And we still haven’t heard from the police.”
He’s not the only one frustrated.
One Detroit cultivator, who asked not to be named for fear of being targeted again, says his business was hit twice in two months. The first time, the thieves failed to get inside. The second time, they used a truck to ram through a steel door in search of cannabis.
“We felt very defenseless,” he says. “They’re stealing vehicles and using disguises. You feel a bit helpless about it.”
After filing a report, he says police gave him the wrong case number, then stopped returning his calls. He tried enrolling in Project Green Light, the city’s surveillance program, but no one followed up.
“They don’t care,” he says. “They just don’t care.”
At least four other business owners repeated the same complaint: Detectives never called them back after the break-ins.
“It’s like the system’s overloaded or just not interested,” says one dispensary manager who asked not to be named.
Detroit police, however, say they are
taking the break-ins seriously.
“We do hope there will be a break in some of these,” says Anthony O’Rourke, commander of organized crime for the Detroit Police Department. “I tend to believe it’s a smaller group of people doing a majority of these locations.”
He says the department is using surveillance technology to identify and catch suspects, and that police regularly audit their own work to ensure cases are being properly investigated.
“It doesn’t mean we are a perfect organization,” O’Rourke says. “Probably some things have fallen through the cracks. But we have mechanisms in place to minimize that.”
O’Rourke adds that some cannabis businesses may not be cooperating because they are operating outside the law and are hesitant to share surveillance footage or internal documentation. (Metro Times has not come across an owner who said they declined to cooperate with police.)
“From a logical standpoint, if you have that much value in that location, what are you doing to solve the problem of security?” he says. “We don’t have cars driving through banks.”
O’Rourke also points to Detroit’s still-thriving black market as a major incentive for burglars.
“This is a money-driven product,” he says. “There is a huge black market based on the difference in prices. The cost of the legalized market is significantly higher than the black market. So there is some motive for these guys to get these very profitable products. The black market is definitely out there, alive and well, and has probably grown since the legalization and decriminalization in the state of Michigan.”
The Refinery in Detroit is another dispensary that has been robbed recently.
STEVE NEAVLING
Jazz Cannabis Club owner George Brikho.
STEVE NEAVLING
PROJECT GREEN
LIGHT: HELP OR HURDLE?
Some cannabis business owners are turning to Project Green Light, the city’s widely touted public-private surveillance partnership. Businesses that enroll are connected to Detroit police through live high-definition video feeds. They’re also promised priority response when crimes are reported.
But that protection doesn’t come cheap.
According to city data, enrollment costs up to $4,100 for installation and cameras, plus another $1,000 for signs and green lights, and monthly fees between $100 and $200.
And only a small fraction of Detroit cannabis businesses are enrolled — just 9 out of roughly 70 licensed locations.
Some operators have hope in the program. After thieves struck Granny Farm twice last year, co-owner Manning applauds DPD’s efforts but says more can be done.
“We want to know if there’s something more the Detroit Police Department can do to keep us a little more protected,” Manning says. “The burglars are still at it.”
The burglary tactics have become more destructive, more deliberate — and more surreal.
At The Refinery, a dispensary on Detroit’s west side, security cameras first caught someone jumping a fence. Hours later, the footage showed a group cutting through a concrete wall from a neighboring property. Nearly two hours later, they passed racks of cannabis through the hole like contraband in a prison break.
At Liberty Cannabis, one crew rammed a truck through the wall. A few months later, masked suspects used crowbars to try to pry open the front door.
And at Supergood, a newly opened dispensary, burglars used a dumpster for cover, then sawed through the back wall. Another crew returned days later and used what appeared to be a branch trimmer to sever the store’s internet connection before slipping inside. They left with bags of flower — and left behind thousands of dollars in damage.
Similar scenes have played out in Hazel Park, Warren, and Ferndale, where stolen pickup trucks, U-Hauls, and minivans have become battering rams. Many thieves come equipped with crowbars, grinders, bolt cutters, and often seem to know exactly where to go once inside.
In Warren, a one-week stretch in February was particularly wild. A truck plowed through three separate cultivation and processing facilities, causing significant damage and making off with
large amounts of cannabis.
In the second incident, a truck slammed into the garage of a facility on Dequindre Road. Two thieves ran inside, grabbed bins and bags of marijuana flower, and took off. Police later spotted the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the truck sped off.
The chase ended in Detroit’s west side when the driver, 29-year-old parole absconder Dijon Tyree, lost control and crashed into a vacant house.
Two days later, while Tyree was in jail awaiting arraignment, an SUV crashed into another cannabis processing plant just a block away from the previous hit. The thieves got away clean, again.
Scenes like this have turned metro Detroit’s cannabis market into something closer to a crash-and-grab battleground — where police chases, repeated hits, and empty responses are becoming all too common.
And despite the scale of the damage, they’re often stealing only small quantities — trim, pre-rolls, or a few pounds of flower. In many cases, the cost of the damage far exceeds the value of what’s stolen.
THE CRAÌS ROLE AND ITS LIMITS
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency says it’s trying to help, but it has limited tools.
“We’ve issued bulletins to warn businesses,” CRA executive director Brian Hanna tells Metro Times. “We view this as, ‘We’re all in this together.’”
But the agency can’t redirect cannabis tax dollars to help patrol or protect businesses because that would require legislation, Hanna says.
“If people are talking about reallocating tax dollars for this kind of issue, they need to talk to lawmakers,” Hanna says. “We don’t have the authority to dictate where the money goes.”
He agrees the industry’s heavy reliance on cash, which is a consequence of federal banking restrictions against cannabis companies, creates an additional layer of risk.
“We have been calling on banking reforms because this is an all-cash business,” Hanna says. “It’s an inherent danger to the industry to operate like this.”
Some cannabis operators also take issue with the CRA’s online public licensee directory, which lists the names and addresses of every licensed marijuana business in the state.
They say it’s making them easy targets.
“I don’t understand why they have to put all that information up,” says Jason Wilson, owner of Uncle J’s Joints. “In California, they kept grow locations secret because they knew these things would happen.”
Others in the industry say the direc-
tory helps them network, share contacts, and build wholesale partnerships, and transparency advocates say the public has a right to know where these businesses are located.
But some suggest a compromise: restrict the full address list to licensed operators and trade members only.
“It would be nice if this information wasn’t just out there for anyone to use, especially people trying to rob us,” one grower says.
A CITY ORGANIZING TO FIGHT BACK
After enduring four break-ins at his dispensary and cultivation sites, Stuart Carter, owner of Utopia Gardens, decided it was time for cannabis businesses to stop acting alone.
This spring, he launched the Detroit Cannabis Industry Association, a 501(c) (6) nonprofit trade group that aims to bring together cultivators, processors, and retailers across the city to share intelligence, push for policy changes, and develop security strategies.
“I’m extremely concerned about the future of the cannabis industry, particularly in Detroit,” Carter says. “Let’s band together. Let’s share strategies. My goal is to make it too hard for thieves to break into our buildings.”
Carter envisions the association as a way to coordinate responses to breakins, pool ideas for fortifying buildings, and advocate as a unified voice.
But Carter says that even with smart planning, survival is getting harder. With prices plummeting, operators can’t afford thousands of dollars in repairs, let alone major security overhauls.
“We need affordable solutions,” he says. “Not every operator has $50,000 to spend on fortifying a building. But if we share what works — what slows them down, what stops them — we’ve got a better chance.”
The association also hopes to lobby city officials for support, including increased patrols in burglary hotspots and more cooperation with state agencies.
But even with every camera installed, every gate reinforced, and every door locked down, business owners say the break-ins haven’t stopped. And neither has the anxiety.
Before bed, Brikho says, he braces for the sound of his phone ringing.
“When I close my eyes at night, I’m just waiting for that call,” he says. “Every single night.”
And yet, he hasn’t walked away. Like many others in the industry, he’s still fighting and opening the doors every day, hoping it won’t be his turn again.
“This is weed we’re talking about. We joke that it’s just that good,” Brikho says. “But the truth is, it’s our livelihood. And we’re not going anywhere.”
EMPLOYMENT
Supplier Quality Engineer, Brose North America, Auburn Hills, MI. Assure &approve qlty of suppliers involved in supplying raw matls (resins), rubber, &plastic injection molded subcmpts incl. door carrier plates, cable drum housings, Bowden cables, brackets, rail slider plastics, &moldings, from Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) through product lifecycle incl. Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) subcmpt releases for mechatronic door syss for psgr vehicles, using SAP Quality Management (QM), Production Planning &Control (PP), Logistics, Matl Mgmt modules. Prepare &create qlty-gate reports incl. gaging concepts acc. Brose Product Dvlpmt Process &supplier syss &methods dvlpmt progress. Anlyz &release project-specific Production Part Approval Process (PPAPs) &German Assoc. of the Automot Industry docs. after dvlpmt w/ production part suppliers. Reqrd travel in U.S., MEX, CAN, &DEU, to audit suppliers incl. machine capacity, cmpt drawings, PPAP readiness, raw matl status, logistics pkgg verification, &tooling, up to 3 wks P/A. Bachelor, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Industrial, or Automot Engrg, or related. 24 mos exp as Engr or related, assuring or approving qlty of suppliers of rubber &plastic injection molded subcmpts, from APQP through PPAP subcmpt releases for psgr vehicle sys, using SAP QM, PP modules, or related. E-mail resume to Jobs@brose.com (Ref#856).
WHAT’S GOING ON
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers
Starting Thursday, the Tigers host a four-game series against divisional foes the Kansas City Royals with the team’s exciting top prospect Jackson Jobe on the bump. Jobe has gotten off to a promising start, earning his first major league win over six scoreless innings of work in Minnesota on Saturday and lowering his earned run average to 3.00 in the process. Like the Tigers, the Royals are seeking a return to the playoffs after getting there in somewhat surprising fashion last season. Led by MVP hopeful Bobby Witt Jr. and stalwart catcher Salvador Perez, the Royals lineup doesn’t have many easy outs. The Royals won the season series 7-6 last year – a reversal of fortunes would go a long way toward giving the Tigers a little separation in the AL Central standings.
Starts 6:40 p.m. on Thursday; Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit, ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at $7.
Ghettotechtopia
This regular event at UFO Bar celebrates all things ghettotech — the rapid, raw, repetitive, and raunchy style of hip-hop-inflected electronic music developed in the city in the ’90s that combines elements of electro, Detroit techno, Chicago ghetto house, and Miami bass. DJs Sheefy McFly, Shaq Q, Diego, and Roxx will be on hand spinning the best ghettotech tracks. If past versions of the event are any indication, expect the fast footwork of jit dancers all night as well.
Starts at 10 p.m. on Friday; UFO Bar, 2110 Trumbull, Detroit. Tickets are
The Found Footage Festival.
Rhode Island Football Club at Detroit City Football Club
DCFC are coming off of a shocking 3-2 victory against Phoenix Rising that saw them tally three goals in the final five minutes of the game. The comeback got Le Rouge back in the win column after going draw-loss-draw in their previous three. Come cheer them on as they look to keep the momentum rolling against a Rhode Island side coming off their first win of the season.
Starts 4 p.m. on Saturday; Keyworth Stadium, 3201 Roosevelt St., Hamtramck; detcityfc.com. Tickets start at $16.
Found Footage Festival
Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (The Late Show with David Letterman) have spent the past 20 years or so amassing more than 13,000 random VHS tapes, what they call “the world’s largest collection of strange, outrageous, and profoundly stupid videos.” The treasure trove includes workout videos, corporate training tapes, weird New Age stuff, oddball public access shows, and much more. The pair share highlights from their magnificent bounty during this touring film festival of sorts, and even manage to track down people from the videos for followup interviews. “It was such a unique thing where people didn’t know what they were doing,” Prueher previously told Metro Times of the VHS era, “and so cheap to do that all these mom-andpop operations come in and make these hyper-specific tapes that they thought nobody outside of their community would ever see.” Freaky VHS tape donations are also accepted.
Doors at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday; Ant Hall, 2320 Caniff St., Hamtramck;
New Dawn: 1-year anniversary (An All White Affair)
The city’s top monthly African dance music series is ringing in its one year anniversary with a bang. Headlined by DJ YUNGD with special guests DJ Kdirty, Swdejay, Pressure, Juju, and Rasko, the celebration features an allwhite dress code and all-night dance floor soundtracked by Afrohouse, Afrobeats, Reggaeton, Amapiano, and other styles. Check out @newdawn_
tions and more event details. Booths and tables are available.
Starts at 9 p.m. on Saturday; The Norwood, 6531 Woodward Ave., Detroit; newdawn.events. Tickets start at $15.
Architecture Bicycle Tour
Explore the Motor City by bike. Hosted by Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop, this popular three-hour, 15-mile tour is led by architect Chris Gongora and focuses
ing stops at Hart Plaza, the Financial District, Cass Corridor, Brush Park, Eastern Market, and the Dequindre Cut. You can bring your own ride or rent one for an additional cost, but space is limited — so be sure to register ahead of time. If it sells out, there are also upcoming tours on May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 17, Sept. 7, and Oct. 5.
Starts at noon on Sunday; Cullen Plaza, 1340 Atwater St., Detroit; wheelhousedetroit.com. Tickets are $45
The New Dawn African dance music night celebrates its first anniversary.
COURTESY PHOTO
WHAT’S GOING ON CONTD
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check venue websites before all events for the latest information. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/AddEvent.
MUSIC
Wednesday, April 16
Live/Concert
Mogwai 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $26.
Matt Larusso Trio and guests 8-11 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.
Wolf Shambles, Patty PerShayla, Ghoul World 7-11 p.m.; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; $10. DJ/Dance
Line Dancing Lessons at Diamondback Music Hall! 6:30-10 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $10-$15.
Planet Funk 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Ripe 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10.
Nightcap Detroit 11 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Thursday, April 17
Live/Concert
KAYZO Presents: Unleashed XL
‘25 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $24.50.
Magic Bag Presents: Howie Day 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $35.
Slow Joy 7:30 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $15.
DJ/Dance
Curated Cool 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit;
Groove Night 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Peach Pit 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10. Karaoke
Drag Queen Karaoke 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; no cover.
Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.
Friday, April 18
Live/Concert
Chase Petra, Small Crush, Sorry
Mom 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932
Caniff St., Hamtramck; $20.
Dean Lewis 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $29.50-$59.50.
Emo Night Brooklyn (18+) 8 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $18-$23.
Kickstand Productions Presents: Sawyer Hill 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $98.
Nektar, Vinnie Moore 8 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $30-$180.
Teddy Petty & The Refugees (Tom Petty tribute) 8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $15-$200.
The Prince Experience (Prince tribute), Dr. DeLorean and the Space Invaders 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $18-$28.
The Tin Can Collective with Endless Mike and the Beagle Club, The Lowcocks 8 p.m.; Garden Bowl Lounge, 4120 Woodward Avenue, Detroit; no cover.
Yoi Toki featuring Macross 82-99 9 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $25-$35.
DJ/Dance
Interface 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
The Original Crush 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10.
Ro Low & Friends: Kacper Kawala, Miss Belles, N8, Slimey 9 p.m.; The Alley Deck, 4120 Woodward, Detroit; no cover before $10:30 p.m., $15 after.
Saddle Up Country Dance Party!
8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $10.
Three Dimensions 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10.
Saturday, April 19
Live/Concert
ANGEL 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $20-$180.
BADASS WOMEN BAND, AURORA & ANTHEIA 7:30 p.m.; MAMA’s Coffeehouse at the Birmingham Unitarian Church, 38651 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; $18-$20.
BICYCLE DAY 360° 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $15. Bike Day In-Store Concert 7-11
p.m.; Reware Vintage, 2965 12 Mile Road, Suite 200, Berkley; $5.
BINGO LOCO 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $25-$32.50.
Chrisette Michele 8 p.m.; The Music Hall, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit; $90$120.
Elderbrook, Jerro 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $24.50-$35.
Infinity & Beyond (Journey tribute), Used Cars 8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $20-$220.
LEROY 7-11:59 p.m.; Tangent Gallery & Hastings Street Ballroom, 715 E. Milwaukee Ave., Detroit; $15.
Magic Bag Presents: The Mega 80s Prince Remembrance 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $20.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 7 p.m.; Detroit Masonic Temple Library, 500 Temple St, Detroit; $37-$400.
Old Days (Chicago tribute) 7-10:30 p.m.; The HUB Stadium, 44325 W 12 Mile Rd Unit H-160, Novi; $25-$120.
PUNK ROCK PROM: CORSAGES, CHAOS & CRUSHERS! DUENDE, ANTIBUDDIES, and more 8-11:30 p.m.; The Congregation Detroit, 9321 Rosa Parks Blvd,, Detroit; $15-$20.
Shordie Shordie 7 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $30.
Soul Asylum 8 p.m.; Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Performing Arts, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac; $35-$60.
The Half Of It 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $15.
Throne, Scab Hag, Jesus Wept, Centenary, Fell Ruin 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $15.
Tycoon Music Festival featuring Chris Brown and Friends 7:30 p.m.; Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $59.50-$299.50.
DJ/Dance
Beretta Music 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10. BICYCLE DAY 360° 8:30 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $15-$25. Detroit’s Inferno II 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $25.
Drama 10 p.m.-2 am; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Puzzlebox Records presents Keith Tucker and friends 9 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; $10.
Ranger Trucco: Open to Close 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $20-$25.
Saturday Grind 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
The Strains + DJ tothegods 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Sunday, April 20
Live/Concert
Dancemyth, Derek Zanetti (the homeless gospel choir) 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $20.
Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings 5-8 pm; Zal Gaz Grotto Club, 2070 W. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor; No Cover (tip jar for the band).
DJ/Dance
Domingo 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10.
Foggy Sundays 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
SPKR BRNCH 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Karaoke
Sunday Karaoke in the Lounge 5-9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Monday, April 21
Live/Concert
2025 ONEWE WORLD TOUR ‘O! NEW E!volution IV’ 7 p.m.; The Block, 3919 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $20-$250.
Escape Plan, Sean Anthony Sullivan, Mallia 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $14. Phyllis Hyman Tribute featuring Lady Vonne (hosted by Lucretia Sain) 7-10 p.m.; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $35.
The Mary Wallopers 7 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $26.50.
DJ/Dance
Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 p.m.; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.
Tuesday, April 22
Live/Concert
Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.
SOFIA ISELLA 7 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $20.
SOUL COUGHING - Play the
songs of Soul Coughing again 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $44.50-$55.
Static Dress, Soul Blind 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $20.
Teenage Dads 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $18.
Karaoke
Open Mic : Art in a Fly Space 7-10 p.m.; Detroit Shipping Company, 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; no cover.
Tuesday Karaoke in the Lounge 8 p.m.-midnight; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
THEATER
Performance
Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest The Dinner Detective Comedy. America’s largest interactive comedy mystery dinner theatre show. $69.95; Saturday, 6:30-9 p.m.
Hilberry Gateway - STUDIO
Emilia: Discover the untold story of Emilia Bassano, a trailblazing poet and feminist voice of the Renaissance, in Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s captivating play. Set in Elizabethan England, the play follows Emilia’s journey from obscurity to empowerment as she navigates a society dominated by men. With a blend of humor, passion, and raw emotion, Emilia celebrates female resilience and the power of women’s voices throughout history. This empowering production sheds light on forgotten heroines and ignites a fiery call for equality and recognition. Join us for an inspiring and exhilarating theatrical experience that will leave you moved and empowered. $15-$25; 8-10:30 p.m. Through April 19.
Marygrove Conservancy Strawberry - What Party? Dancer Strawberry allegedly performed for Kwame Kilpatrick at his fabled Manoogian Mansion bachelor party. As the story goes, she was beaten by Kilpatrick’s ex-wife and months later, in what many call an unrelated incident, died in a drive-by. Never solved, her cold case stagnates amid Kilpatrick’s mayoral downfall into prison, a surprise pardon by Trump, and a pastoral comeback that’s got Detroiters talking again. $15 students, $20 senior, $30 general admission. Friday, 8-9:30 p.m. and Saturday, 3-5 p.m.
MGM Grand Detroit Australia’s Thunder From Down Under; $49-$99; Saturday, 8 p.m.
Theatre NOVA Eclipsed: The Sun, The Moon, and Gladys Atkinson Sweet by D.L. Patrick. On the night of September 9,
1925, Gladys Atkinson Sweet was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, along with her husband, Dr. Ossian Sweet, his two brothers and seven other African Americans following the attack on her home. They were well-educated, well-respected, talented people who would have been assets to any community. Although much has been written about Dr. Sweet and the two Sweet trials, litigated by Clarence Darrow, this play imagines the perspective of Gladys Sweet and the women who populated her life. It is about what women do, and have always done, in the shadows. $30; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays, 2 p.m.
Musical
Fox Theatre The Addams Family; (Touring); $30-$80; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
COMEDY
Improv
Go Comedy! Improv Theater
Pandemonia The Allstar Showdown is a highly interactive improvised game show. With suggestions from the audience, our two teams will battle for your laughs. The Showdown is like “Whose Line is it Anyway,” featuring a series of short improv games, challenges and more. $20; Friday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle
Mike Young: Detroit native comedian/ writer/director with four feature films under his belt and multiple TV projects both sold and in development. Young’s streetwise sensibilities and deep observations of everyday life make Young an original voice in stand up. Mike toured for years with Bob Saget, Steve Trevino, and Sebastian Maniscalco. This year he kicks off The Rocket Comedy Tour, a fully sponsored tour produced by Young and Rocket founder Dan Gilbert who co-produced Young’s latest film Stealing Jokes out this year with distribution by Freestyle. $25; Wednesday, 7:30-9 p.m.
Podcast: Live podcast
Ant Hall Found Footage Festival: Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Late Show) have over 13,000 VHS tapes in their collection and have been taking viewers on a guided tour through their latest and greatest finds since 2004. To celebrate two decades of this VHS nonsense, Joe nd Nick will serve up their all-time greatest finds including the dumbest exercise videos, the craziest public access shows and updates with the most wonderful weirdos they’ve met along the way. $17; Saturday, 8 p.m. Stand-up
Fox Theatre Alton Brown; $35-$195; Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle
30 April 16-22, 2025 | metrotimes.com
101 Comedy Class Showcase. Come see the future of Detroit’s comdy scene. $10; Tuesday, 7:30-9 p.m.
Continuing This Week Stand-up
Blind Pig Blind Pig Comedy FREE Mondays, 8 p.m.
The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant The Sh*t Show Open Mic: A weekly open mic featuring both local amateurs and touring professionals. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m. The evening always ends with karaoke in the attached Ghost Light Bar. Doors and Sign up 8:30 p.m. $5 suggested donation.
DANCE
Dance
performance
Hilberry Gateway - STAGE 96th
Annual Spring Dance Concert End the academic year at Wayne State University by taking in the 96th annual Spring Dance Concert. This event will feature works created and curated by students, faculty, and guest artists spanning an array of dance styles suitable for the entire family to witness and be inspired by. $15-$25; Friday, 7:30-9 p.m. and Saturday 2-3:30 p.m. and 7:30-9 p.m.
MGM Grand Detroit Australia’s Thunder From Down. The 2025 “Temptation Tour” will feature heart-stopping performances, classic routines, seductive costumes, and a night of amusement leaving attendees gripped with excitement. This one-night event is perfect for bachelorette parties, or a girl’s night out with friends. Saturday, 8-11 p.m. Dance lessons
Riverside Arts Center Karim Nagi Saidi Tahteeb & Assaya Workshop: Dancing with sticks and canes is a quintessential expression in Egyptian village dance. The Saidi people are famous for this semi-acrobatic stick dance called “Tahteeb” for men and “Raqs Assaya” for women. It is essentially a form of martial art where the manipulation of the stick and the demeanor of movement replicated village life or battle scene. Grace is more valued than aggression. This dance is done solo or in groups where the sticks are operated in unified motion. Karim teaches with a straight stick. Any dowel 3-4 inches thick. $40; Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m.
Art Exhibition
801 W Fort Street Hip Hop Evolution: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop Photography: Renowned photojournalist Andre Smith invites the community to experience “Hip Hop Evolution: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop Photography.” The exhibit is set to open on February 19, 2025 at Wayne County Community College District’s Downtown
Art Gallery, and celebrates hip hop’s rich history. Featuring rare and iconic images of the legends of the industry like DJ Kool Herc and Queen Latifah to the pioneers who shaped the industry, visitors will explore the energy, resilience, and artistry that turned hip hop into a global phenomenon.
Coup D’état Bill Rauhauser: A Retrospective: A special exhibition celebrating the life and work of the late Bill Rauhauser, one of Detroit’s most revered photographers. This exhibition is a partnership between Coup D’état and The Hill Gallery, showcasing Rauhauser’s iconic photographs that captured the soul and spirit of Detroit. Rauhauser, who was affectionately known as “The Dean of Detroit Photography,” spent decades documenting the vibrant streets of Detroit and its people, influencing generations of photographers and shaping the city’s photographic community. A recipient of the prestigious Kresge Eminent Artist Award, Rauhauser’s work reflected the raw humanity of the city as it underwent social and industrial changes, particularly from the 1950s to the 1970s. Through his lens, Rauhauser immortalized the lives of everyday Detroiters, capturing the rhythm and life of the city. In addition to his photographic legacy, Rauhauser was a tireless educator and mentor, introducing photography as a powerful art form to the local community. As a founding member of the influential photography gallery Group 4, he played an essential role in cultivating Detroit’s photographic arts scene. This exhibition offers an opportunity to explore Rauhauser’s pioneering contributions, with a selection of his available works for purchase. Visitors will have a chance to experience the energy and history of Detroit as seen through Rauhauser’s eyes. The Hill Gallery, directed by Timothy and Pamela Hill, opened in 1980 in Birmingham, Michigan, and has long been a hub for exceptional 20thcentury modern and contemporary art. The gallery is renowned for its expertise in American folk art, particularly folk sculpture, and has built a reputation for collaborating with museums, private collectors, and corporate clients to discover and acquire significant works of American art. No cover. Through May 1.
The Shepherd Warp and Weft: Technologies within Textiles Library Street Collective is pleased to present Warp and Weft: Technologies within Textiles, a group exhibition curated by Allison Glenn, Artistic Director of the Shepherd. Warp and Weft considers how artists experiment with new technologies, interrogate materials, and embed innovative, inherited, familial, or ancestral epistemologies into their practices, to foreground narrative and allegory. Through May 3.
MUSIC
Keeping the spirit of revolution alive
Timely John & Yoko doc highlights Detroit activist John Sinclair
By Kara Frank
One to One: John & Yoko
Rated: R
Run-time: 100 minutes
Imagine, one moment, you are dancing in the crowd at John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “One to One” live concert at Madison Square Garden; the next, you’re getting glimpses of the brutality on the Vietnam frontlines, cut to commentary from Walter Cronkite, then The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, followed by an ad for Clorox or Chrysler or whatever concept of consumerism is hitting the market.
One to One: John & Yoko is a featurelength documentary that highlights the political activism and attitudes of Lennon and Ono during their residency in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The film encapsulates a time and place, transporting audiences into the visceral cultural turmoil of the 1970s. Backed by the soundtrack of Some Time in New York City, Lennon and Ono’s concept album stripped straight from news headlines,
several storylines play out.
There’s prisoners uprising and police rioting at “Attica State,” shots fired at unarmed protestors in Ireland on “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” a renewed version of the Beatles’ “The Ballad of John and Yoko” set as “New York City,” the incarceration of abolitionist “Angela” Davis, and an ode to Detroit poet “John Sinclair.” The narrative of this era unfolds through braided archival footage presented as an augmented experience of surfing channels on a television. It almost feels like the precursor to doomscrolling.
More than just a piece of historical documentation, One to One bluntly reminds us of the plights of injustice and inequality that still plague our society today. It shouldn’t be surprising if you walk out of this screening sensing a link between past and present tensions: disgraced politicians and public figures coated with lies and scandal, a presidential administration striking terror into the hearts of the people, wars raging across the globe, flashes of political unrest, environmental disasters, racial tension, and civil discord. Fifty years later, the stakes are just as high
Leni are highlighted on the big screen as a significant piece of Lennon and Ono’s political activism. After Sinclair was sentenced to ten years in prison for possession of cannabis, Lennon and Yoko’s John Sinclair Freedom Rally at Ann Arbor’s Crisler Arena undeniably disrupted the government’s stance on marijuana consumption and possession, and Sinclair was freed in 1972. This pivotal event and movement laid the groundwork for future legislation and legalization for cannabis consumers in the state of Michigan, thanks to Sinclair and co.
The campaign for Sinclair’s freedom was a victory not only to Lennon and Yoko but to every single person who passed along leaflets and petitions, helped orchestrate support rallies, wrote letters, poems, and songs, and every single soul among the 15,000 at Crisler Arena. The movement spread from the streets of Detroit and Ann Arbor to the pages of Creem and Rolling Stone and the stages of Woodstock, where activist Abbie Hoffman stormed The Who to voice his outrage at Sinclair’s imprisonment, much to Peter Townsend’s annoyance.
and just as treacherous.
But the power of the people is real and relevant. The light in all of this is knowing that at points in our history, there have always been folks brave enough to stand up for what is right and fight hate with love and dignity. In today’s ever-shifting tides, there is certainly no certainty. But there is community — networks of people who choose to uplift instead of insult, choose kindness over conceitedness, and embrace change when it comes to the benefit of all, not just the few.
It seems appropriate that this documentary should come in April, almost commemorating the anniversary of our beloved departed brother, John Sinclair, who died on April 2, 2024. In the time since the poet left this earth, the MC5, the influential band he once managed, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; his ex wife, the rock ’n’ roll photographer Leni Sinclair, was commemorated for her artistry by being invited to autograph the iconic walls of Detroit’s Scarab Club; the highly anticipated book MC5: An Oral Biography Of Rock’s Most Revolutionary Band was published; and now, he and
This community is anything but a relic of the past; its spiritual successor is alive and fighting to make sense of our current state. The collective activism of artists, writers, philosophers, revolutionaries, and influencers surrounding Sinclair culminated in one of the most unique and instant karmic moments of the 1970s — enough people united under a belief in radical justice that it actually changed the landscape of the culture. We stand to gain more by coming together and taking affirmative action rather than losing ourselves to fear and hate.
At its core, this film evokes this call to action. As Lennon said during the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, “Apathy isn’t it… we can do something. OK, so Flower Power didn’t work, so what? We start again.” Even a small act of service can create a positive effect. If we cannot rely on the powers at play, we must learn to rely on each other and rely on our confidence that despite the oncoming challenges, we will rise above injustice and carry on the torch of righteousness.
A special screening of One to One: John & Yoko at Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theater on Friday, April 25 keeps the countercultural spirit alive with a post-film discussion featuring Leni Sinclair and poet-writer M.L. Liebler. All weirdos, freaks, beatniks, and seagulls are welcome.
One to One: John & Yoko screens at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25; The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; marqueearts.org. Tickets are $9.75-11.75.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York during the 1970s.
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
FOOD
OK, these Ozempic memes have gotten out of control
Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell is known for dropping references to specific pharmaceutical drugs in his songs — to ground them in reality, but also because, he once told The New York Times, “I think I just love the sound those words make.”
Could that be in part what’s driving all the buzz about Ozempic, a medication first approved for treating type 2 diabetes that, thanks to celebrity endorsements, has since come to be viewed by the public as a weight-loss “miracle drug”? Nevermind the fact that the version of the drug used to treat obesity is sold under the brand name Wegovy; Ozempic just sounds better.
It’s perhaps no surprise then that the Dave’s Hot Chicken chain has named its latest menu item after the drug: “Mini Sliders” dubbed “Davezempic.”
“What started as a tongue-incheek observation quickly turned into a full-blown fun idea: our new Mini Sliders are the perfect meal for one — or for four people on Ozempic,” the California-based company said in a statement. “With social media buzzing about the appetitecurbing powers of the drug, and memes flying faster than one of our drive-thrus on a busy day, we saw the perfect bite-sized opportunity. So, we’re sliding into the cultural
Bev’s Bagels headed to former D.I.B. space
Bagels are coming back to Detroit’s Core City neighborhood.
A new concept called Bev’s Bagels is set to open in the former Detroit Institute of Bagels space at 4884 Grand River Ave. The shop is led by Max Sussman, a James Beardnominated chef who launched Bev’s Bagels as a pop-up in the Ann Arbor area.
“Making bagels is a huge passion of mine and I’m so excited to offer really great bagels to Detroit,” Sussman said in a statement. “Opening in Core City feels like an incredible opportunity to build on something that was so special to the community and still so needed.”
According to a press release, Bev’s is named after Sussman’s grandmother and “celebrates the art of traditionally made bagels paired with creative schmears, wild-caught fish,
and seasonal flavors.”
“An incredible bagel has to start with incredible ingredients and ours will have organic flour, some whole grains, and use a sourdough starter,” Sussman said, adding, “I’m pretty obsessive over the details, so the sandwiches will all have these amazing components, from creative schmears to wild smoked fish to ethically sourced meats.”
The shop will also offer coffee and catering services, and expects to open in late spring with operating hours seven days a week.
The Detroit Institute of Bagels opened in the space formerly occupied by Ochre Bakery in 2020, but closed indefinitely in 2023. Since then, the space was split in two with a bakery called The Mother Loaf Breads opening in the other half.
—Lee DeVito
moment with a wink, and we created something that is undeniably Dave’s — savvy, funny, and just the right size.”
Each order comes with four “Mini Sliders” (smaller than the chain’s typical Sliders) available in three spice levels, and topped with kale slaw, pickles, and Dave’s Sauce. They’re also available in the company’s Dave NOT Chicken meatless option made from fried cauliflower.
They sell for around $7.49 for four or $10.49 with fries.
The sliders are available at all Dave’s Hot Chicken locations starting on Tuesday, April 15, but they were available for journalists and social media influencers to try at a preview event at the chain’s Troy store on Thursday.
The sliders were even served with a fake medical syringe filled with hot sauce.
To be honest, naming a fast-food item geared toward young males after a weight-loss drug whose average users are women in their 40s seems like perhaps a tone-deaf choice to us (though a 2023 study from Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan found use of the drugs surging among female adolescents and young adults). But hey, maybe people just love the sound those words make.
They sure were tasty, though.
—Lee DeVito
New cafe nods to Detroit’s radio station history
A coffee shop called A.M. Buzz is getting ready to open inside downtown Detroit’s Cambria Hotel this spring.
The name of the cafe is a nod to the building’s history as the one-time headquarters of Detroit’s WWJ-AM radio station. Located at 600 W. Lafayette Blvd.,the Walker-Roehrig Building opened in 1936 and was designed by the noted architect Albert Kahn.
WWJ has since moved its offices to Southfield. The Cambria Hotel opened its doors in 2023.
When it first broadcast in 1920 on the second floor of the nearby Detroit Newsbuilding, WWJ was the first radio station to be owned by a newspaper.
“By incorporating our love for radio and the buzz it creates, we are excited to provide a place for the local com-
munity and visitors of Detroit to grab a breakfast and a coffee,” co-owner Joseph Caradonna said in a press release.
The other co-owner, Christopher Kouza, said A.M. Buzz will feature “vibrant cheerful colors in a welcoming atmosphere.”
The cafe will serve downtown customers with a walk-up window near the corner of Lafayette Boulevard and 3rd Street. Its menu will feature locally roasted drip coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, breakfast sandwiches, salads, and more.
Hours will be daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
An opening date has not yet been set, but updates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks at AMBuzzDetroit.com and the cafe’s Instagram page @ambuzzdetroit.
—Lee DeVito
Bev’s Bagels first launched as a pop-up in Ann Arbor. MARK KURLYANDCHIK / BOOTH ONE CREATIVE
Bites
Film
The death of subtlety
By Jared Rasic, Last Word Features
Death of a Unicorn
Rated: R
Run-time: 107 minutes
How smart does a satire really need to be? This has been on my mind since the release of Bong Joon-ho’s fun but flawed Mickey 17 when I realized that if an explosive filled with ideas is dropped on America, maybe there’s no room for subtlety anymore, especially if it needs to land on as many people as possible.
Long gone are the days when movies of fierce, raging anger and intelligence like Network and Dr. Strangelove connect with general audiences outside of critics and cinephiles. The last few genuinely brilliant satires like The Death of Stalin, In the Loop, and Sorry to Bother You were hardly seen by audiences in the United States. Death of a Unicorn makes Mickey 17 look like a masterclass of subtlety in comparison, instead leaning into an “eat the rich” narrative filled with such cartoonishly evil billionaires and endless jokes without punchlines that we’re not given room to provoke our own thoughts out of the predictable and pedestrian story. Instead, we’re left with a decent, if schlocky monster movie that thinks it’s much smarter than it really is (which, hi-
lariously, is more satirical of our modern times than the movie itself).
Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega are a strained father and daughter headed to a nature preserve/massive estate of the odious Odell Leopold (the always great Richard E. Grant) and his ruthless wife, Belinda (a never funnier Téa Leoni) and his profoundly stupid yet confident son, Shepard (a movie-stealing Will Poulter). They’re a family of billionaires who’ve made their fortune from pharmaceuticals (among other things) and are vetting the middle-class lawyer Rudd to see if they want him on board as a full-time conservator.
On the way, Rudd hits a baby unicorn with his rental, bludgeons it to death (for mercy?), and shoves it in the backseat, hoping to bring no attention to the dead mythological creature in his car before he signs a contract and sets himself and his daughter up for life. Long story short: baby unicorn isn’t dead. Evil billionaires want to harvest it for its healing properties and the giant, monstrous mom and dad unicorns want their baby back and go on a bloody killing spree to get the li’l one. What we have here is equal parts Jurassic Park (without the wonder or tension) and Parasite (without the subtle intelligence or sly humor) mixed with
a father-daughter dramedy that tonally has no idea which way to bend, so it ends up being fairly generic even with such an original premise. It doesn’t work well enough at any of the different sub-genres to be very memorable, even though it’s fitfully entertaining on first viewing and only a glob of wasted potential in retrospect.
The film periodically shines as a gory monster movie with clueless idiots getting impaled by unicorn horns (UnicHorns?) and the soulless billionaires having their intestines pulled out by magical creatures. But because the characters are such thinly sketched caricatures of people, we’re never given much reason to care about their violently entertaining fates. None of this is the fault of the cast, who are uniformly excellent, even though a slightly miscast Rudd is so inherently likable that it’s hard to buy him as a weaselly dweeb.
The fault lies squarely with writerdirector Alex Sharfman who, while having an original premise and very game cast, doesn’t nail the humor sprinkled throughout the script and directs artlessly, without tension, momentum, or grace. This should have been an immediate cult classic along the lines of Sorry to Bother You or Get Out, but will be
forgettable to most as soon as the credits roll. Sharfman has potential, but Death of a Unicorn is hobbled by many rookie filmmaker mistakes.
Satire can still be broad and “dumb” while being hilarious and thoughtprovoking. The movies Idiocracy, Team America, Tropic Thunder, and They Live are goofy as hell while all having something intelligent and immediate to say. Even so, most people can watch those movies and laugh their asses off without having to delve into the serious themes and ideas buried beneath the explosions and fart jokes. Levels are nice.
So, to answer my question from the top… satires should, at the very least, make us examine the current state of our world through the warped lens of artists with something of import to say. Unintelligence can be brilliant and prestige can be ridiculous if examined by filmmakers with a vision and desire to shape ideas in others. Those who can recognize subtlety in movies still deserve it even if folks who don’t miss the point completely.
We should raise our hackles against the dumbing down of the United States before intelligence, empathy, and logic become the true mythological creatures.
Grade: C-
The cast of Death of a Unicorn do some heavy lifting.
A24
MUSIC
The Straight Dope
The Detroit area has its first 24-hour dispensary
Metro Detroit’s first 24hour cannabis dispensary opened Friday in northern Macomb County.
Gramz Cannabis Outlet launched its newest location at 100 McLean Dr. in Romeo, with a grand-opening celebration that included giveaways, vendor pop-ups, live music, and food trucks.
The company, which markets itself as a discount outlet for cannabis, says the Romeo store is the first in the region to operate around the clock.
“We’re excited to bring something truly different to the market,” Tony Mihelich, regional manager for Gramz, said in a statement Thursday.
“Being the first 24-hour dispensary in the Metro Detroit area means we can better serve our customers – day or night. Whether you’re working late, starting early, or just need the flexibility, Gramz will be here for you.”
Gramz operates other dispensaries in Hazel Park, Lapeer, Mount Morris, and Three Rivers, a city near Kalamazoo which was the company’s first 24-hour location. A Detroit store is expected to open soon.
Michigan could soon recycle cannabis vape carts
Michigan regulators are proposing a major policy shift that would allow cannabis businesses to collect and recycle used vape products, a much-needed step toward reducing the environmental hazards of disposable vaporizers.
Under a new rule proposed by the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), licensed cannabis businesses could accept spent vape cartridges and recycle them, as long as they first dispose of any remaining “perceptible” marijuana concentrate.
“A licensee may receive used vape cartridges and recycle the cartridges if the licensee disposes of perceptible marihuana waste inside the cartridges before recycling the cartridges,” the proposed rule states.
If adopted, Michigan would become one of the first states to explicitly authorize cannabis businesses to recycle vape products, a move that could help address the growing number of toxic lithium batteries, plastic, and electronics ending up in landfills.
“The industry brought up protecting the planet and the viability of recycling these vape materials during
the two years in which we used to construct our new rules,” CRA Executive Director Brian Hanna tells Metro Times. “We listened. And we put in a rule proposal to allow businesses to recycle vape products.”
But the CRA’s proposed rule change may need some modifications. Cannabis vape cartridges and all-in-one-vapes may look similar, but there’s a key difference. Cartridges are small glass containers prefilled with cannabis oil that screw onto a reusable battery. When the oil runs out, the cartridge is discarded, but the battery can be recharged and reused with a new cartridge.
All-in-one vapes, on the other hand, combine the oil and battery into a single, disposable unit. There’s no reusing the battery or refilling the tank. Once it’s empty, it’s trashed.
The lithium batteries inside disposable vapes contribute to environmental harm throughout their life cycle, from water-intensive and destructive mining operations to fires and chemical leaching at waste facilities when improperly discarded. The plastic parts don’t break down, contributing to microplastic pollu-
tion that can persist for generations.
There have been mounting concerns about the growing popularity of single-use cannabis vapes, which are now among the most popular ways to consume cannabis in Michigan’s legal market. Sold for as little as $10, the sleek all-in-one devices come preloaded with potent concentrates like live rosin. They’re easy to use, require no maintenance, and are often tossed in the trash after just a few days, despite federal regulations that classify them as hazardous waste.
Despite their perks, disposable vapes pose significant environmental risks. Because the vapes contain marijuana residue, they can’t legally be shipped across state lines for recycling or dumped in standard landfills or recycling bins.
In February alone, Michigan’s recreational market sold more than $45 million in vape products, or roughly 10,900 pounds of cannabis oil. Many of these products were sold in disposable pens destined for the garbage.
Until now, Michigan regulators have taken a largely hands-off approach to the waste crisis. The state
The Romeo dispensary will offer flower, vapes, concentrates, edibles, and accessories.
More information is available on its Instagram page @gramzdispo.
—Steve Neavling
has no take-back program, no requirement to label vape products as hazardous waste, and no mandate to inform consumers not to throw used devices in the trash. Most dispensaries won’t accept used vapes, and very few collections sites in the state will take them.
The proposed rule marks the first major effort to address those gaps, and it signals a willingness to listen to growing public concern.
Some people are calling for even bolder steps, including legislation that would require vape producers to fund and safely dispose of materials, a model known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
The CRA is encouraging consumers and people in the industry to weigh in on and offer other ways to reduce environmental harm.
The agency is accepting comments on its proposed rule changes through a public hearing scheduled for May 6.
Details on how to participate or submit written comments about the proposed rule changes are available on the CRA’s website.
—Steve Neavling
The Gramz Cannabis Outlet in Romeo. COURTESY PHOTO
CULTURE
Savage Love
Sailed Ships
By Dan Savage
Q
:
My always polite and very high functioning drunk husband was fucking around for the first fifteen years we were together. The other women were “unhappily married co-workers” who needed discretion. At the time, I thought our sex life was actually fairly normal.
Things came to a head when I learned about a two-year affair he’d been having. I kicked him out. He quit drinking and, because our kids were young, I took him back. He has maintained his sobriety for thirty years. But he became a turtle: he hid in a shell, abandoned his friends, refused to voice opinions or make decisions. He wouldn’t even choose a restaurant or TV show. He avoided any intimacy physical or emotional — with me or anyone else. Our marriage became completely transactional: I was management, he was labor. We’ve been in a basically sexless marriage for 25 years. Why didn’t I leave? That’s a complicated story, but it has much to do with our two adult children, both of whom have serious medical conditions that required us to create a big nest egg. The husband has been to thousands of AA meetings over the years and seen a dozen therapists, alone and together. The only thing that has changed — and this is a recent change — is that he’s finally willing to talk, but only about himself. But there are no childhood traumas or traumas of any kind that he can recount. Why did sobriety turn him into a monk? He either doesn’t know or won’t say. I’m curious what your take is.
—Vibes Only Marriage
A: Your husband was a high-functioning, philandering drunk for the first fifteen years — careful to cheat only with other unhappily married people who would keep his secret — and he’s been an emotionally-inert monk for the last thirty. So, you limped along, doing what needed doing, for forty-five years, most of them sexless.
To make your marriage bearable, VOM, you came up with an explanation that made it possible for you to stay: your husband was who he was — and your marriage became what it is because your husband experienced
a significant trauma. But when your husband finally opened up to you about his past — after all these years and all of those AA meetings and all them therapists — it turns out there’s no flashy traumatic event that makes everything make sense. No rapey priests, no abusive parents, no anal probes on alien spaceships.
Unless you count the trauma he inflicted on you and himself and your kids and countless others with his drinking, VOM, which doesn’t seem insignificant to me.
Maybe after the chaos and guilt and broken promises of his drinking years, he didn’t know how — or didn’t have the will — to be a human being, much less a husband. So, your husband buried himself in silence and simplicity and left you to carry the emotional load of making all the decisions. And it worked, right? To a certain extent?
You got the kids raised and built that nest egg together. He stayed sober and steady. And here you are.
So now what?
It’s too late to remake your marriage — that ship has sailed — and, at forty-five years, it may be too late to end your marriage. So, you can either make peace with what this relationship has been (and it sounds like it’s been traumatic for you) and live the rest of your life with the man you’ve built a life beside but not with. Or you can give yourself permission to want more. Even if that “more” is just a solo chapter where you can choose what to watch on TV without allowing your husband’s apathy to register with you. And if listening to him talk about himself isn’t giving you the kind of understanding or closure you hoped it would, VOM, you don’t have to listen to him talk about himself. He’s got therapists for that.
: Q When my cousin was about three years old — my cousin was assigned female at birth — they told everyone they were a boy. My family laughed
this off and told them they were not a boy. My cousin stayed consistent on their boyhood until they were about seven. They wore boys’ clothes and did not like being called a girl. We’re from a Catholic family in Montana, but ultimately mostly liberal. My family, especially my grandparents, have struggled with supporting our gay relatives, but have always tried. I am ten years older than this cousin, so I was thirteen when this began to play out.
My cousin, who had been a pretty loud little kid, became a reserved bigger kid, interested in stuffed animals and not a lot else. There were other things going on with their parents, so there are a lot of reasons they might have not expressed interest in much, but I’ve always worried that it’s because they are trans and have been forced to live as a cis woman for the lack of support. I’ve thought a lot over the years about whether or not I should try to talk to them about their identity, but we’ve ultimately never been that close. I just read Dylan Mulvaney’s memoir and thought about how painful it was for her to have told her mom that she was a girl when she was four, but not get to live as a woman for another twenty years. I don’t want this to happen to my cousin, who will turn 21 this year. I’m aware my guilt over how our family has treated my cousin is not a good enough reason to do anything, but I think about a possible future where they come out and feel that they were never supported. Do I wait until, or if, that ever happens? Or do I try sooner? I’m working on being supportive generally, and reaching out to build our relationship outside of family dinners over the holidays.
—Conflicted Over Unstated Support Involving Nibling
A: For the record: Some assignedfemale-at-birth (AFAB) kids who insist they’re boys and dress like boys
grow up to be trans men. But some don’t. Some grow up to be cis women — often lesbians — who just happened to be tomboys when they were kids. And #NotAllTrans men were tomboys… and #NotAllCisWomen were girly girls… and gender identity and gender expression are two different things… and this shit is complicated… and I need a drink.
There are two risks here, COUSIN: doing nothing and leaving your cousin feeling unsupported if they are trans and closeted and struggling, or jumping in and making assumptions that could offend your cousin or open old wounds if they’re not. If your cousin is still figuring things out — or if they’ve already figured things but aren’t ready to share the news (they’re trans) or if there is no news to share (because they’re cis) — the dread direct question (which I often endorse) is highly likely to backfire. I know that when I was a kid, relatives who cracked homophobic jokes around me didn’t start saying supportive things when they began to suspect I was gay. They just got quiet. If they had asked me about being gay before I was ready to come out, I would’ve panicked and denied it and probably remained closeted for a lot longer. What I needed — what they could’ve done when they began to suspect I was gay — was say something positive about gay people to each other when I was around.
Signaling to your cousin that you’re in their corner — assuming they’re in a corner — won’t be hard. Trans and queer issues are very much in the news, thanks to the Trump administration’s attacks. If you think it can wait, you can express your disapproval of those attacks to the whole family at your next family dinner; if you don’t think it can wait — if you think your cousin might be in crisis — you can express your disapproval on the family group chat.
P.S. You could also tell your cousin you’re going to be passing through their college town on a road trip they don’t need to know that they’re the reason you might be going on a road trip — and take them out to dinner. If they want to open up, they will. If they don’t, they won’t.
Read the full column online at savage.love.
Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns, and more at Savage. Love.
CULTURE Free Will Astrology
By Rob Brezsny
ARIES: March 21 – April 19
I am always surprised when there appears yet another authoritative article or book that implies there is one specific right approach to meditation. The truth is, however, that there are many ways. Here’s teacher Christopher Bamford: “Meditation is naturally individual, uniquely our own. There are no rules. Just as every potter will elaborate their own way of making pots, so everyone who meditates will shape their own meditation.” This is excellent counsel for you right now, Aries. The planetary alignments tell me you have extra power to define and develop your unique style of meditation. Key point: Have fun as you go deeper and deeper!
TAURUS: April 20 – May 20
From 1501 to 1504, the artist Michelangelo worked to create a 17-foot-tall marble sculpture of the Biblical king known as David. Today it stands in Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia and is one of the most
famous statues in the world. But the block of marble from which it was carved had a troubled beginning. Two other artists worked on it but ultimately abandoned their efforts, regarding the raw material as flawed. Michelangelo saw potential where they didn’t. He coaxed a masterpiece from what they rejected. Be like him in the coming weeks, dear Taurus! Look for treasure in situations that others deem unremarkable. Find the beauty hidden from the rest of the world.
GEMINI: May 21 – June 20
The Judean date palm was considered extinct for over 800 years. Then scientists germinated a 2,000-yearold seed discovered in the ancient fortress of Masada. That was 20 years ago. Today, the tree, named Methuselah, is still thriving. Let’s regard this as your metaphor of power, Gemini. You, too, are now capable of reviving a long-dormant possibility. An old dream or relationship might show unexpected signs of life. Like that old seed, something you thought was lost could flourish if you give it your love and attention.
CANCER: June 21 – July 22
In more than a few ancient cultures, dolphins were regarded as playful allies that would guide lost ships and assist sailors in stress. In ancient Greek myth, dolphins were sacred companions and agents of the sea god. In Maori culture, dolphins were thought to deliver important messages that were unavailable any other way. Many modern Westerners downplay stories like these. But according to my philosophy, spirit allies like dolphins are still very much available for those who are open to them. Are you, Cancerian? I’m pleased to tell you that magical helpers and divine intermediaries will offer you mysterious and useful counsel in the coming weeks — if you are receptive to the possibility.
LEO: July 23 – August 22
Do you know about the Leo liberator Simón Bolívar (1783–1830)?
This Venezuelan statesman and military officer accomplished a cornucopia of good works. Through his leadership, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Bolivia, and Ecuador gained independence from the Spanish Empire. He was one of history’s greatest crusaders for liberal democracy. I propose we make him one of your inspiring symbols for the next 12 months. May he inspire you, too, to be a courageous emancipator who helps create a better world.
VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22
Virgo conductor Leonard Bernstein was a global superstar because of his stellar musicianship, activism, philanthropy, and teaching. He transformed classical music by dissolving barriers between “high” and “low” culture, bringing elegant symphonies to popular audiences while promoting respect for jazz and pop. He wanted all kinds of music to be accessible to all kinds of listeners. I think you are currently capable of Bernstein-like synergies, Virgo. You can bridge different worlds not only for your own benefit, but also others’. You have extra power to accomplish unlikely combinations and enriching mergers. Be a unifier!
LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22
A rainbow is gorgeous, with its spectacular multi-hued arc sweeping across the sky. Here’s another element of its poetic appeal: It happens when sunlight and rain collaborate. In a sense, it’s a symbol of the sublimity that may emerge from a synergy of brightness and darkness. Let’s make the rainbow your symbol of power in the coming weeks, Libra. May it inspire you to find harmony by dealing with contrasts and paradoxes. May it encourage you to balance logic and emotion, work and rest, light and shadow, independence and partnership. I hope you will trust your ability to mediate and inspire cooperation.
SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21:
You now have more power than usual to transform ordinary things into extraordinary things. Your imagination will work at peak levels as you meditate on how to repurpose existing resources in creative ways. What other people might regard as irrelevant or inconsequential could be useful tools in your hands. I invite you to give special attention to overlooked assets. They may have hidden potentials waiting for you to unlock them.
SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
If you google the term “the religion of work,” many critical references come up. They condemn the ways humans place an inordinate importance on the jobs they do, thereby sacrificing their health and soulfulness. The derogatory English term “workaholic” is a descriptor for those who are manically devoted to “the religion of work.” But now let’s shift gears. The artist
Maruja Mallo (1902–1995) conjured a different version of “the religion of work.” Her paintings celebrated, even expressed reverence for, the agricultural laborers of rural Spain. She felt their positive attitudes toward their tasks enhanced their health and soulfulness. In the coming weeks, Sagittarius, I invite you to explore Mallo’s version of the religion of work.
CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
Astrologer Aliza Kelly likes Capricorns for their “fearless ambition, limitless resilience, and ability to keep pushing forward, even in the face of challenging adversity.” But she also praises their “secret wild side.” She writes, “Inside every earnest Capricorn is a mischievous troublemaker” that “loves to party.” I agree with her assessments and am happy to announce that the rowdier sides of your nature are due for full expression in the coming weeks. I don’t know if that will involve you “dancing on tables,” an activity Kelly ascribes to you. But I bet it will at least include interludes we can describe as “untamed.”
AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
In 1922, Aquarian author James Joyce published Ulysses, a novel recognized as one of the masterworks of 20thcentury world literature. Seventeen years later, he produced Finnegans Wake, an uproarious experimental novel that was universally reviled when it first emerged because of its wild wordplay, unusual plot, and frantic energy. In the ensuing years, though, it has also come to be regarded as a monument of brilliant creativity. It’s one of my favorite books, and I’m glad Joyce never wavered in his commitment to producing such an epic work of genius. Anyway, Aquarius, I’m guessing you have been toiling away at your own equivalent of Finnegans Wake. I beg you to maintain your faith! Keep going!
PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20
Years ago, in the early days of my infatuation with a new lover, she put a blindfold on me and ushered me around the city of Columbia, South Carolina. The goal was to enhance my non-visual senses. The experiment worked. I heard, smelled, and felt things I would never have noticed unless my dominating eyesight had been muffled. Ever since, my non-visual senses have operated with more alacrity. This fun project also improved the way I use my eyes. The coming days would be an excellent time for you to try a similar adventure, Pisces. If my idea isn’t exactly engaging to you, come up with your own. You will benefit profoundly from enhancing your perceptual apparatus.
Homework: What could you do to transform one of your uncertainties into creative energy?
JAMES NOELLERT
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