The Northern Lights team celebrating with Marquette’s Downtown Development Authority
Northern Lights Glass
BOWLS OVER THE COMPETITION JON BECKER FOR MICHIGAN GREEN STATE It’s early in the Michigan Green State crew’s new adventure to blaze its way through the state’s budding cannabis industry, but one thing is already becoming abundantly clear: the people who work in it, from your budtenders, farmers and chefs, to the managers, owners and technicians, are thrilled that they now have a means to turn a passion into a livelihood. To them, legalization of the herb they tout for a variety of reasons is long overdue. Take Malia Cole, for instance. Like many of her fellow marijuana advocates, Cole has worked plenty of other jobs but didn’t get near
the satisfaction or “chill” she now embraces as owner of Northern Lights Glass Company, located near downtown Marquette. The glass pipe supplier and art gallery specializes in American-made products and making people happy. “That’s what it’s all about,” Cole said. “I’ve worked a lot of jobs. One of them was at a candy store and I knew when the customers left, they were leaving happy. It’s the same thing here. That’s the most enjoyable part. People come in wanting to be happy. I also like working with all the artists who sell their works here. “ The company owes its origins to Jay Hosch, who came to the Northern Michigan community
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spring 2021| MIGreenState