#108 - Government Shutdown, Michigan's 24% tax hike, and Ben's Ode to California | Cannabis Business News Round-up

We unpack how a federal shutdown freezes cannabis policy progress, why Michigan’s new 24% tax risks shrinking the legal market, and how a Vireo–Schwazze restructuring signals financial maturity. We close with a live “Ode to California” challenging protectionism and calling for true access and scale.• federal shutdown halting rescheduling, farm bill momentum and appropriations• behind the scenes lobbying dynamics during a pause• Michigan’s 24% wholesale tax and illicit market advantage• punitive taxes vs consumer safety and access• regulator influence, misaligned incentives and CAMRA limits• Vireo acquiring Schwazze debt as a restructuring blueprint• debt service vs operational profitability and MSO viability• Mana Beverages exit, AB 8 and blocked hemp beverage scale• interstate scale, GMP quality and real QA vs state silos• LeafLink pricing backlash, rollback and customer-first lessons• conference season, planning cadence and community support• live reading: “Ode to California” and a vision for legalization with accessIf you've enjoyed this podcast, please drop a review in Apple Podcast, in Spotify, wherever you listen. Subscribe, share, do all the things like I askedHave a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!--High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover? Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high.