Niles cannabis dispensaries can now open sooner and close later, here's why

NILES, Mich. --- The cannabis industry has brought a lot of investment to Niles and southwest Michigan, and now, even more dispensaries are on their way. To let these pot shops compete, the City of Niles will now allow them to be open from 5 a.m. to midnight if they so choose.

"In Niles, and in Berrien County in general, the industry has changed with a lot more providers, a lot more retail outlets for people to choose from, I'd say that's been the biggest change," said Mike Noonan. "The second biggest change is that the prices have really come down, they've dropped from $300 an ounce down to $60 an ounce, on average throughout the state."

There are a lot of pot shops in southwest Michigan. It can be hard to compete, Noonan, owner of Southland Farms Organic Provisioning in Niles.

"It'ss definitely hard to keep up with those who are racing the price all the way to the bottom," he said. "But, our goal isn't to be the Dollar General of cannabis."

He stays optimistic about the growing competition.

"We, as an organic provider, we have a niche, so we don't mind competition," he said.

But others are concerned.

"Well, some of the other retailers, we have five retailers in the city, are concerned about the 20-plus retailers that just got licensed in Niles Charter Township," Noonan said.

He's referring to the corridor some are already calling "The Green Mile" on Eleventh Street, just on the border of Indiana, where Niles Charter Township approved more than 20 dispensaries on a mile and a half stretch of road. 

"There's an increasing amount of demand for cannabis, regardless of the municipality it's in," said Arthur Havlicek, president of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber. "One thing the City of Niles can do itself to differentiate is have slightly longer hours on the shoulder of the regular hours that most communities have. So, it might give them a competitive advantage."

Niles City Council unanimously approved ordinances last week to extend cannabis dispensary operating hours from 5 a.m. to midnight. Before, operation hours were between 7 a.m. And 10 p.m.

ABC57 caught up with 4th Ward Council Member, Michael Thompson.

"The ordinance was designed to give the local cannabis a slight advantage over the new cannabis companies that are opening up in the peripheral, around Niles, in Niles Township," Thompson said.

"My understanding is this is something of a market-driven change, and it reflects the reality that customers are really looking for those extended hours for those businesses," Havlicek said. "The cannabis businesses themselves really needed the flexibility to be able to be open for those longer hours. So, it signals the City of Niles' willingness to really work hand-in-hand with those businesses and the industry it has to create a more competitive environment."

Marijuana retailers can now be open 19 of a day's 24 hours if they choose, but will they? Noonan says They don't have plans to extend their 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily schedule.

"I appreciate the fact that Niles' government is trying to work with us to make the businesses viable," Noonan said. "I don't really think that 5 a.m. to midnight is the key answer, certainly not for Southland Farms. But I appreciate that different entities may want to take advantage of those early hours or late hours. We don't plan on extending our hours on a permanent basis, but we do think we'll be taking advantage of the late hours once in a while to do a special Friday night event or something like that."