In late March, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency released a consent order and stipulation regarding a case against LE Battle Creek, which owns and operates the Doja dispensary in Portage.
The document showed that LE Battle Creek agreed to pay a $15,000 fine and accept a 14-day license suspension. The agreement is in response to a violation that was detailed in a formal complaint filed by CRA in February.
According to the documents, LE Battle Creek broke cannabis retail laws when the Doja dispensary in Portage (identified by address in the records) accepted and sold products that were transferred to them from the Lake Effect (identified by license number) on Westnedge Avenue in December.
At the time, the license for Lake Effect, which is owned and managed by the same company as Doja, had expired. Under Michigan law, a cannabis retailer with an expired or inactive license cannot transfer products to another store.
The documents explain that the license for Lake Effect expired on December 13, and the CRA notified the retailer two days later that no product transfers were allowed.
On December 16, according to the records, Doja Portage accepted a shipment of products from Lake Effect, and some of those products were sold later the same day at the Doja store.
The 14-day suspension of LE Battle Creek's license began on March 30. Doja Portage is listed as temporarily closed, and its listed number does not connect to the store. Doja also has a location in Watervliet; that store is also listed as temporarily closed. Neither location has an active voicemail box.
WMUK was unable to reach a representative for either dispensary or its parent company.
