WALLED LAKE, Mich. – The Greenhouse in Walled Lake was one of the first marijuana businesses to cultivate an upscale boutique vibe.
Now, thousands come through the door on any given weekend, and in the last two or three months, so has counterfeit cash.
“Absolutely, we’re being targeted,” said owner Jerry Millen.
Recreational pot is perfectly legal in Michigan, but it’s still a federal crime.
All of which means marijuana businesses can’t use credit cards; it’s cash only. The fake bills are getting better.
“They’re making $5, $20, $100 bills,” Millen said.
They’re good enough to get past the register and, in some cases, good enough to get past the cash machines, which sort bills and have settings to find fakes.
Ultimately, either the bank or the feds find them all of, which means Millen’s corporate accounts have seen several thousand dollars disappear over the last few months.
A problem he sees persisting unless something changes at the federal level.