Ascend Wellness Closes Lansing Cannabis Facility, Lays Off 94 Workers After December Fire

# Ascend Wellness Closes Lansing Cannabis Facility, Lays Off 94 Workers After December Fire

**94 employees lose their jobs as Ascend Cannabis Group shuts its Lansing cultivation facility following a December fire

Lansing — Ascend Wellness Holdings is permanently closing its cannabis cultivation facility in Lansing and laying off 94 employees effective June 26. The company operates the site as Ascend Cannabis Group. The closure follows a December 25 fire that a city fire marshal determined was accidental and caused by a grow light.

The company notified employees of the pending layoffs on April 27. A WARN Act filing with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity published May 12 confirmed the final headcount.

Ascend holds five Class C grow licenses for the Hazel Street address. Each license authorizes 1,500 plants. The combined legal capacity totals 7,500 plants.

A spokesman for the company framed the closure as temporary in a statement. The statement read that AWH will temporarily cease operations at its Lansing Michigan facility for an extended period while repairs and remediation are completed following a fire.

The Company considered all viable options but closure was necessary to ensure the safety of employees due to the scale of the planned construction. City building records for the property show no current construction permits pulled for the address.

City Officials Track Cannabis Market Contraction

Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope processes cannabis business licenses for the city. His office tracks the industry. Swope said the closure reflects a wider contraction he has been tracking.

There was a thought at the beginning that this was going to make money hand over fist. Swope told reporters. There are a lot of costs and it is not quite as lucrative. The office has seen a retraction in the market.

The number of grows has decreased since the city initially put the ordinance into play. Swope noted the shift in the local cannabis business landscape.

State Representative Calls for Legislative Response

State Representative Joe Aragona-Nassar chairs the Regulatory Reform Committee. He said the industry margin compression requires a legislative response.

It is not the industry it was even just a couple years ago. Aragona-Nassar told reporters. Things were growing and booming. We need to step up and help out that industry.

If there is a fire or something does happen, it is not going to be completely devastating. Aragona-Nassar said there is the ability to rebuild the business.

City Councilman Questions Transparency

Lansing First Ward Councilman Ryan Kost represents the ward that includes the facility. He learned of the closure and layoffs from local media.

The abrupt closure of Ascend Grow Facility on Hazel Street and the subsequent layoff of our community members are causes for significant concern. Kost wrote in a statement. It reflects a notable lack of transparency.

A clear explanation for these actions has not been provided. Kost said the precise number of affected employees has not been provided. That is an unacceptable situation.

Mayor Directs Workers to Resources

Mayor Andy Schor directed affected workers to Capital Area Michigan Works and the 211 telephone line.

We are seeing the cannabis market fluctuate across the state. Schor told reporters. It is affecting the lives of the employees of many of the facilities.

It is always disappointing when a local employer is forced to lay off a large group of workers. Schor said the impact is especially hard right now as costs continue to rise across the country.

Company Reports Strong Financial Performance

Ascend reported $500.6 million in net revenue for full-year 2025. The company operates 49 retail stores across Michigan. The retail locations span Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland.

The company includes seven Michigan dispensaries in its retail portfolio. The Lansing cultivation facility was separate from its East Lansing retail location. The East Lansing retail location remains open.

The Ascend Cannabis Group facility on Hazel Street in Lansing is now permanently closed. The 94 employees affected by the closure face significant uncertainty as they seek new employment opportunities in the region.