In September Puff Cannabis sued the city asking the city to approve their license. The city says there were still some issues to be resolved. The city is also currently under a judge’s order to maintain the status quo on licenses while a lawsuit concerning the referendum to limit the number of dispensaries in the city is resolved.

Now, Puff’s attorney, Jennifer Green, is raising concerns about whether competing cannabis companies are footing the city’s legal expenses. She says residents deserve to know whether tax dollars or private dispensaries are paying for the fight. Attorney Matthew Cross who represents the city in the marijuana litigation confirms that several cannabis companies do share responsibility for paying the city’s legal fees under a 2023 settlement agreement. He says those companies including: Lume, Higher Love, Highwire Farms, Rocky North, and Nu Group have paid for previous litigation involving Rize and The Fire Station. But Cross says those companies have not yet paid legal costs connected to the new lawsuit filed by Puff Cannabis. He says those bills have been forwarded for payment but no money has been received. Cross emphasizes that none of the companies paying legal fees have any influence over the city’s handling of the Puff case or settlement decisions.

The Menominee City Council meets on Monday. It’s unclear whether they’ll take action on Puff Cannabis’ most recent settlement proposal. A hearing in Puff’s lawsuit against the city is scheduled for January 8 in Menominee Circuit Court.