Ryan Richmond
Ryan Richmond is an American entrepreneur and author associated with Michigan’s early medical cannabis industry. He also founded one of the first hemp-based supplement companies for pets and built what’s become one of the most recognizable pet hemp brands in America.
Career
Richmond entered Michigan's cannabis industry during the early years of the state's medical marijuana program and opened the state's first medical cannabis dispensary Clinical Relief in Ferndale[1] and then Relief Choices in Warren.[2]
Richmond later founded Hemp Well, a company that manufactures and distributes hemp-derived supplements for pets.[3]
Writing
In 2026, Richmond published Capone of Cannabis (memoir/true crime), a book about Michigan's early medical marijuana era and his experience with law enforcement actions and federal taxation of cannabis businesses.[2][4][5]
Legal proceedings
In August 2010, Richmond was among those arrested following the state's first raid on a medical marijuana facility in Oakland County, Clinical Relief in Ferndale, Michigan.[6][7] In January 2012, an Oakland County Circuit Court judge dismissed charges related to the raid.[8] In September 2013, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal and reinstated the charges in People v. Johnson.[9] Richmond and his lawyers took the landmark case to the Michigan Supreme Court. Oakland County prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges in 2017.[10]
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Richmond's conviction in federal court on charges including tax evasion and obstructing the IRS, tied to the operation of Relief Choices.[11] In 2024, the Department of Justice reported that he was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution to the IRS.[12] Crain's Detroit Business also reported on the sentence in connection with the federal tax case involving his cannabis business.[13]
In coverage of Richmond's book, Metro Times quoted his attorney as saying Richmond may be the only American sent to federal prison over the application of IRS Section 280E[14] (a tax provision restricting business deductions related to Schedule I or II controlled substances) to a cannabis business.[2]
Selected works
- Capone of Cannabis (2026)[4]
References
- ↑ Oosting, Jonathan (2010-06-25). "Ferndale mayor looks to cash in on medical marijuana: It's about 'effective medicine' not 'college students smoking bongs'". mlive. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Neavling, Steve (January 30, 2026). "New book recounts how Michigan's early cannabis entrepreneurs were crushed by raids, seizures, and legal limbo". Metro Times. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "How we became a family business". Hemp Well. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Capone Of Cannabis". Amazon. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Investigative true-crime memoir: Dispensary Owner survives Raids, Corruption, and Prison". Retrieved 2026-02-14.
- ↑ "Medical Marijuana Facilities Raided". WDIV ClickOnDetroit. August 26, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Arrests made at Mich. medical marijuana facilities". WKAR Public Media. August 26, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Judge Dismisses Charges in Controversial Case Involving Medical Marijuana Dispensary". Patch. January 12, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "People v. Johnson (2013)". FindLaw. September 10, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMetroTimes20262 - ↑ "Michigan Marijuana Dispensary Owner Convicted of Tax Evasion and Obstructing IRS". U.S. Department of Justice. September 11, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Michigan Business Owner Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Obstructing IRS". U.S. Department of Justice. June 5, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Bloomfield Hills businessman sentenced in pot tax case". Crain's Detroit Business. June 6, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Sean (2018-11-20). "The IRS Is Seeing Green on Marijuana's Dime". The Motley Fool. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
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