Full disclosure: I was part of the staff that opened this store in 2021. Not long after open, I found it necessary to leave the cannabis industry for my other day job.
When it comes to Michigan cannabis retailers there's two major categories, the corporate juggernauts and the clearly independent retailers. Technically, I'd say Rize definitely skirts the corporate side even though they only have a handful of shops in the U.P.
When you get in the shop, after showing your ID (there are no anonymous cannabis sales in Michigan) you enter a very clean, very commercial environment. LIke most, well stocked, cannabis retailers they have a variety of brands you'll recognize, but they also have a few that are more exclusive to their stores in the region. Those products tend to be on the more bargain-side, then, when it comes to flower, you'll find some common mid-priced "premium" brands (Redemption, Fawn River, Chronicseur, Society C) along with their vertically integreted Royal Trees family on their higher end. They don't carry any of the "high end" Michigan brands, but quite often those brands have just marketed well and the products aren't superior. That's pretty much the game across the board. As someone who worked inventory I can say that Rize's purchasing guidelines are a bit stricter and more corporate than other retailers.
Now, when it comes to concentrates you're more likely to find higher end brands, a big reason being Royal Trees tends to collaborate with multiple Cannabis Cup awardee Uplift'N.
I often joke that Rize is the Applebees of weed; they allow you to keep a bit of your personality, but still need you to be a good corporate worker bee; you always know you're going to be able to get a decent quality product, if not the best; it's clean and well stocked with a very commercial feel; and well, if you know you know on the last one (but if you do know it's pretty funny).
Honestly, Rize tends to get maybe 1/6 of my business when they hit with good deals. Marquette currently has the cheapest prices of quality product in the world so it's hard for a conscientious price shopper, like myself, to be strictly loyal to one company. In the end, a good place to go for newbies and price shoppers will often find themselves happy. One of the better establishments in Marquette. read more
