FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2025
Contact: aimee@gagegreengroup.com
Website: www.gagegreengroup.com
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – In a stunning blow to authenticity, intellectual property rights, and small businesses across the nation, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has denied Gage Green Group’s motion to prevent corporate conglomerates from continuing their federal trademark application on the name “GAGE” —a name born from over a decade of dedication, innovation, and grassroots legacy building.
This decision clears the way for TerrAscend Corp., Canopy Growth, and Cookies Enterprises to continue capitalizing on the brand identity and decades-long legacy of Gage Green Group, despite overwhelming evidence of prior use, public confusion, and bad-faith registration attempts.
“This is theft in broad daylight. Gage Green Group is not just a name — it is a movement of organic growers, healers, and artists who built this brand long before these corporations entered the cannabis space,” said Michael Jie-Shen Fang, founder of Gage Green Group. “The USPTO has ignored our evidence and enabled corporate impersonation.”
The decision comes after years of legal battles, during which Gage Green Group has presented documented proof of first use dating back to the late 2000s — years before Canopy Growth and Bruce Linton’s 2019 launch of the “fake Gage” brand in Michigan under a commercial partnership with Cookies and TerrAscend.
This case represents more than just a trademark dispute — it is a litmus test for the future of legacy cannabis in America. As large corporations move to consolidate and dominate the legal market, many independent brands, breeders, and original creators are finding themselves erased, silenced, or stolen from with government approval.
Gage Green Group intends to pursue all available legal remedies, including civil rights and antitrust litigation in federal court. “We will never stop fighting for the truth, our legacy, and for every small farmer, breeder, and healer,” added Fang.
About Gage Green Group
Founded in the late 2000s, Gage Green Group is a spiritual and organic cannabis collective known worldwide for creating legendary cultivars like Mendo Breath and Grape Stomper. Their mission has always been to elevate the sacred plant through natural cultivation, conscious breeding, and community-driven innovation.