Most pre-rolled joints are trash. This Detroit-based cannabis lab is fixing that.

Sponsored by Freds Lab

Tired of dry pre-rolled joints that hit like sawdust? Freds Lab is rolling up something actually worth smoking. No trim, no shake, no bullshit—just real joints with fresh, sticky flower. 

MICHIGAN—You know the feeling: You light up a pre-rolled joint from your local dispensary, take a hit, and immediately regret it. The burn is uneven, the airflow is garbage, and instead of tasting like fresh cannabis flower, it’s like inhaling dust from the inside of a vacuum bag.

The truth? Most pre-rolled joints in Michigan aren’t actually rolled at all.

Real joints—those that burn smoothly, pull evenly, and actually taste like the flower inside—take some skill to put together. But most dispensary pre-rolls nowadays are just machine-packed cones, stuffed with whatever trim or shake is lying around. Some are fine. Many burn like trash.

If you’ve ever sparked up a dispensary cone that’s canoed, crumbled, or left you hacking up a lung, you already know the deal. And that’s why Freds Lab is coming in to change things up.

This Detroit-based processing lab has been rolling joints the right way since early 2024—with no trim, no shake, and no weird, artificial terpenes. Just fresh, sticky bud from farms across Michigan, coarsely ground and slow rolled (not haphazardly stuffed into a cone) for a smooth, even burn.

Their concentrate-injected “Jelly Rolls” and “Dog Walkers” are out of this world. And after personally smoking a few, I can confidently say: This is what a pre-rolled joint is supposed to be. 

A Better Way to Roll

Freds Lab is the brainchild of James Meeker and industry veteran Dan Stannard. Together, they have a simple mission for the Michigan market: ditch the cone and roll joints the right way.

“We’re not stuffing cones,” Meeker said. “We don’t want anything to do with cones. We’re rolling joints the way they should be. And you can tell the difference the moment you light one.”

At Freds Lab, everything starts with fresh, high-quality flower from Michigan’s best growers. No trim. No dry, crumbling shake. Only sticky, fragrant buds that actually taste like weed. 

Then, it all gets the perfect coarse grind—not too fine, not too chunky—so that every joint burns evenly from start to finish. 

Finally, the joints are rolled up using a fully automated rolling machine that mimics the precision of a hand-rolled joint—no air pockets, no tight spots, and no need for constant re-lighting.

The result? Joints like your grandfather used to roll—only better.

Freds Lab produces its own pre-rolls under Ole Factory Canna brand, but its real business is partnering with Michigan growers to make sure top-shelf weed actually gets into top-shelf joints.

That includes producing and packaging up singles and classic five-packs of pre-rolls. But the real magic is an array of pre-rolls injected with concentrates for more seasoned stoners:

• Half-gram “Dog Walkers” — Perfect for a quick session or a solo stroll around the block.
• One-gram “Jelly Rolls” — Designed for sharing. Slow-burning. Potent as hell.

Both are injected the right way—with a precision blast of full-spectrum resin or rosin running straight through the center. No sticky mess. No uneven burn. No wasted terpenes.

And perhaps most importantly: Freds Lab has vowed to never use distillate to roll their joints. 

“We take a large-gauge needle, poke a cavity through the joint, and inject a thick column of concentrate right through the center,” Stannard told The MichiGanja Report. “No weird distillate on the outside. Just a slow, smooth burn of fresh flower and top-shelf concentrate.”

Do They Actually Smoke Better?

I’ve been covering Michigan’s cannabis industry since the beginning. And in that time, I’ve smoked more pre-rolls than I’d like to admit. Some were great. Many were absolutely terrible.

So, when I got my hands on a pack of joints from Freds Lab, I was eager to put them to the test.

First up: the injected, half-gram “Dog Walker.”

I love the concept of a dogwalker, but most of them tend to fizzle out halfway through, get clogged up, or just feel like the leftovers of a bigger joint. Not these. 

The coarse grind of the flower made for a downright perfect burn. No canoeing. No re-lighting. Just a smooth, consistent pull from start to finish. And because the joints are actually rolled prior to injecting the concentrate, the terpenes really shine through in a way that’s rare for pre-rolls.

Next: the standard, one-gram pre-roll. 

This packaging is sleek, convenient, and discreet—with five, one-gram joints packed up like cigarettes in a slim box. Easy to pocket. No crushed cones. No mess. Just grab and go.

These didn’t have rosin injected in the middle. But it had the same smooth pull, the same slow burn, and the same clean flavor as the Dog Walker—just in a larger size for a longer dog walk.

Finally, the injected “Jelly Roll.”

This terpy, concentrate-injected beast is not for the faint of heart. 

We’re talking about a thick layer of concentrate running straight through the center, delivering huge, flavorful pulls with every hit. Unless you’re a hardcore stoner, this joint is probably best enjoyed with a friend (or three) because it’ll burn forever, as well as get you stoned quickly.

And if you don’t finish it in one go? No worries—it relights perfectly.

All told, every joint I’ve had from Freds Labs has smoked like a dream—with even burns, smooth pulls, and strong crutches that hold up without caving in. 

And the flavor? My samples were dense, sticky, and packed with rich, gassy flavor. No artificial terpenes or harshness—just pure, high-quality bud in a properly rolled, old school joint. Unlike other brands, Freds Lab has never used cheap distillate in their products. And they never will.

“It’s only fresh, terpy concentrate,” Meeker said.

Where can I find these joints?

Freds Lab rotates its strains, so Michiganders can always look forward to something new. 

But they aren’t just rolling joints for themselves. They’re helping licensed growers get their flower into joints actually worth smoking, with pre-rolls in select dispensaries across Michigan. 

Some companies—like 31 Cannabis—are using Freds Lab to produce their own, in-house brands like Muskegon Grow. If your local shop isn’t carrying them yet, just ask your budtender. 

“There’s a market for quality pre-rolls, and we’re making sure they get into the right hands,” Meeker said. “If more brands start caring how a joint is rolled, it’s going to change the game.”

Want to learn more about Freds Lab? Meet the team in person at The Exchange, a cannabis industry networking event on May 7-8 at the Lansing-Eagle Eye Golf Club. 

This coverage was produced in partnership with Freds Lab.

READ MORE: Who rolls Michigan’s best pre-rolled joints?

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