Spooky season is here, and Michigan’s cannabis brands showed up in costume.

This week, I rounded up six seasonal drops worth hunting down before Halloween—and noticed that one of the most iconic flavors of fall has vanished from dispensary shelves entirely.

Plus, cannabis real estate is going for pennies on the dollar, a Minnesota man allegedly built a black market business on our cheap weed, a Mount Clemens dispensary could lose its license over a parking lot, and a Walled Lake pot shop is throwing a trunk-or-treat with a petting zoo.

Roll one up and grab a hoodie.

Fall in Michigan only lasts about three weeks. It’s a tight window between digging your hoodie out of the closet and scraping frost off the windshield. And we’ve got to make it count.

Luckily, the state’s cannabis brands are already dressed for the occasion.

I went looking for the best seasonal cannabis products this week and found everything from jet-black pre-rolls and caramel apple popcorn to cider made with Michigan apples. And one of my all-time favorite fall products has disappeared entirely, so this year, I’m making my own.

I haven’t tried everything here, so think of this one as more of a scouting report. 

If something on this list is bad, blame the brands. If it’s good, I’ll take full credit.

BUYER BEWARE: State Sen. Jeff Irwin is warning Michigan’s cannabis industry not to trust Republican gubernatorial candidate John James. The state’s top cannabis executives recently endorsed James over his pledge to cut the state’s 24% wholesale weed tax. But Irwin told Marijuana Moment that James, who currently represents Michigan’s 10th congressional district, hasn’t done anything to support cannabis reform in Congress and is making competing promises that he isn’t likely to keep if he’s elected governor.

BACK TO THE POLLS: As absentee ballots hit mailboxes this week, Menominee voters are being asked to decide whether to increase the number of dispensaries allowed in the city from nine to 13. Voters approved the nine-store cap just last year, and the city has been tangled up in dispensary lawsuits ever since. If it passes, expect a new round of licensing fights to ensue.

FLATLINE: America may have hit its limit. A new analysis shows cannabis sales appear to have hit their peak in 2025 after about a decade of nonstop growth. Meanwhile, new federal data shows that the share of young people who smoke weed is now at its lowest point in 30 years.

FIRE SALE: If you ever wanted to own a weed farm, now’s a great time to be a buyer. Because Michigan’s cannabis gold rush seems to be over—and the real estate is going for scrap. At least 50 cannabis properties are now up for sale or lease across the state, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. And one broker says they’re selling for 20 to 30 cents on the dollar.

BARGAIN BIN: Michigan has essentially become the Midwest’s discount weed aisle. The average ounce here now runs about $60 compared with roughly $150 to $220 in Ohio and Illinois—which is why dispensaries in small border towns are now outselling those in Detroit.

MADE IN MICHIGAN: Authorities say a Minnesota man built a large black market cannabis operation out of his house stocked with product he hauled back from Michigan. The police raid allegedly turned up nearly 200 pounds of weed, 8,000 vape carts, 6,000 pre-rolls, and a stash of gold bars. That’s a long drive for weed, but at Michigan prices, apparently worth the gas.

PARKING TICKET: Joyology could lose its license in Mount Clemens over a parking lot. Commissioners reportedly tabled the dispensary’s permit renewal last week and gave it 30 days to show “significant and meaningful” progress on the lot it promised to build more than a year ago. The owner blamed a booming construction market and trouble finding a contractor. 

BEST IN SHOW: Toad Venom from Mitten Canna Co. reportedly took best overall flower at this year’s Zalympix awards, the competition that’s often billed as the “Grammys of Cannabis.” Hytek‘s Oishii Piña won best overall live rosin. Blue Limeade from YetiStash also placed second in flower and third in rosin, and took home the “best tasting” award in both competitions. 

ICYMI: If you missed last week’s newsletter, I went inside ACT Lab, a testing facility in Lansing, and learned that cannabis companies that don’t like their THC results can just shop for a better number somewhere else. One harvest discussed in the story, for example, came back at 26% via one lab and 31% at another.

Last week, I asked whether you trust the THC percentage printed on the label.

A clear majority of you said no. Second place was a near-tie between people who don’t know and people who don’t care. Only about two dozen of you said you fully trust the number.

So, that’s a lot of trust issues. 

But here’s the funny part: The folks at the testing laboratory I talked to earlier this month told me the THC number is the least useful thing printed on the package. Apparently, most of you have already figured that part out. Somebody should tell the marketing department over at Lume. 

This week, let’s talk about Croptober. 

It’s harvest season for Michigan’s outdoor growers and I’m curious:

How do you feel about outdoor-grown weed?

Be honest. I’ll have the results next week.

Michigan dispensaries spend most of the year keeping kids out. 

But for one afternoon every October, the Greenhouse of Walled Lake does the opposite.

This year’s Trunk or Treat, co-hosted with the Walled Lake Civic Fund, runs from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. It’s the eighth year for the free, family-friendly event, and happening rain or shine. Dozens of local businesses and neighbors will be there handing out candy.

There’s also a costume contest with cash prizes. And new this year: a petting zoo. If you want to decorate a trunk yourself, just email Kelsey at kelsey@greenhousemi.com to reserve a spot.

Candidly, I wish more dispensaries did this kind of thing. A lot of Michigan towns still treat pot shops like a nuisance to zone as far from families as possible. The Greenhouse keeps inviting those families over anyway. That’s how you become a neighbor instead of a zoning dispute.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means just about every business in America is about to turn something pink. Dispensaries are no exception.

Mango Cannabis is running a stamp card fundraiser at its Lansing and New Buffalo stores through early November. You donate $5 to get a stamp card. And every time you spend at least $20, you get a stamp. Collect five stamps for $10 off your next purchase or collect 10 for $20 off.

Mango says the proceeds will go to the Shades of Pink Foundation, a Michigan nonprofit that helps women in breast cancer treatment pay for things like groceries, rent, and car payments.

I’ll admit: The math is a little daunting. To maximize this deal, you’d need to make 10 separate trips and spend at least $200 over the next five weeks—all just to get $20 back. It’s not the best deal in Michigan, but it’s still money back on weed that you were probably going to buy anyway. 

And for once, you can tell yourself that extra trip to the pot shop was for a good cause. 

Fall is officially here, which means it’s chili season in my house.

Just about every other Sunday from now until the snow melts, you can find me standing over a giant pot of the stuff on the stove and waiting for the Detroit Lions game to begin. It’s one of my favorite things to cook because you can’t rush it. You layer the flavors, let it simmer, and take your time. This week was a classic Texas red. No beans; no tomatoes. Don’t email me about it.

The pregame warmup was a New York Supreme Cheesecake Mini Éclair from Hyman.

It’s a 0.7-gram pre-roll with 0.6 grams of weed, a 0.1 gram layer of hash rosin down the middle, and a cool glass tip. I like these because they aren’t cones. They’re skinny, straight little joints that burn evenly and don’t take an hour to finish. I smoked it while I diced up some peppers.

The flavor was creamy and sweet with a hint of citrus. The high was floaty—just right for zoning out to some music and tinkering around the kitchen in the early morning. Super chill.

Hyman bills itself as a “luxury lifestyle brand” with the highest quality cannabis in Michigan. I can’t vouch for that claim. In fact, I’d probably argue with it. But I’ve never had a bad smoke from them, and that kind of consistency counts for a lot in a market this crowded.

The joint was finished before sunrise. The chili was done by kickoff. Solid Sunday. 

Stay safe out there ‘Ganders. Remember that recreational cannabis is only legal in Michigan for ages 21 and up—and it’s NEVER OK to get high and drive.