I need your help. 

I opened the ballot for Michigan’s best cannabis brands about two weeks ago, and the votes have been rolling in ever since. But we’ve got three weeks left before polls close, and I want this list to be as close to definitive as I can get it. That means I need more of you to weigh in.

Plus, Michigan’s wholesale weed tax still isn’t bringing in enough cash to fix the damn roads, Indiana cops are pulling pounds of our weed off I-94, one dispensary is giving away free weed for an entire year, and I gambled $300 on a mystery cannabis brand in Ann Arbor. 

Roll one up and do your part.

This year’s competition isn’t about marketing, packaging, or strain names. I don’t care about which company uses the coolest mylar jars or who is quickest to jump on the latest Reddit trend.

I just want to know which Michigan brands are actually growing good weed.

You’ll find a ballot form below with a list of suggested brands. But please, don’t let that list limit you. Any company that is actively growing for the recreational cannabis market in Michigan is fair game. Vote for up to three brands. One ballot per person. Polls close on Sept. 30.

I’ll count everything up in October and release the full results exclusively in this newsletter. 

ROAD KILL: Michigan’s 24% wholesale marijuana tax is still only bringing in a fraction of what state officials projected. The tax generated about $37 million in the second quarter of 2026 and roughly $34 million in the first—against an initial estimate of $105 million per quarter. The money was supposed to fix the roads. At this rate, we’ll still have quite a few potholes left to fill by the end of the tax’s first year in effect. 

HEMP LIMBO: The federal ban on hemp THC products that was supposed to take effect on Nov. 12 has been pushed back to Dec. 11 under a bill President Donald Trump signed last week. That means the unregulated stuff sold at the gas station will get another month on the shelf while Congress argues over whether to put some guardrails on those products or ban them outright.

STATE LINES: Indiana cops say they’re confiscating about 30 to 50 pounds of weed every month along the I-94 corridor—and most of it came from a Michigan dispensary. Arrests are down but one prosecutor says that’s only because more Hoosiers are getting away with it. 

BUFFER ZONE: Niles Township officials have recommended a new ordinance that would allow dispensaries in business districts, as long as they’re located at least 1,000 feet from any church. It’s a preemptive move because voters there won’t decide whether to greenlight dispensaries until November; local leaders say they’re just trying to line up some rules before that happens.

PEARL DIVE: Grön, a Portland edibles brand owned by Wyld, announced last week that its bestselling “Pearls” gummies are now being sold in Michigan dispensaries as part of a four-state rollout. They’ve already been confirmed on shelves at Pure Options, High Profile, and Lume. 

ICYMI: If you missed last week’s newsletter, I let two Lansing budtenders pick my weed for me and bought whatever they handed over without arguing. It cost about double my usual budget. But neither of them steered me toward junk to protect my wallet, which is the whole argument for actually talking to your budtender instead of just ordering whatever from an online menu.

Last week, I asked which type of product I should pick up for my next review. It was close but vapes narrowly edged out prerolls and edibles, which ended up finishing in a second-place tie.

So, we’re switching things up. I bought three different live rosin pens over the weekend—which is three more than I’ve bought in the last year. Stay tuned for the results in next week’s edition. 

In the meantime, I’m curious:

How old were you when you smoked your first joint?

No judgment here. I’ll have the results next week.

I’ve spent years in this newsletter telling you to build a list of cannabis brands you can trust. But every once in a while, it’s worth taking a gamble. It’s the only way that list ever grows. 

I did that last week at Information Entropy in Ann Arbor, loading up on 2.5 ounces of Crunch Berries from Millennial Melts and YetiStash for $300. I’ve smoked YetiStash before, but mostly just their hash rosin and preroll packs. I’d never once seen their actual flower on the shelf.

The strain is Gassius Clay x Billy Kimber OG, crossed with Sweet Retreat. It tested under 20% THC with less than 2% terpenes, and I almost put it back on the strength of those numbers alone. Then, I remembered I’ve also spent years telling all of you not to shop that way.

It was a good move. This turned out to be a potent harvest and one of the better dessert strains I’ve had so far this year. The nose is deep red berry with a creamy backbone and a hint of gas. It smoked exactly like it smelled. Smooth, sweet, and cereal-adjacent. Clean white ash, too.

Two small complaints: The bud was a touch dry, though this was a May harvest and I suspect it would’ve been perfect if I’d found it at the dispensary about two months ago. Plus, I still know almost nothing about Millennial Melts, and I hate shopping that way. I couldn’t find a website or social media page, and as far as I can tell you can only find their stuff at Information Entropy.

It’s worth noting: I’m increasingly convinced that driving to Information Entropy in Ann Arbor or New Buffalo for their “max out” deal is the single cheapest way to buy good weed in bulk.

I’ve been running this section long enough to know the ceiling on a good deal. 

I can always find 30% off or a BOGO edible special. Every once in a while, somebody gives away concert tickets or a lease on a Dodge Charger. It’s always a Dodge Charger.

But this week, I found something that stood out: Free weed for a year.

Primitiv in Niles is giving two customers $1,500 apiece in rewards value—$125 a month, every month, for 12 straight months—plus a personalized grab bag each time. To get yourself in the running, just spend at least $100 at the dispensary every month for the next four months.

Winners will be drawn on Dec. 31. Just don’t forget to get your ticket stamped at the counter. The purchase alone won’t enter you, and I’d hate for somebody to find that out in January.

I did not accomplish anything over Labor Day weekend. I finished a book, got halfway through another one, and smoked several joints on my front porch. That’s about the size of it. 

The series is Dungeon Crawler Carl, and I haven’t been this locked into a book since I was a kid tearing through Harry Potter. It’s about a guy in his underwear and his ex’s cat trying to survive an intergalactic game show that’s built out of what’s left of Earth. Trust me. Just read it. 

The joint was Godzillaz Revenge from Zasso Handrolls, a 1.5-gram preroll with a cool glass tip I found at Green Acres in Ann Arbor. It’s a new dispensary running some relatively aggressive deals to get people in the door, and I’d recommend stopping in while the paint is still fresh.

I couldn’t find a website for Zasso, so this brand was another mystery to me. But it was recommended by my budtender, labeled as “exotic indoor flower grown in Detroit,” and had a little cartoon Godzilla on the label—which is apparently all it takes to get me to buy something. 

The genetics behind the “Godzillaz Revenge” strain are just as unclear. But whatever they are, it smoked like Runtz. Sour and fruity, with an oil ring that confirmed this was quality bud.

But here’s what baffles me: It’s clear somebody in Detroit grew this with real care and then decided that was all we needed to know. I’ve now encountered dozens of Michigan cannabis brands with no website, no social media, and no interest in taking credit for good weed.

Strange way to run a business, but I guess the product speaks for itself.

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.