Every week, I sit down and try to make sense of Michigan’s cannabis industry. 

Some weeks are harder than others. But this week gave me a lot to work with. 

We’re starting with a deep dive inside Society C, where former caregivers (and Eminem’s half-brother Nathan Mathers) are cranking out 450 pounds of hand-trimmed weed every week. 

We’ve also got an unsolved arson in Monroe County, black market hash oil in Coldwater Township, a forgotten state law that could eventually put weed in your local Walgreens, and a free joint for anyone out there who got stranded by Spirit Airlines last week. 

It’s a good week to be a subscriber. Let’s get into it.

About 450 pounds of hand-trimmed cannabis is cultivated and harvested every week from a massive, 54,000-square facility in Lake Orion that never stops moving.

It looks a lot like corporate cannabis on paper. 

But the team behind one of Michigan’s largest operations are former medical marijuana caregivers. And that shapes everything from how they run their trimming room to why they’re still standing when bigger, better-funded operations have already packed up and left Michigan.

This week, I went inside to find out how they do it.

MINE FIELD: A decade-old state law signed by former Gov. Rick Snyder could be triggered by federal marijuana rescheduling, potentially creating a new licensing structure that would allow weed to be sold at pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens, Crain’s Detroit Business reports. State regulators say they are still figuring out what this could actually mean for the Michigan market.

OVER THE LIMIT: A Coldwater Township man is facing a potential life sentence after Michigan State Police reportedly raided his home and found a black market butane hash oil lab, 380 pounds of marijuana, and 14 mason jars of wax—roughly 600 times the legal possession limit.

UP IN SMOKE: Two people reportedly crashed a stolen Jeep through the front door of Pure Cannabis in Monroe County, poured gasoline inside, and set the place on fire—only to have the sprinkler system put it out after they left. The shop is offering a $25,000 reward for tips.

SMOKE SIGNAL: A fire at an unlicensed Ypsilanti Township warehouse reportedly led investigators to discover a large, undisclosed quantity of marijuana stashed inside. 

BORDER WAR: New Buffalo Township, home to roughly 35 active cannabis licenses, is now facing at least three separate lawsuits after passing an ordinance that would allow township officials to revoke permits for dispensaries that rack up state violations, MLive reports.

HOOSIER HASSLE: Indiana police are still arresting Michigan dispensary customers who cross over the border with legally purchased cannabis, with many recent charges reportedly stemming from drivers who are caught with branded products out in plain view when stopped by police.

GROUNDED: JARS Cannabis is reportedly offering one free cannabis product to anyone who can prove they were impacted by Spirit Airlines’ sudden shutdown (including former employees and passengers with canceled flights) at all Michigan dispensaries through Friday, May 15.

SKY HIGH: If you’re the type who enjoys staring at the night sky while stoned, Michigan has a packed summer calendar of celestial events worth planning around—including two meteor showers, a partial solar eclipse, a partial lunar eclipse, and an extra-brilliant view of Venus.

ICYMI: If you missed last week’s newsletter, judging kits for the Best in Grass competition officially hit Michigan dispensaries last weekend and are probably already selling out. If you missed the drop, check out the full list of participating locations before you make the trip.

Last week I asked how you smoke your weed.

Almost half of you said joints.

The rest of you were wrong.

Which brings me to this week’s question. The weather is finally warming up across Michigan, which means it’s time to take the smoke session outside.

So tell me: What’s your favorite outdoor smoke spot?

Stay tuned. I’ll report back with the results next week.

I’ve never found a cannabis topical that actually does anything for me. 

But Wojo Co. has earned enough of my trust that I’m keeping an open mind.

The concentrate kings of Bay City just dropped a new line of live rosin body rubs called Wojo Rubzz. They come in five scents: pineapple coconut, tobacco saffron, mint eucalyptus, wild berry, and strawberries and cream. And each one is built to ease pain, inflammation, and more.

I haven’t had a chance to try them yet. But if you have, I want to hear about it. Send me an email and tell me what you think.

I’ll be honest with you: I don’t watch soccer. Never have. 

But apparently the rest of the world is losing it over the FIFA World Cup coming to the United States later this summer, so who am I to stand in the way of that energy?

PUFF Cannabis has teamed up with Jeeter for a World Cup sweepstakes running through May 31. Just buy any Jeeter product at PUFF and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win two tickets to the USA vs. Australia match in Seattle, plus flights, hotel, a gift card, and swag.

You can also enter online or by mail without buying anything, if you want to keep your money and still shoot your shot. Soccer fan or not, free World Cup tickets are free World Cup tickets.

I used to spend my weekends sleeping in until noon. Nowadays, I’m usually up before dawn, fully caffeinated by the sunrise, and waiting for the dew to clear so I can mow my yard. 

I guess that’s what happens when you get into your 30s.

Of course, yardwork is much more enjoyable when you’re totally stoned. And this week’s chores were fueled by Ice Kream Hash Co. and a strain they call “Year of the Horse.”

Apparently, these are some proprietary genetics they’re keeping close to the chest because I couldn’t find a single detail about it anywhere online. But what I can tell you is that it was potent, buttery, and a bit peppery with a terpene profile that I genuinely couldn’t place. 

The more important part here is that it kept me alert, focused, and energized—which is exactly what you want when you’re locked in a silent, unacknowledged arms race with your neighbors to be the first one on the block to mow their lawn on a Saturday morning.

Here’s a fun fact about your favorite cannabis newsletter.

It’s all written by a politics reporter.

And on May 21, I’m moderating a live virtual town hall for The ‘Gander.

It’s about regulating Big Tech and protecting kids online. We’ve got state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, Dr. Jenny Radesky from Michigan Medicine, and advocate Charay Gadd lined up to join the conversation.

It’s free, it’s livestreamed, and it’s the kind of accountability journalism your Chief Cannabis Correspondent does when he’s not busy writing about weed.

Click here to RSVP. 

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.