Fellow Michigander,

Michigan’s cannabis world is never boring.

This week: Meet the heir to a Michigan pickle empire building a cannabis brand, one dispensary is giving stoners a shot at Opening Day tickets for the Detroit Tigers, state regulators are picking a fight over the word “dispensary,” and Bay City is getting ready for a full-blown weed party.

Let’s get into it.

For decades, the Vlasic name has been synonymous with pickles. But now members of that same Michigan family are building something very different: a cannabis company.

This week, I caught up with Willy Vlasic—the great-grandson of the man who turned Vlasic Pickles into a national brand—to talk about how his old basement grow room has turned into a nationwide CBD line that’s now sold in roughly 200 dispensaries across Michigan.

It’s this week’s top story.

SALES SLIDE: Michigan’s cannabis market could be heading for its worst year in a while. New projections from industry analytics firm Headset show dispensary sales are down across the board, suggesting Michigan could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in weed sales this year.

LONG SHOT: A recent push to repeal Michigan’s 24% wholesale cannabis tax is expected to face steep odds in Lansing, according to one Michigan lawmaker, who still supports the plan.

LICENSE LIMBO: Puff Cannabis is still fighting for the right to open a dispensary in Menominee, where a judge is now weighing dueling arguments in a lawsuit filed against the city. Puff says city officials wrongly blocked its store from opening last year. Meanwhile, Menominee voters recently backed a sweeping ban on any new dispensaries—even though the city and county are pulling in serious tax revenue from the eight dispensaries that are already open.

WORD POLICE: Michigan regulators are reminding dispensaries that they are technically not allowed to call themselves “dispensaries.” The Cannabis Regulatory Agency says that term is legally reserved for pharmacies, meaning cannabis companies are supposed to use other words like “retailer.” In reality, of course, basically everyone still calls them dispensaries anyway.

INDUSTRY THERAPY: A panel of West Michigan cannabis insiders recently aired their grievances in a wide-ranging roundtable—and there were plenty of things to complain about. Between collapsing prices, tax headaches, and gas stations slinging unregulated hemp products, leaders say Michigan’s cannabis industry will face challenging months ahead.

DEAL MAKERS: Michigan’s cannabis industry is gearing up for The Exchange, a business-to-business meetup in East Lansing on May 6-7. Retailers, brands, and other weed-world insiders will gather to swap cards, pitch products, and try to lock in their next big business deal. Regular stoners can’t buy tickets. Retailers and vendors must register online.  

Bay City stoners are getting a free weed party this weekend.

Wojo Co. is throwing an official grand opening celebration for its new dispensary on Saturday, March 14. And if you’re going, you might want to clear a little room in your stash drawer.

The main attraction is a BOGO deal on all Wojo products, running through Sunday. Glass and other merch will also be 30% off, and customers can score bonus gift cards for stocking up.

And Saturday is when things really get festive—with free lunch from noon to 6 p.m., a spin-the-wheel prize game, and goodie bags worth about $100 for the first 100 customers. There’s also a ticket giveaway to the sold-out Excellency Music Festival, plus a mysterious “stash-n-dash” promotion happening somewhere around downtown Bay City that afternoon.

Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers is one of Michigan’s most sacred spring traditions.

And this week, one dispensary is giving stoners a chance to be there in person. 

Through March 15, Urb Cannabis is running an Opening Day ticket giveaway—with three lucky winners set to score a pair of seats for the first game of the season on April 3 at Comerica Park.

The catch? There really isn’t one. Just sign up for Urb’s online rewards program and be sure to enroll in the drawing before Sunday evening. That’s it. You don’t even have to buy any weed. 

Detroit might have some of the best accidental smoke spots in Michigan. The whole city is just filled with quiet little corners where art, infrastructure, and a quick joint all collide.

Last week, my partner and I found ourselves lighting up a couple HYMAN pre-rolls just outside the Bagley Mobility Hub, a parking garage tucked along the Southwest Greenway in Detroit.

The lineup included Wolf Pac—a gassy collaboration with wrestling legend Kevin Nash—and Sosa Sherb, a creamy hybrid that landed smooth and mellow enough for an afternoon stroll.

Behind the joints is a massive public art installation by Detroit artist Senghor Reid, whose work often focuses on water. These textured wraps cover three towering cisterns and depict Michigan’s major bodies of water—including the Great Lakes and Detroit River.

Originally, we were headed to the Detroit Institute of Arts. But the place was absolutely packed, so we ditched the museum plan and just wandered the city instead.

And honestly? It might’ve been the better art experience.

Detroit feels like a living gallery these days anyway.

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Stay safe out there ‘Ganders. Recreational cannabis is only for use by individuals 21 years of age or older. Keep out of reach of children. It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana. Contact the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.