You might want to save this week’s newsletter for the next time you’re in Lansing. Because I put together a guidebook of dispensaries, restaurants, and other hidden gems for Michigan stoners to explore, should they find themselves with a few hours (and a joint) to burn in the Capital City.

Plus, a New Buffalo dispensary is giving away a free car, a Westland man learned the hard way that weed is still illegal in Iowa, Eastpointe is getting a second dispensary, and one of my all-time favorite growers has gotten even better since I toured the facility three years ago.

Roll one up and read on.

You’re stoned, you’ve got a free afternoon, and you’re staring at your phone with no clue what to do or where to go. I’ve been there plenty, so this week, I sat down and mapped out a plan.

This is the first entry in a new series: The official stoner’s field guide to Greater Lansing.

I’m kicking it off in my own backyard, with a few recommendations on where to shop, what to eat, and where to wander when you’re pleasantly baked in the Capital City. But the plan is to hit a new Michigan city each time—and I’m thinking Detroit or Grand Rapids might be next. 

COMMON GROUND: Common Citizen is set to open a new dispensary in Eastpointe after reaching a court-approved deal that gives it until Dec. 1 to fix up its building and start selling weed. So far, the only other dispensary in town is Moses Roses, which opened in December.

TRACKING TROUBLE: Regulators say seed-to-sale tracking screwups were the most common compliance issue for Michigan’s cannabis companies in their latest monthly report, with several businesses cited for failing to register their products with the state’s online tracking system.

GREEN GRAVEYARD: Michigan’s ultra-competitive cannabis market has pushed dozens of companies to close their doors in recent years—leaving behind buildings that are now being eyed for data centers, gas stations, and just about anything else that can still churn a profit.

BUSTED: A Westland man made headlines in Iowa after he was reportedly arrested with several jars of weed and a vape pen in his truck. Let this be your friendly reminder: Cannabis is legal in Michigan, but some states are still out here treating marijuana like it’s a hard drug.

DETROIT 101: Herb published a new guide to buying weed in Detroit, complete with tips on dispensaries, purchase limits, state laws, and one very important warning for tourists who might be coming in from Windsor: Do not try to bring your weed back to Canada.

ICYMI: If you missed last week’s newsletter, I rounded up six Michigan cannabis strains in my summer rotation right now—including a few fresh drops from Flint-based Voyage Bloom. The whole lineup was loud and gassy. And most of them smelled like a permanent marker.

Last week, I asked what earns your budtender an especially big tip.

And you couldn’t have made this any harder to summarize.

It was essentially a four-way tie between honest product recommendations, getting steered toward a good deal, the folks who always leave a big tip no matter what, and the freebie hunters—people who leave a big tip when their budtender hooks them up with free samples.

The only real takeaway here came from the bottom of the list. Almost nobody said they leave big tips for speedy budtenders who rush their customers in and out with no small talk.

This week’s question:

What’s your go-to slang term for marijuana besides weed?

Reply to this email if you’ve got an answer that’s not on this list.

I’ll have the results next week.

Old School Organics was one of the first companies I ever wrote about in this newsletter. They were growing some of the richest, most flavorful weed I’d ever smoked, and it stuck with me.

Last week, I bought a bag of their Headband just to see if they still had it.

They do.

This is a straight-up textbook expression of the strain—smooth, heady, with that signature band-around-the-forehead pressure for which it’s named. It’s clear no corners have been cut at Old School Organics in the last three years. If anything, they’ve only dialed in their craft.

My only gripe? Because it’s a small-batch grower, you can barely find the stuff. The harvests are tiny because they put so much time into every plant. I’ve only ever spotted this brand at Local Roots—a small, family-run company with dispensaries in Perry and Laingsburg.

A dispensary in New Buffalo is giving away a car.

Mango Cannabis is running a new giveaway where one lucky stoner will walk away with the keys to a leased 2025 Ford Escape and $5,000 in cash. You don’t even have to buy anything. Just show up at the store and ask for an entry form, or click here to fill out the form online.

The winner will be announced on July 25. And if you happen to be down in New Buffalo that day, the dispensary is also hosting an all-day “celebration” with food trucks and other deals.

I spent the Fourth of July in Chicago visiting family. It’s a busy city, and I have a very loud family. But I managed to find some peace and quiet watching the sunrise along the lakeshore. It’s one of my favorite spots in the city to sit still, clear my head, and meditate with some good weed.

In my hand is a hand-rolled joint of Blue Nerdz from Society C. It’s a cross of Zkittlez and Blue Sherbet, a fruity, happy, and energetic strain that tastes a bit like a blue raspberry slush. I wrote about this company back in May, and I’ve been buying their weed regularly for several months.

One important note, though: I brought this joint with me from Michigan. Because the first rule of visiting Chicago is that you never smoke Chicago weed. It’s impossible to find any decent pre-rolls in the city, and if you’re not careful, you’ll drop $80 on a pack of sungrown bullshit.

Anyway, travel safely this summer. And remember, weed is still illegal in Indiana.

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.