Lansterdam in Review: Lansing’s oldest smoke shop features local glass artists 

 If this column has taught me anything in recent weeks, it’s that Lansing has plenty of premium pot and that I probably smoke far too much of it for my own good. But we can’t leave out the peripheral side of the industry that has long been in place before weed was legal: head shops. 

This week begins with a trip to Su Casa — quite possibly the oldest smoke shop still doing business in the capital city, and probably the head shop with the largest collection of wares. It’s mostly custom jewelry, crystals, windchimes, swords, wizards, dragons and fairies in the front. But in the back, it’s a stoner paradise with everything from vaporizers, grinders, roach clips, bongs, metal and glass bowls, bubblers, detoxifiers, wraps, papers and everything in between. 

And yes, the entire place smells heavily like incense and gives off some major hippy vibes. 

Lucas Peña is the third generation to run the shop. His grandparents met some resistance from a relatively conservative City Council when it opened as a smoke shop in 1974. Custom jewelry was added to the shelves years later. Peña took over when he graduated high school in 2003. 

He remembers crawling around in the glass shelves, probably annoying his parents as a kid.  

“My 12-year-old daughter helps me too, so we’re keeping it in the family,” Peña said. “I really just really enjoy seeing people happy and helping them find something they haven’t had before. We have some loyal customers, and when they come in here, they always leave with a smile.” 

Peña maintains a unique policy compared to many commercial smoke shops: local glass only.  

Every bubbler, bong and handpipe in his stock was created by glass artists from Michigan, including many items crafted right in the city of Lansing. The goal, he said, is to keep prices reasonable, while also pouring as much support as possible to locally based glass artists. 

It also livens up his shelves with much more than just generic, gas station variety glass spoons. 

“We actually have a lot of different artists here locally,” Peña said. “They do some great work.” 

Some pieces are small and affordable for $20 or less. Others are mid-range stunners that could climb up to $60. Some of the more intricate, special-occasion bongs can cost more than $300. 

Peña hooked me up with a killer deal on a hand-blown bubbler from Charlie Sanford at Global Glassworks, a studio that has been churning out stunning glassware for more than a decade. Sanford must’ve been too busy working on his next piece at his State Street workshop to call me back, but his work speaks for itself. This little bubbler was ergonomically designed to fit perfectly into one hand with the thumb aligning perfectly with the choke. And it’s gorgeous too. 

It’s clear Sanford has been doing some incredible work in this city for years. Browse Sanford Glass on social media to browse his expansive catalogue. He obviously takes pride in his work. 

I also picked up a retro pack of wired papers that I’ve only ever been able to find at Su Casa. Randy’s Roots since 1975 has made organic hemp papers with a thin, metal line running down the length of the joint, sort of like a built-in roach clip for easier puffing (puffing) and passing. It’s more novelty than functionality — I prefer paper filters — but it’s a fun party trick nonetheless. 

Lansterdam in Review is a new column written by Kyle Kaminski, a City Pulse staff writer and cannabis enthusiast who has been smoking marijuana just about every day for the last decade. Kaminski samples some of the best bud in Greater Lansing, gets real high and writes about it.