Lansing pot shops prove that size isn’t everything  

Once again, I found myself overwhelmed last month with the massive assortment of dank cannabis products on the shelves across Greater Lansing. Skymint rolled out some delectably fruity gummy squares. Wana Brands released some tiny low-dose candies that are perfect for newbie stoners. First Class Cannabis Co. is celebrating its first anniversary in Lansing — and keeping its shelves filled with plenty of new items too. Gage also just stocked up on some of the most adorable (and perhaps the tastiest) miniature joints on the local market.  

So, without further ado, I present this month’s Kief Tray — a broad assortment of some dank marijuana products that I just didn’t have time to feature on their own over the last month.  

Skymint  

Gummies — $18/100mg  

Cannabis-infused gummies are everywhere in Lansing. And most of them seem to be the same, sugar-coated distillate balls that always produce the same terpeneless, overtly boring high. The weed chefs over at Skymint apparently recognized that trend last month when they decided it was time to totally reformulate their in-house gummy lineup into a much more premium product.  

Skymint’s new gummy squares — which, thankfully, are not coated in sugar — come in four flavors: Watermelon Kush, Strawberry Haze, Blueberry OG and Night Berry. Each flavor is tailored with all-natural ingredients and terpene blends to achieve a specific set of effects.  

The Strawberry Haze is loaded with sativa-leaning terpenes to produce a more energetic type of head buzz. The Watermelon Kush, my personal favorite, provides a more relaxing body high on the indica-side of the spectrum. The Blueberry OG is a more balanced hybrid; The best of both worlds. And Night Berry (you guessed it) has a special CBN formula for a peaceful night’s rest.  

After sampling all four last month, I can personally vouch for each of them working exactly as designed. And with two Night Berry gummies an hour before bed, I’ve had some amazing sleep.  

All of them were perfectly chewy. They’re affordable. The reusable tin was a nice touch. But the taste factor was what really sold me: No aftertaste. All-natural ingredients. Real fruit flavors. And for utility-minded smokers: A long-lasting high that kept me totally baked for about five hours.  

Homegrown Cannabis Co.   

Cannabis-infused Wana Tarts — $20/100mg  

The potency of edible cannabis products can be a bit overwhelming for some newbie stoners — and probably for your parents, too. Wana Brands totally gets that. So, in partnership with High Life Farms, the company rolled out a new lineup of low-dose candy tarts to the Michigan market last month that are designed to help people find the exact dose of THC that works best for them.  

Each package is filled with 20 oversized Smarties that each contain 5 mg of THC — making it the perfect product for just about all occasions. Never tried an edible? Haven’t smoked in 20 years? Try one, and enjoy an exceptionally mild buzz. If you like that, try another. Maybe start with two next time. Everyone is different. These will help you find your perfect stoner threshold.  

Warning: Experienced smokers might find themselves snacking down the whole jar. The Hibiscus Lemonade flavor was tangy, sour and sweet — the kind of candy I’d eat even without the cannabis infusion. They also come in two other flavors: Mixed Berry and Black Cherry. Pick them up at Homegrown Cannabis Co. on Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as several other shops.  

GAGE Cannabis Co.  

Pure Beauty - Thizzlez — $50/3.5g  

If tiny edibles aren’t your thing, then maybe tiny smokables will do the trick.  

After forming a five-year partnership last summer, Gage and California-based Pure Beauty put their heads together last month to launch one of the most adorable lineups of pre-rolled joints in Michigan: Pure Beauty Babies. And 10 of them can fit in a box about the size of a matchbook.  

I tried out the Thizzlez strain last month, which turned out to be a bouquet of fruity scents and flavors all rolled up into a box of 0.35g joints — exactly the perfect sized smoke for a dog walk.  

I’ve been burned by substandard packs of pre-rolls in the past, but these are no cheap gimmick.  

They tasted delectable. They burned evenly. The smoke was smooth. And they’re great for those smaller smoke sessions when you don’t necessarily want to rip down a full-sized joint.  

And since the whole box can fit in your coin pocket, Pure Beauties are super convenient for a night out: You’ll blend right in with the cigarette smokers, and it’ll be gone before anyone notices.  

First Class Cannabis Co.  

Michigander Fire - White Truffle — $50/3.5g  

I could spend the next six weeks writing about the extensive product selection at First Class Cannabis Co. and probably still wouldn’t make it through half of their inventory. This shop — which celebrates its first anniversary in Lansing this week — seems to have everything.  

So, when the manager personally recommended this strain, I knew it had to be good stuff.  

Michigander Fire, a cultivation brand based in Mount Morris, was founded as a medical marijuana operation in 2011 and only recently expanded to retail shelves in Michigan last year. Several of its higher-end strains are available at First Class, including White Truffle. At $50 for 3.5g, it’s a pretty expensive bag of pot. But, like most things in life, you get what you pay for.  

These frosty, mid-sized nugs were deep purple and shimmered with trichomes. And they were pungent as hell; The bag was skunky, earthy, musty, garlicky — sort of like fresh hay and cheese.  

Amateur smokers might be put off by that funky profile. But for me, it was pure terpene paradise.  

One joint also ran me over like a freight train, in the most blissful way possible. White Truffle is a total anxiety eraser, almost like it was expressly designed to be smoked after a long workday.  

Visit First Class Cannabis Co. 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday (March 5) for its one-year anniversary celebration. Michigander Fire strains will be 20% off. Other brands will be there with samples and discounts. Krystal’s Kitchen will also be serving up dank barbecue goodness.  

Kyle Kaminski is City Pulse’s managing editor and a cannabis enthusiast who has been smoking marijuana just about every day for the last decade. Editor & Publisher Magazine has also labeled him as “arguably, the state’s authority on everything you need to know about cannabis.” Have a suggestion for a cannabis product? Email kyle@lansingcitypulse.com.