Lansterdam: Prefer blunts? Try these pre-rolled marijuana cigars

Jean Carlos Migars

Sour Garlic Cookies

Price — $40/1g

THC content — 26.24%

Let me preface this week’s column by noting that I’ve always been more into smoking joints than blunts. Cracking open a White Owl certainly carries some nostalgic charm, but it also unnecessary masks the flavor of premium bud with an overt tobacco taste. Not my thing at all.

That being said, I just had to pick up this luxury Mari Slim “migar” — short for marijuana cigar — from Jean Carlos. This stubby little blunt was rolled entirely in cannabis leaves and filled with Sour Garlic Cookies, a major creeper of an indica sold by several other brands in Michigan.

If the $40 price tag didn’t give it away, this pre-rolled blunt is also clearly designed to cater to high-end smokers and those looking for something unique for a special occasion. Gold lettering lined the ornate packaging. Inside was a corked glass tube, not unlike other high-end cigars.

Staff assured me it was “worth it” to shell out $40 for a pre-roll that burns for about 45 minutes.

The beauty of the thing aside, I couldn’t be more disappointed in the product. The cannabis leaves sounded appealing, but they tasted eerily similar to tobacco. They also entirely masked the cheesy and distinct flavor profile of the Sour Garlic Cookies — one I’ve grown to appreciate.

Jean Carlos’ website noted that his company blends the newly legalized cannabis industry with lessons learned through four generations of Nicaraguan cigar makers. It’s a hell of a marketing pitch, but I’d rather have a blunt that would stay burning. I had to relight this thing six times.

Perhaps a regular blunt smoker would appreciate the migar, but for the price, I won’t be back for more. On the whole, however, this strain proved to be a great choice for a quiet evening at home trying out some new desserts. Just be careful, or you might eat a whole tray of cookies.

Gud Nuff — Motor City Madness

Price — $30/3.5g

THC content — 23.38%

Don’t ask the staff at Pleasantrees in East Lansing about this mysterious new in-house strain. They truthfully don’t know much about this hybrid variety other than its impressive THC percentage and that it was grown in Macomb County. It’s also cheap and has a fun name.

The buds were small, dry and dense. The smell — though rich, earthy and herby — wasn’t overly potent. The fruitier, citrusy taste made up for its lackluster first impressions. Overall, it was an adequate smoke that left me coughing a bit more than usual after taking down a joint.

It’s also exactly what I expected from a $30 eighter while most of the market is keeping its recreational prices near $60: Not fantastic. Not great. But, like the brand implies, good enough.

Staff at Pleasantrees' other retail shop in Hamtramck identified Motor City Madness as a hybrid between Wedding Cake, a relaxing, indica-dominant hybrid and Kush Mints, an uplifting sativa with a distinct minty flavor profile. I’ve had both strains, and neither were apparent here.

This is some decent middle-of-the-road weed that admittedly leaves more to be desired. But especially for newbie smokers, this $30 bag of bud still offers a happy and surprisingly long-lasting high. Two joints had me comfortably stoned from early morning to late afternoon.

Pleasantrees guarantees that its Gud Nuff lineup will “make you and your wallet smile” with a product that is “sorta, maybe” and “questionably, but probably the most premium indoor flower.” The brand also carries affordable sun-grown flower, vape cartridges and pre-rolled joints. Mission accomplished. It might not win any national awards, but it certainly gets the job done.

Kyle Kaminski is a City Pulse staff writer and cannabis enthusiast who has been smoking marijuana just about every day for the last decade. Every week, Kaminski samples some of the best cannabis products available in Greater Lansing, gets real high and writes about them.