Two decadent new strains from the newly rebranded Pure Options 

Last month, two local pot shops disappeared from (and then quickly reappeared in) Lansing. 

PG Group — a local cannabis company that has long operated a glitzy Pennsylvania Avenue dispensary on Lansing’s southside — expanded its Pure Options moniker to its two other locations, rebranding Old 27 Wellness and Stateside Wellness into one unified nameplate. 

It’s the same stores and the same employees. Old 27 Wellness is just now known as Pure Options North; Stateside as Pure Options East. But their dank product lineup is always evolving. 

Stocking much of the shelves is PG Group’s cultivation arm, Pro Gro, based in the old Pro Bowl building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. More than 10,000 plants can legally grow inside. 

The latest harvest: Two entirely purple strains that were among the most flavorful and heavy-hitting varieties of recreational bud that I’ve been able to find on the Greater Lansing market. 

Pro Gro — Gello 

Price — $50/3.5g 

THC content — 31.57% 

They say THC content isn’t everything. They’re mostly right. Still, I have to pay some respect to companies that manage to get their numbers testing this high. We’re tipping into low-grade concentrate territory past 30%. Novice smokers should probably take it easy on this variety.  

Heavy berry notes with an almost lilac-like floral aroma burst from the jar. Dark green with a touch of purple. Medium-sized buds were dense and coated in orange hairs and trichomes. Dry, yet perfect for a joint with a full-bodied smoke. The berry notes shifted into an earthier sort of pine vibe after the first few hits. This strain leans indica but doesn't hit with immediate sedation. 

Don’t be fooled by the THC levels. One joint of this stuff is perfect for a wake-and-bake that won’t leave you on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. Unfortunately, there’s still not much to do during the pandemic, so I filled my time by eating a $30 breakfast order from Doordash. 

An eighth for $50 isn’t bad, but Pure Options doesn’t warn you about the extra munchie costs. 

Pro Gro — Gelato 33 

Price — $50/3.5g 

THC content — 27.82% 

Much like the Gello, Gelato 33 carries a very sweet, fruitlike aroma — think grapes, strawberries, maybe a touch of lime. It almost reminded me of Fruit Stripe gum. The medium-sized buds were dense and not overly dry. This batch was also entirely purple.  

Nicknamed “Larry Bird,” this strain is a cross between Sunset Sherbert and Thin Mint GSC — designed to provide a “soothing body buzz with a euphoric head high that won’t get in the way of accomplishing daily activities,” according to the Pure Options website. I have to say: Ditto. 

This dessert-like strain packs an immediate punch, but it was nothing that immobilized me. I rolled up a joint for a late afternoon dog walk and took a few puffs out in the middle of the woods at a gorgeous but undisclosed location in Lansing. About ten minutes later, I had a dumb smile on my face as I strolled back home — uplifted, social and ready to kick back for the Super Bowl. 

This is the kind of energetic bud that tends to make me overly chatty, which isn’t always a helpful side effect during the pandemic. Still, it was also a major throwback that gave me a euphoric sort of feeling that truly reminded me of one of the first few times I’ve ever smoked.  

Kyle Kaminski is City Pulse’s managing editor 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.