The future of Michigan cannabis depends on what you buy

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Cannabis prices in Michigan have been in free fall over the past five years, and it’s taken a serious toll on the industry.

Wholesale flower now goes for as little as $500 a pound, and the average price for an ounce has dropped to about $65 in the recreational market. That’s a long way from the $512 people were paying when adult-use sales began December 2019.

Cheaper weed, more options, more access – sounds like a win for consumers, right? Not really.

The race to the bottom has consequences. As prices dropped, cultivators were forced to tighten margins or risk going out of business. About 10% of the grow operations have closed, and many more are barely hanging on.

In that scramble to stay alive, a lot of growers have turned to high-yield strains, bulk production, and speed over quality. Many are harvesting plants before they’re ready and failing to properly cure their flower. As a result, much cannabis looks the same, smells the same, and burns like it has been sitting in a warehouse for six months.

But in the middle of this price war, some Michigan cultivators are still putting out remarkable flower and live hash rosin, a growingly popular solventless cannabis concentrate. The success of these cultivators and the dispensaries that carry their products is essential to ensuring the struggling market still has good weed.

There are still growers who refuse to fold or compromise, even when the economics are stacked up against them. While others are chasing volume and cutting corners, these growers care about quality. They truly understand the plants, pay attention to detail, and take the time to cure it right. They don’t chase high THC numbers or just grow high-yield plants. They hunt for phenotypes to ensure their weed is flavorful, consistent, and effective.

Good flower and rosin create a different experience. They burn more smoothly. They taste better. And their effects are more pronounced.

But supporting high-quality cultivators isn’t cheap. I’m not saying everyone should be dropping $50 on an eighth. Most people can’t. But if you can afford to treat yourself, skip the budget ounces and go straight for the top shelf.

For flower, my favorite cultivators are 517 Premier, 710 Labs, Binske, Favrd, Flos Cannabis, Freshy Fine, Ghostbudsters, Hytek, Kai Cannabis, Mi Loud Flower, Michigrown, Peninsula Gardens, Pro Gro, The Hive, Tip Top Crop, Vanilla Sunshine, and Voyage Bloom. They stand out because their flower is consistent, covered in trichomes, and flavorful. They don’t take shortcuts, and it shows in the burn, the smoothness, and the effects. These growers care about the full experience, from how it looks and smells to how it hits and lasts.

Depending on the cultivator, the price of an eighth ranges from $20 to $50.

Another popular product in the state’s recreational market is rosin, the crème de la crème of concentrates. And the gap between high-quality and low-quality rosin is arguably even wider than it is with flower.

Some standout producers of live rosin are 710 Labs, Information Entropy, Eastside Alchemy, Known, Ice Kream Hash Co., and Wojo.

Good rosin matters because it captures the full essence of the plant — its flavor, aroma, and effect. When it’s done right, it delivers a clean, powerful experience that reflects the quality of the flower that produced it. When it’s not, you’re left with something harsh and flat.

Another way to find high-quality cannabis is to go to dispensaries that carry the best brands. My favorites are the Refinery, Pure Options and Utopia Gardens in Detroit, Nature’s Remedy in Ferndale, Noxx in Pleasant Ridge, The Hive in Hazel Park, Information Entropy in Ann Arbor, Releaf in Wayne, and Liberty Cannabis in Detroit and Madison Heights.

If you want to support small cultivators with local roots, head to West Coast Meds & Rec in Detroit. The Black-owned dispensary carries an impressive array of deli flower from small-batch cultivators.

Lastly, when it comes to finding quality cannabis, there’s a saying: “Your nose knows.” When you go to a dispensary, ask the budtender to open the deli jars so you can smell the buds. If it smells good, there’s a good chance it’s high quality.

Unless consumers support the higher-quality cultivators, Michigan could lose them and be left with budget weed that smells like hay and hits like sawdust. In an oversaturated market where price wars are the norm, buying from quality cultivators is one way to vote with your wallet. Support the ones who are still trying to elevate the standard, even when the economics make it tough.

The industry has responded to the oversaturation of the market by calling on lawmakers to impose a moratorium on new grow operations. Over time, the number of growers will eventually decline enough to bring prices to a reasonable point, industry insiders say.

In the meantime, some of the state’s early cannabis pioneers, the ones who helped usher us from the legacy market to recreational, are calling it quits. It’s hard to survive when the market’s drowning in mediocre products.

For every top-shelf cultivator, there are dozens pumping out mid-tier or budget flower and rosin that all look and smoke the same. Some of it might test high in THC, but it’s often dry, flavorless, and forgettable.

In the end, it comes down to this: If we want better weed in Michigan, we have to support the people growing it. That means skipping the flashy THC numbers and focusing on flower and rosin that actually deliver. It means buying from growers and dispensaries that care about the craft, even if it means spending a little more money.

If we don’t, we’ll be stuck with large corporations cranking out dry, harsh weed grown in warehouses. And it’s safe to say this isn’t what we wanted when we voted to legalize recreational cannabis.

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