High on the list

Stoners of Lansing, rejoice! Your votes have been counted, and I’m here to highlight some of the winners of this year’s Top of the Town contest for the Cannabis category. Hundreds of votes were cast in the Lansing area to determine which brands and growers are the best of the best. Here’s a breakdown of this year’s winners:

Best Sativa Flower: 

First Place: Pure Options/Pro Gro - Lunar Lemon

Second Place: Skymint - Flo

Third Place: Sunshine #4 - Pincanna

Lunar Lemon is a citrusy, sweet Sativa-hybrid that is produced by crossing Lemon Peel and Pro Gro’s own Moonbow male cannabis plant. Limonene, the terpene found commonly in fruits like lemons and oranges, is very present in this strain. Some studies have shown that consuming limonene-heavy strains, like Lunar Lemon, can increase serotonin and dopamine levels in areas of the brain that are associated with anxiety, depression and OCD. So, if you’re looking for a way to combat your seasonal depression, definitely stock up on some of Pro Gro’s Lunar Lemon. 

Best Hybrid Flower:

First Place: Pure Options/Pro Gro - Moonbow #112

Second Place: Skymint - Wonka Bars #13

Runner-up: Pincanna - Grumpz

Moonbow, another Cannabis Cup award-winning strain from Pure Options and Pro Gro, is a fruity hybrid strain that’s great for the not-so-social butterflies. This Zkittlez and Do-Si-Dos cross will have consumers feeling relaxed yet social. This would be a great option for the upcoming holidays and all of the potential family get-togethers along the way.

Best Indica Flower:

First Place: Pure Options/Pro Gro - Rainbow Belts

Second Place: Skymint Reserve - Cake Mix

Runner-up: Pincanna - Egg Roll

Pure Options and Pro Gro go three for three in the “Best Flower” categories with their Rainbow Belts strain placing number one in the “Best Indica” category. Rainbow Belts is created by crossing Zkittlez and Moonbow. While Rainbow Belts is known for its physically relaxing qualities, it’s still considered to be an uplifting strain that won’t have consumers sinking into the couch. 

Best Concentrate Brand:

First Place: Element Extractions

Second Place: Skymint Reserve

Third Place: North Coast Extracts

Element Extractions is a multi-Cannabis Cup-winning brand that strives to produce the highest-quality cannabis concentrates on the market. Its products, from live resin cartridges to THCA to cured resin, are free of distillate, botanical terpenes and additives. Element products are made in Michigan and sourced from some of the best cultivators in the state, such as Pro Gro, Goldkine and GhostBudsters.

Cannabis Growing Brand:

First Place: Dispo 

Second Place: Pure Options/Pro Gro

Runner-up: Skymint

Dispo, formerly known as First Class Cannabis, is known for its knowledgeable budtenders and wide selection of products. Located at 2515 Grand River Ave., it is open seven days a week for curbside and in-store shopping.

Best Budtender:

First Place: Juan Moody of Dispo

Second Place: Cameron Houston of Pure Options Frandor

Runner-up: Jeremiah Rose of Local Roots Cannabis

If you’re looking for a knowledgeable budtender with a friendly smile and good vibes, hit up Juan over at Dispo. Budtending is certainly not for the faint of heart, so hats off to Juan and other budtenders like him that put in the work day after day, nug after nug. 

Best Edible:

First Place: Jolly Edibles

Second Place: Potdots

Runner-up: Funky Extracts

Jolly Edibles can be found throughout Skymint dispensaries in the Lansing area. Some of its gummy lineup is inspired by the tastiest brews and cocktails in Michigan, like Short’s Brewing Company’s fresh and fruity Soft Parade.

Best CBD Store/Boutique:

First Place: Pure Options

Second Place: Pincanna

Runner-up: Dispo

On top of having a wide array of cannabis options, Pure Options has plenty of CBD options as well. CBD, the non-psychoactive sibling of THC, is great for those new to cannabis or looking to ditch over-the-counter pain meds for a more natural pain relief option. I’m personally a huge fan of the Chill Medicated Extreme CBD topicals as well as Michigan Organic Rub salves. Both brands are available at several Pure Options locations.

Best Cannabis Provisioning Center:

First Place: Local Roots Cannabis

Second Place: Pure Options

Runner-up: Dispo

Local Roots is a small, family-owned cannabis provisioning center located at 120 W. Grand River Road in Laingsburg. Although they established their business in 2021, the Liskey family has been calling Laingsburg home for over 40 years. Local Roots offers in-store and online shopping and even curbside pick-up every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Best Cannabis Provisioning Center - East Lansing:

First Place: Skymint

Second Place: Pleasantrees

Runner-up: Pincanna

The folks at Skymint would prefer that you keep your head in the clouds, and their products are guaranteed to get you there. The East Lansing location is only a seven-minute drive from Michigan State University’s campus, making it a hot spot amongst college students and veteran tokers alike. 

Best Indoor Grow Shop:

First Place: Pro Gro

Second Place: Horizen Hydroponics

Runner-up: GrowGeneration

In addition to its extensive catalog of gardening products, Horizen Hydroponics is also a valuable resource for the community. It hosts gardening classes and seminars led by industry experts on topics such as building your own organic super soil, growing mushrooms or brewing compost teas. Horizen Hydroponics, 6323 W. Saginaw Highway, is open seven days a week: 10 a.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.