New streets, new stories. Printed proof the culture’s still alive—city by city, toke by toke.
DETROIT NO.1 MAY-JUNE 2026
BLACK ELEVATION: MORE THAN A BRAND ............ .... 12 MEET YOUR GROWER .......... 14 .................... 18 ........................... 20 FROM THE VAULT: THE GREAT INDOORS ............. 28
GLOSSIES ........................................ ...................... ..................... GET HIGH: CALENDAR: CONTRIBUTE:
EDITOR'S NOTE ................. 6 HIGHWITNESS NEWS .............................. 9 NORMLIZER .................... 11 HISTORY OF MI CANNABIS ................... 22 HIGH 5IVES ............ 26 HIGH TIMES ZINE .................... 23 .................. 24 DIRECTORY .......................... 44 ... 46 COUPONS .................... 49 ................................. ....................................
OUR AFTERNOON WITH DJ SHORT
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PUBLISHER NATHAN JOHNSON
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MICAH JOHNSON MANAGING EDITOR ISAAC MORRISON ADVERTISING EDITOR DILLON RICE ART DIRECTOR MATTHEW HOLLINGSHEAD CONTRIBUTING EDITORS JAVIER HASSE, JORGE CERVANTES, TREVER HAGEN, STONEY TARK, BLACK ELEVATION, NORML, AMIE CARTER CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS CRYSTALWEED, FEATURED CULTIVATORS DESIGN ASSOCIATES RHETT THOMPSON, MIKE G CIRCULATION MANAGER MOLLY FELBER ADVERTISING EVAN PETERSON, SARAH CONNELL GET IN TOUCH NEWS LOCAL.HIGHTIMES.COM EDITORS LOCAL.HIGHTIMES.COM SALES LOCAL.HIGHTIMES.COM ©
Detroit, we're back. High Times Local was built to bring cannabis back to the people, back to the growers, the shops, the lifers, those who kept this culture alive for decades before legalization. And there may not be a better place to re-plant that flag than Michigan. This state knows the story. In the early days, this culture grew in basements, garages, protest circles, backyards, hydro shops. A whole circle of brothers and sisters, willing to risk it all before the industry got its ribbon cutting and venture capital. That blood, sweat and tears runs through this first Motor City issue. You’ll meet growers who care about the plant beyond the test result. You’ll find wisdom from the old gods too, with Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, and Godfather of “Kind Bud,” DJ Short, reminding us that cultivation is part-science, part-obsession, part-beautiful madness. You’ll also find the bigger Michigan story: Black Elevation, building power and visibility for Black- owned cannabis businesses in Detroit and beyond. MiNORML, reminding us that the fight did not end with legalization. That’s why High Times Local exists. You’ll find grower stories, advocacy, weird weed news, coupons, listings, and enough local smoke signals to remind you that this plant still belongs to the people who love it most. Detroit has always known how to build some- thing loud, gritty, soulful, and impossible to ignore. That’s the energy we’re chasing here. Welcome to High Times Local - Detroit .
From on high,
Editor-in-chief High Times Local
6 MAY/JUNE 2026
ket for roughly 10 months. Michigan’s problem is not “where’s the weed?” It’s “where do we put it all?” THE LAB DRAMA CONTINUES - Michigan regulators kept their eyes on testing labs this spring. The CRA filed formal complaints against Jack- son-based Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs MI, covering both adult-use and medi- cal licenses, with possible sanctions including fines, suspension, revocation, re- striction, or refusal to renew. The agency also filed an ad- ditional complaint against Walled Lake-based Prism Triangle LLC in April. The complaints are still allega- tions, but it adds another chapter to Michigan’s least chill cannabis storyline: who watches the people testing the weed? POT TAX COURT FIGHT - Michigan’s cannabis in- dustry is still swinging at the state’s new 24% wholesale marijuana tax. WCMU reported the Mich- igan Cannabis Industry Association filed a second lawsuit in late March, ar- guing the tax effectively pushes marijuana above the state’s constitutional 6% sales-tax cap. Spec- trum News noted this case is separate from an earlier lawsuit challenging how lawmakers passed the tax. Lansing wanted road mon- ey. Weed businesses say the state built a pothole tax and parked it on their backs.
4/20 STILL RANG THE REGISTER - Michigan smokers did not exactly sit out the holiday. Adult-use retailers sold nearly $20.4 million worth of cannabis on April 20, according to data shared by the Canna- bis Regulatory Agency. That was up about 27% from 2025, when 4/20 landed on Easter Sunday, but still down from the monster Saturday numbers in 2024. First 4/20 under the new wholesale tax, and Mich- igan still found a way to light up the receipt printer. RESCHEDULED, BUT NOT RELAXED - Federal mari- juana rescheduling finally moved cannabis out of the same category as heroin and LSD, but Michigan’s indus- try is not exactly throwing a parade. ClickOnDetroit reported the change could help medical research, but recreational marijuana remains in federal limbo. Translation: better paper- work vibes, still not full legalization. Michigan op- erators get a historic fed- eral nod, but they are still stuck waiting on banking, taxes, and the rest of the grown-up industry stuff. WEED COLLEGE IS IN SESSION - Michigan’s Can- nabis Regulatory Agency launched a new webpage listing cannabis-relat- ed programs at Michigan colleges and universities. The resource is meant for students, job seekers, and industry workers trying to get actual training for can-
nabis jobs. Baker College, Central Michigan, and Ka- lamazoo Valley were among the schools listed. Some- where between “budtender by destiny” and “compli- ance specialist by certifi- cate,” Michigan is turning weed work into something you can put on a transcript. NEW BUFFALO WEED TRAFFIC JAM - New Buf- falo Township, down near the Indiana line, is still wrestling with its dispen- sary boom. A township notice said public hear- ings were being postponed over the possible revoca- tion of special land use permits for five marijuana establishments, including Bloomery, Mint, Trapsters Outlet, Refine New Buffa- lo, and The Plug. Industry coverage said the township had adopted a policy in late February allowing possible permit revocations tied to state rules, local ordinanc- es, or public health con- cerns. Tiny lake town, gi- ant weed zoning headache. CHEAP OUNCES, BIG PILES - Michigan flower stayed cheap in early 2026, even as people kept buying plenty of it. Cannabis Busi- ness Times reported the av- erage adult-use ounce price in February was $59.85, down from $65.21 a year earlier. Meanwhile, Michi- ganders bought more than 104,000 pounds of adult- use flower that month. The wild part: state inventory reportedly held enough flower to supply the mar-
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HIGHTIMES ON YOUTUBE
MICHIGAN WEED REPORT CARD - Michigan regula- tors dropped their March disciplinary report in April, and it reads like a state- wide cannabis hall monitor clipboard. The CRA listed actions against licensees from Ann Arbor, Bay City, Lansing, River Rouge, Detroit and more, with is- sues ranging from METRC tracking problems and non-compliant sales to se- curity, surveillance, pack- aging and advertising. De- troit made the list too, with Dacut flagged for packaging and advertising issues. Le- gal weed may be booming, but Lansing is still walk- ing the aisles saying, “Eyes on your own paperwork.” ELEMENTARY EDIBLES SCARE - Detroit got an- other reminder that gum- mies are not always just gummies. Six students at Edison Elementary School were hospitalized after con- suming what officials said appeared to be marijuana edibles. The district urged families to secure canna- bis products at home and talk to kids about not eat- ing mystery candy or food. Officials said the investi- gation was ongoing, and families were told to call poison control immediately if a child eats a THC edible. Detroit weed news, un- fortunately, keeps coming with a school nurse subplot. SEND US YOUR WEIRD STORY - Got a hilarious or unforgettable Michigan weed, mushroom, or drug story? Send tips, links, or your own story to news@ local.hightimes.com. We want the weird stuff.
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by Jamie Lowell MINORML Executive Director The Fight Michigan Already Won
ness licenses, would concentrate power into fewer hands. According to nonpartisan analysis, such mea- sures risk creating local monopo- lies and oligarchies, squeezing out small operators while locking out new entrants. In some cases, licens- es are even being acquired not to operate, but to manufacture scarcity. We are also seeing a renewed fo- cus on enforcement of minor can- nabis activity, in some instances resulting in serious felony charges. These policies don’t protect the public—they protect consolidation. In response, MiNORML, alongside fellow advocacy organizations, is mobilizing once again. New mem-
F or decades, MiNORML has stood alongside the people of this state—advocating, organizing, and helping shape Michigan’s cannabis movement from grassroots activism to voter-approved legalization. Some of those same pioneers gathered just weeks ago in Ann Arbor for Hash Bash weekend—a powerful reminder of the achievements and sacrifices that de- fine Michigan’s rich activist history. It was also confirmation that this move- ment has always been about commu- nity and showing up for each other. There are active efforts underway to reduce legal possession limits and re-criminalize behavior that Michigan voters have already deemed accept- able. There has been no public health crisis, no wave of victims, and no cred- ible justification for these proposals. At the same time, a newly imposed cannabis tax—particularly harmful to small businesses—undermines the ballot initiative process and the will of the voters. Additional propos- als, including caps on cannabis busi-
bers are joining, and we are actively working to reestablish local chap- ters across the state at minorml.org. We are encouraged to see High Times returning to its roots as a platform for truth and advocacy—and for providing this forum at such an important time. For many, it was a beacon during the darkest days of the drug war.
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BLACK ELEVATION: More than a Brand I n an industry that contin- ues to evolve, one organi- zation is working to ensure that the voices, businesses, and communities most impacted by prohibition are not left behind. Black Elevation is more than a name. It has become a move- ment centered on empower- ment, ownership, education, and economic opportunity. Founded in Detroit by cannabis en- trepreneurs Jay and Mark Snipes, Black Elevation was created with a clear mission: to elevate Black ex- cellence in cannabis while creating pathways for future generations. ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLABORATIONS IN CANNABIS: Black Elevation has emerged as one of the largest collaborations of Af- rican American owned and social equity cannabis businesses in the region. The or- ganization brings together entrepreneurs, cultivators, retailers, advocates, executives, and professionals under one unified plat- form. What sets Black Elevation apart is its fo- cus on collective advancement. Rather than operating as a single company, it serves as a business network designed to create partnerships, increase buying power, open doors, share opportunities, and strengthen Black ownership throughout the cannabis supply chain. At a time when many minority owned operators continue to face barriers to cap- ital, licensing, and scale, Black Elevation is demonstrating that collaboration can be just as powerful as competition. OUR MISSION: Black Elevation believes the people most affected by the War on Drugs and by outdated cannabis laws should also be positioned to benefit from legalization, licensing, employment, and wealth creation.
The organization exists to support en- trepreneurs, professionals, and communi- ties seeking a place in the rapidly growing cannabis marketplace through advocacy, education, networking, and economic em- powerment. WHAT WE DO: Real Industry Education - Through networking events, conferences, strategic collaborations, and hands on workshops, Black Elevation provides prac- tical insight into the realities of cannabis li- censing, operations, branding, compliance, and entrepreneurship. Experience From Seed to Sale - Its guid- ance comes from professionals who are actively operating in the industry and have firsthand experience across the full canna- bis supply chain, from cultivation and pro- cessing to retail, branding, and customer experience. Economic Power Through Collaboration - Black Elevation helps minorities and social equity businesses leverage collective buy- ing power, shared resources, strategic part- nerships, and stronger market positioning. Advocacy and Representation - The or- ganization believes diversity in cannabis leadership matters. It works to ensure Afri- can American entrepreneurs and underrep- resented operators have a meaningful seat at the table. OUR VISION: The long term vision is am- bitious and intentional: to build one of the most respected business networks in can- nabis while becoming a national force for equity, ownership, and economic mobility. Its leaders envision cities where Black- owned dispensaries thrive, Black cultivators scale, Black brands dominate shelves, and Black communities benefit directly from the industry’s success. WHY IT MATTERS NOW: The cannabis in- dustry continues to expand rapidly, but ownership opportunities are narrowing for many independent operators. Black Eleva- tion is working to close that gap by creating connections, visibility, resources, and mo- mentum for those who deserve access. This is about more than cannabis. It is about generational wealth, policy reform, and reshaping the narrative of who gets to win in emerging industries. JOIN THE MOVEMENT: Whether you are an entrepreneur, investor, advocate, or support- er, there is a place for you within Black Eleva- tion. Because when one rises, we all rise. 13 HIGHTIMES LOCAL ▶
B MEET YOUR GROWER
HIGHWAY HORTICULTURE Based in Southwest Michigan, Highway Horticulture has built its reputation on a 'seed-to-sale' philos- ophy that pairs state-of-the-art technology with a deep-seated love for the state’s unique culture. To peek under the hood of their huge cultivation facility, we sat down with Chief of Operations Blake Maddox and Cultivation Manager Drew Hollingsworth. How did you get started in growing? What resourc- es, experts or otherwise did you use for direction? Blake: I really started in college, I would visit a good friend of mine who was attending Oaksterdam. is was during the Measure Z days. While he was in class I would hang around the student union and e Bulldog. Talking with other students on break or people popping in and out. I also spent time working on the hill trimming and harvesting, or up in Eugene in the indoor and outdoor scene learning for some old heads. A lot of my friends are well known glass blowers that I would hang around their shop and put in work around their grows. A er I graduated from school in Florida, I went to Colorado where I grew as a caregiver in South Park County, eventually making my way into the legal market, growing commercial organic indoor ower, and running ower ops in an acre of greenhouses in Boulder. When the Farm bill passed we set up green- houses and ran acres of hemp in South East Michigan for smokable ower and CBD isolate production for a few seasons. Since then I have been designing and running facilities in Puerto Rico, Miami, Colorado, here in Michigan, and currently designing builds in South Africa and the Bahamas. Drew: I’ve had a connection to the plant from a young age and it wasn’t quite legal yet. Youtube was a newer thing so there weren't a lot of restrictions on content. I learned a lot from the people on there, books, and High Times magazines. Chat rooms! I wasn’t running
READ ON > SADF
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change; some plants keep the same smell and that will translate into taste later. Others, the scent is gone, it changes completely, or it will fade in intensity. e selection process is pretty intensive. ings like height, yield, veg time, does it root easily, how fast do the moms grow, plant labor needed, and even trimabili- ty. Quality is always rst and last though. e rest of the selection process is trivial if the consumer doesn’t have a great experience. How do you balance the commercial pressure to grow "hype" strains with your own desire to introduce unique or forgotten terpene pro les to the market? Drew: I’m not against the hype strains. ey usually back it up. ings come and go, that's how the markets have always been. It was that way with the OGS, Runtz, Sours and all the rest of the strains that people desire at any given time. Cannabis is no dierent than pop culture, it’s also an integrated part of that culture. So, it makes sense to me that people's taste and desired experience would ebb and ow. When you're pheno-hunting a new seed launch, how can a consumer tell the di er- ence between a generic version of that strain and your "winning" selection? Blake: We are constantly running new genetics. We have been running seeds and new cuts in our Inner circle room. It is a small batch brand so that we can really focus on dialing in the plants. Once we nd our top three phenos of each strain in our organic set up, we rotate them into our larger production synganic rooms. We will typically run a half rack of each pheno to see how they perform at scale and on other feeds. en we push them through our store, Sunset coast. We tend to lean on our customer base to let us know what their favorite phenos are. Drew: When pheno hunting we usually will keep multiple winning phenos. We’ve come to nd that a lot of times we will nd the “One,” as in, whatever the breeder’s intentions were Ex. Lemon cherry gelato. We also have found sister plants that intensify or change in avor, smell, or color. We started with some great seed stock and we try to do the breeders justice by bringing out the best potential of the plants. Hydroponics? Soil? Indoor? Outdoor? What’s your favorite, what’s the best (in a
into a lot of people at the time who were able to grow. Once things started to go medical in Michigan I was able to learn a lot from people at events and of course you can’t forget about the guys at the hydrostores! When you’re selecting a mother plant, what is the rst thing you look for beyond THC— is it the structure, the scent, or a speci c "feeling" you get from the plant? Blake: For commercial production, we are looking at Veg time, owering time, yields and test results. For Personal I like to nd unique terpene pro les, and typically lean more towards a sativa-dominate, racy high. We have been making a lot of traditional hash, bubble and brick, temple balls as well as rosin lately. So we have begun to shi focus a bit on things that we know have a good return on resin. With the ower market as saturated as it is in Michigan currently, we have been working to diversify our oerings to making quality hash products. Drew: I’ve de nitely started to notice a struc- ture that yields more and that is more directly associated with the overall vigor and hearti- ness of a plant. I like things that root quickly and have a shorter veg time. Scents tend to
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Vs Outdoor? Indoor all day. What is the one "soulful" element of small-scale cra growing that you’ve fought the hardest to pre- serve now that you’re managing a larger facility? Blake: Cra Quality at scale. I have always been an advocate for organic, sustainable and regen- erative practices. Over the years I have composted, fermented, built my own soils and beds. is has evolved to creating an organic, water soluble fertilizer and soil products, Earthcra Biosystems. Our Inner Circle brand is our living soil, cra -organic cannabis brand. Drew: Quality rst! is is the hard- est part about cultivation at scale. THC does not determine quality or experience. ere's a lot of quality ower that tests high but I believe consumers are overlooking very high quality genetics because of the THC %. With cra farming you have the ability to build trust with local consumers. THC was never a
perfect world), why – feel free to take to the soapbox for a minute. Blake: Personally, I am all for No Till living beds, Sungrown in greenhouses. I enjoy the process of growing in the ground or in beds under the sun. I also like collecting native plants around the farm to ferment to feed the plants as close to a closed system as possible. I really like to see the true expressions of the plant that the sun promotes, as well as the quality of the ower and hash it produces. Drew: I think this is one of the best questions in cannabis. My growing experience has allowed me to use many dierent types of mediums, nutrients, and locations. I can’t say that one is better than the other. ey all have their pros and cons and it really depends on your preference and goals as a grower. Be clear with your goals and intentions. I’ve come to the conclusion for myself that having the highest quality with the lowest cost is what it takes to thrive in the industry. For our specialty ower, Inner Circle, we run a soil mix and Earthcra organics through irrigation and get great results. I have noticed a dierence in a variety of strains that do respond better to salts than organics and some that respond better to organics than salts. If the plants don’t care we don’t! Indoor
thing, it was all about the experience! What is your growing “philosophy,” ... or rules that you live by? Blake: Always learn from the plant. e industry and the technology we have is continuing to change. Learning to adapt and become more ecient while tending to the needs of the plant is the goal. Yes, there are certain metrics that we strive to hit; i.e., high- est testing/yielding/best-selling; but most of all, what genetics and styles work best for us. We are growing the best quality as we can for the consumers, but ultimately, we are growing something that we can be proud of. Drew: We work for the plants! If they don’t care we don’t care. No need to get caught up in the brands or hype. Care for the plant and your people and they will care for you. If you could force every consumer to look at one speci c data point on a lab result besides THC, what would it be and why? Blake: e terpene pro le, I understand the hype of Total THC, but I truly believe a lower THC testing and higher terpene pro le strain can produce a much more enjoyable experience. We have consistently hit 40+ % total in our Inner Circle organic ower room,
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and though it is a heavy hitter, I still prefer some of our other producers that have a more well-rounded pro le. Drew: Data Shmata. Smoke it. Smoke test is the only thing that matters. Any thoughts on the drying and curing pro- cess, and how can a consumer spot ower that was rushed to the shelf? Blake: Something rushed to market will have a bit of a more harsh smoke/taste. We aim to have our ower dried, trimmed, tested and to market in 30 days or less, but quality is always the rst priority.
taste. Drew: at would be a hard ask to name a favorite strain to grow there's too many! Right now my favorite and most consistently solid breeders are Mosca, Tiki, Seed junky, Jungleboys, Greenhouse, Raw, and LIT. A lot of things are around but honestly a lot of the older stu doesn't perform as well under LED lights or it's a lot dierent. I'm ne with leaving memories past and trying new things out, exploring landrace strains, and making some new things! e Hawaiian Snow from Greenhouse was one of my all time favorites to smoke and grow though. If you could leave
Drew: ere’s been many studies and debates on this. In my time I de nitely would say whatever works for you. e 60/60 way works and there are de nitely many ways to do it. Curing is one of
behind one speci c strain as your "gi to the world" that per- fectly represents your skill as a cultivator, which would it be? Any strains currently available in your reper- toire that you’re really excited about? Blake: Strains that we have recently hunted through in house: Fro G Kush #13 (Laughing Buddha x Tahoe Og X Lemon Brulee). It's very Tahoe OG-dominant. B.A.S.I.L. (SAGE x Ken’s Grandaddy Purp), War- lord (Short’s Blueberry x Durban Diesel), Hell’s Kitchen (NYCD x Lem-
those things that is almost strain/ pheno-dependent. Some things need a long time to get the avor and smell out of them, other things you can dry in your trunk and it will still taste good. What are your favorite strains to grow, and why? Any that you used to back in the day that you can’t nd anymore that you hope to cultivate again some day? Blake: e FOCO cut of S.A.G.E by Adam Dunn is one of my favorite strains, it may be the nostalgia of growing it earlier on in Colorado, or the very speedy psychedelic high it has. ough it was a very long growing large plant. Also, going back to my college days in St Augustine Fl, When the original Tri, Pearl and the White would come around. I would load up with whatever they would let us have. It was typically only available in eighths at the time and limited to how many with no price breaks, haha. At that point in my life, that was some of the best ower I had ever had. And once a year Wally’s Sour would come down from Nor Cal; to this day I have yet to nd sour with that
on Brulee), Midnight Moon by Lovin in her Eyes, RUSH by Ricky’s California Originals and Adam Dunn. Drew: e Mosca Strawberry Kush, RUSH, and Grape Ape are some of my favorite smokes right now, and you can’t go wrong with good ole’ Boston Runtz. She wasn’t my favorite at rst, but with the added organic nutrients we’ve been using, the avor and color really started to pop on her! We have a huge line up of seeds and some stu we’ve had for a while. With the added organic inputs and infra- structure improvements the plants are having improved and dierent expressions. We will be pheno hunting this year to nd some new stu and bring back some older genetics! Read the full interview at Hightimeslocal.com 17 HIGHTIMES LOCAL ▶
GROWING PAINS Growing Pains is a brand that truly lives up to its name, having evolved from a DIY basement grow into one of Michigan’s most respected small-batch cultivators through years of trial, error, and obsession. We sat down with head grower Tom Farrell to discuss how he balances his "hands-on" legacy with the demands of their expanded facility, all while maintaining the award-winning terpene pro les they're known for. How did you get started in growing? What resources, experts or otherwise did you use for direction? I got started growing in my basement with one tent. Where I grew up it was very hard to nd good herb and when you got the chance it was very expensive. I caught wind that a good friend of mine who I would skate with grew and back in the day you didn’t tell anyone you were growing let alone show anyone. If cops caught any wind of you growing they would raid you instantly. So, he eventually shows me what he has going on, which is like two lights for ower with small plants. But it was the best stinky herb out there. I remember an eighth would stink up the whole top oor of my apartment complex. It got me so hyped to start with a tent in the basement where I became obsessed.
When you’re selecting a mother plant, what is the rst thing you look for beyond THC— is it the structure, the scent, or a speci c "feeling" you get from the plant? When we are hunting new strains we look for a few dierent qualities, we really look at structure, speed of growth, smell and then avor translation. We o en do this for both ower and rosin selections. When we are in our nal selection phase we will do jar washes of the nal contenders we like. Really in this stage we're just looking for big outliers to see if anything is an absolute dumper we should look closer at. What is the one "soulful" element of small- scale cra growing that you’ve fought the hardest to preserve now that you’re manag- ing a larger facility? For us it's preserving quality at all costs. Owning, managing a brand is a lot more work than I could’ve ever imagined. You really want the world to see the best version of the product and what the brand has to oer, however it's hard when you’re not fully vertical in all your sales. We do have a couple of retail locations throughout the state but we do sell to other stores and sometimes product gets le in the back inventory for longer than it should, or it's in a clear container being blasted with bright led lights all day and that is where the quality can suer. So as we have grown we are trying to work with our retail partners and keep all of our product moving fast on shelves so it can get in consumers hands as quickly as possible.
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How do you balance the commercial pressure to grow "hype" strains with your own desire to introduce unique or forgotten terpene pro les to the market? I think it can be hard not to participate with the hype strains. ose strains are almost marketing themselves. In Michigan, the consumer here looks at what Cali is doing and wants to see the same strains here. We will do short runs of the hype cuts and then we've been getting into breeding and using some of those new hype strains in our breeding has been fun. I notice the consumer just wants something new as o en as possible. So as long as you can produce new avors all the time they get really excited. How can a consumer
three weeks in the future and you need to be able to adapt and be ready for those changes. We care about the smoothness, intensity, avor translation and purity of the smoke. With our recipe we have been able to dial that in and have consistent batches week to week. We're o en changing our environmen- tals based on the environment outside. In Michigan you can have sun, heat, rain, high humidity and snow all in one day, which will aect our dry and trim rooms. It may follow from the previous question, but what is your growing “philosophy,” … or rules that you live by?
Being proud of the nished product that I can pass out and show o, knowing that it's better than most of the product available on the shelves. We treat the plant with respect and really try to grow the ower to per- form the way elite Michelin star restaurants operate. We try to think of every nuance that is associated with the plant and how we can make our end product. If you could force every consumer to look at one
tell the di erence between a generic version of that strain and your "winning" selection? Typically when we do a new pheno hunt and nd our winning selection a lot of the time we are changing the name to that cross and then doing a launch party of our new strain selection for our patrons who
speci c data point on a lab result besides THC, what would it be and why? And as for the drying and cur- ing process, how can a consumer spot ower that was rushed to the shelf? I think if consumers can check batch dates and nd ower that is fresh–which in my opinion is two months a er harvest–you will see the best results. Flower and rosin are perishable products that don’t have any preservatives in them to help them last. What are your favorite strains to grow? One strain we are really excited about is our Banana Tay. Honey Banana put us on the map, and this is one we bred in-house: Zyrup x Honey Banana. It would be cool to leave this strain to the world; it has similar terps to the honey banana but with better, tighter nug structure which is awesome for trimming and production purposes. Read the full interview at Hightimeslocal.com 19 HIGHTIMES LOCAL ▶
support us every drop. We even do pheno hunt parties to have people out to smoke and grade our top contending phenos in the hunt. It's cool to involve the commu- nity, sometimes they end up naming the new pheno we selected. Hydroponics? Soil? Indoor? Outdoor? What’s your favorite, what’s the best (in a perfect world), why – feel free to take to the soapbox for a minute. Currently we grow in rockwool with athena salts. For us the chelated salts give us the most consistency on our ower and help us to be less reactive to solving a nutrient de ciency in our plants. I have nothing against organic ower however, I've noticed that not many organic growers are proactive in their media or really understand what elements are needed when. I think with organic you need to understand where the plant is going to be at
HIGHIGAN While you can't nd any Highigan ower on dispensary shelves, you may know the duo, Neil and Heaven, from their high energy educational channel and massive grower community online. Beyond the screen, they've channeled their passion for elite genetics into Poppin Fire, a seed company dedicated to sourcing and curating rare, small-batch re for home growers. How did you get started in growing? What resources, experts or otherwise did you use for direction? Like most people in Michigan who support
When you’re selecting a mother plant, what is the rst thing you look for beyond THC— is it the structure, the scent, or a speci c "feeling" you get from the plant? Qualities we look for in any plant we grow can vary. During the grow, we’re looking at plant structure, node spacing, stacking and bud structure, trichome development and overall vigor. Terpenes and smell are obviously a big factor but in the end it all comes down to the nal eect and how it makes us feel. Only then do you really know if it's a keeper or not! What is the one "soulful" element of small- scale cra growing that you’ve fought the hardest to preserve now that you’re manag- ing a larger facility? We grow at home because we love the
cannabis reform, we made sure to get out and vote! A er it passed and recreational was legalized we thought it would be fun to start our youtube channel Highigan to document our trials and tribulations of learning to grow at home since the law allowed us up to 12 plants per household! We thought it would be fun for anyone else interested in growing to learn from our successes and failures. Youtube is a great resource for learning about new things, along with some of the original cannabis content creators and educators, legends like Jorge Cervantes, Ed Rosenthal and more!
plant, there is something therapeutic about spending time with the plants and growing in general. Plus these have to be some of the most beautiful owers mother nature has ever created! How do you balance the commercial pressure to grow "hype" strains with your own desire to introduce unique or forgotten terpene pro les to the market? We have always grown whatever looks or sounds good to us. Since everything we grow is for personal use we are always trying new strains, new breeders in search of new avors and eects! at's what's amazing about being
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It may follow from the previous question, but what is your growing “philosophy,” … or rules that you live by? You gotta grow to know! Have fun with it and don't get discouraged if you make mistakes, especially when starting and your rst few grows! If you could force every consumer to look at one speci c data point on a lab result besides THC, what would it be and why? Terps! e
able to grow at home. You are free to explore the vast selection of cultivars out there and nd that unicorn that hits for your personal tastes! It's part of the fun! How can a consumer tell the di erence between a generic version of that strain and your "winning" selection? We don't do much pheno hunting at home. We have been on some pheno hunts in Hum- boldt during our Emerald Legends docu-
mentary, pheno hunting 1,000's of cultivars in the Emerald Triangle. It's important to remember there is always some variation in every seed, just like a person. Even seeds from the same pack, you will nd dierent phenos with dierent expressions on smell, structure and eect. e more you pop the more chanc- es you have to nd something truly unique for you!
smells, aromas and what notes you pick up when doing the smell test! Any thoughts on the drying and curing pro- cess, and how can a consumer spot ower that was rushed to the shelf? whole other part of growing you might not think about when starting out! It's also proba- bly the most important part of the whole Drying and curing is the
Hydroponics? Soil? Indoor? Outdoor? What’s your favorite, what’s the best (in a perfect world), why – feel free to take to the soapbox for a minute. We have tried a mix of dierent grow styles from Organic living soil, to Coco and Min- eral based nutrients. ere are a million ways to grow and there is no wrong or right way, only the way that works best for you! We rec- ommend anyone interested in growing to do some research and nd a method that looks like it would be easiest for you then try it! You will learn something new every grow and you will start to develop your own method!
process! If you smell weed that smells like hay then you know it was a bad cure or rushed! What are your favorite strains to grow, and why? Heaven is a huge sour diesel fan, she's always looking for a classic sour d strain! A very unique one we grew recently was Soul re Gardens FX3, one pheno we grew has almost zero pistil hairs so it looked very unique with wild strawberry milkshake terps! You can see it in our latest seed to harvest video on Youtube now! Read the full interview at Hightimeslocal.com 21 HIGHTIMES LOCAL ▶
I ¡ ¢ THE HISTORY OF MICHIGAN CANNABIS by Amie Carter
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your plastic pots are slowly killing your plants BY STONEY TARK
G rowing top-quality cannabis in- volves time, love and care, but the pots you use play a bigger role in root development than most growers realize. This piece is not meant to give plastic pots a bad name. It is about the benefits of aerating your growing medium to encourage root prun- ing, and what happens when you do not. I will cover how and why plastic pots promote root-bound growth, walk through the different types of roots and their roles, and lay out several pot solutions to help you avoid root-bound plants for good. How Plastic Encourages Root-Bound Plants: We have all been there when repotting. You pick up your plant, turn the pot upside down, and check the roots, only to find them jam-packed, white, tangled and healthy, grow- ing in the exact shape of the pot. In some cases, roots are already pushing through the drainage holes at the base. It can look impressive. But root-bound cannabis plants come with real problems. If your plants seem off, check this list before assuming it is something else: • Stunted growth: Plants stop vegetating at their usual pace. During flowering, bud development slows and yields drop • Constantly watering: Growing medium dries out unusually fast after watering. Roots through the holes: Roots pushing out of drainage holes mean you need to repot immediately. • Nutrient deficiencies: Root-bound plants consume nutrients faster, leading
to nitrogen, calci- um, magnesium or trace element deficiencies. • Wilting leaves: Root-bound wilting looks al- most identical to overwatering. If you have ruled out water issues, check the pot.
• Tall, lanky structure: An unstable, stretched plant that needs canes for sup- port can signal root-bound growth. The Benefits of Fabric Pots: Having grown with thousands of plastic pots over 20 years, I can say without hesita- tion that fabric pots are a genuine up- grade. Unlike plastic, fabric allows air to pass through the container walls, which changes how roots develop entirely. Root pruning happens naturally in fabric pots. As roots grow outward and hit the fabric wall, they come into contact with air. The tip stops elongating and instead branches into new lateral roots. The result is a denser, more efficient root system. continue reading at HighTimes.com
by Javier Hasse O n April 23, Act- ing Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order rescheduling two specific categories of mar- ijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III: FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, and marijuana products regulated under quali- fying state medical marijuana licens- es. It was the biggest federal cannabis shift in decades. For the commercial medical marijuana industry, it was a landmark moment. For home growers, the picture is considerably murkier. We put the same core question to four of the country’s leading cannabis attorneys: Does the rescheduling order cover home growers? They read the same order. They cited the same lan- guage. They landed in different places. The disagreement turns on a decep- tively small distinction: whether a state patient cultivation card is a “license” in the federal sense, or merely a state-level permission slip that still sits outside the Controlled Substances Act. That dis- tinction, business versus person, com- mercial supply chain versus backyard grow, is doing enormous legal work in a document that doesn’t spell out the answer. Does Rescheduling Help Home Growers? Even Cannabis Lawyers Are Split
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WHAT THE ORDER ACTUALLY SAYS
Malkin Law and a cannabis law professor at Stockton University, takes the opposite view: state-licensed patient cultivation drops to Schedule III. Marshall Custer, who co-leads Husch Blackwell’s can- nabis team of more than 80 attorneys, lands somewhere more complicated: personal-use home growers remain fed- erally illegal, but state medical cultivation permit holders may now face Sched- ule III obligations rather than freedom. continue reading at HighTimes.com
The relevant language is specific. The order moves into Schedule III: FDA-ap- proved drug products containing marijua- na, and marijuana “subject to a qualify- ing state-issued license.” It then defines “state medical marijuana license” as “a license issued by a state entity autho- rizing the licensee to manufacture, dis-
tribute, and/or dispense marijuana or products that contain marijuana for medical purposes.” Everything else remains Schedule I. “Any form of marijuana other than in an FDA-approved drug prod- uct or marijuana subject to a state medical mari- juana license remains a Schedule I controlled sub- stance,” the order states, subject to all applica- ble “administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions.” So the question is: does your home grow qualify as marijuana “subject to a state medical marijua- na license”? Bob Hoban, one of the country’s most recognized cannabis attor- neys and a longtime fixture in federal drug policy de- bates, says ordinary per- sonal home grow remains outside the framework. Michael McQueeny, Part- ner and Co-Chair of the Cannabis and Hemp Group at Foley Hoag, agrees. Ste- ven Schain, Of Counsel at
Items marked contested reflect genuine legal disagreement among attorneys. Hoban and McQueeny say ordinary personal cultivation stays Schedule I. Custer agrees personal-use home growers remain federally illegal, while Schain says state-licensed patient cultivation qualifies. None say adult-use home grow is protected.
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Photo: Graham Tolbert
Setting
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traditional development. There are moments where the material approaches stasis, but it never settles fully. The interplay keeps it slightly off-balance, which is what gives the record its beauty and coherence. It’s less about atmosphere than about relation showing how sound behaves between people. Album notes: Setting (2026) by Setting. Jaime Fennelly, Nathan Bowles, and Joe
Westerlund. Released via Thrill Jockey. Ensemble improvisation drawing from experimental folk, electronic, and minimalist traditions. 2. Wendy Eisenberg, Wendy Eisenberg The self-titled release from Wendy Eisenberg marks a continued move from solo-oriented work into more deliberate ensemble writing. Issued in 2026, the record operates between composition and improvisation, but with a clearer emphasis on arrangement than earlier releases. Eisenberg’s guitar remains central, though it’s rarely treated as a fixed voice. Phrases emerge and dissolve quickly. Melodic fragments that give way to texture, clean articulation shifts into abrasion. Individual moments are sharply defined, but they don’t necessarily resolve into a single, obvious arc, an emphasis on relation, not destination. What holds the record together is not only continuity of tone, but continuity of interaction between the ensemble. Notably, Trevor Dunn contributes a low-end presence that stabilizes the shifting woven surface. Known for his work with Mr. Bungle and John Zorn’s ensembles, Dunn brings a compo- sitional awareness that shapes how the material moves without becoming overt. His lines often function as quiet anchors, allowing the guitar to move more freely without dispersing. Across the record, Dunn’s arrangements are flexible but intentional. Parts enter and recede without fixed hierarchy, and transitions tend to occur through overlap rather than clear breaks. This creates a sense of internal logic that doesn’t feel as if it's relying on traditional development. Eisenberg’s naked vocal execution follows the same principle: integrated rather than leading, contributing to phrasing and texture as much as narrative direction. Continued on Page 106
PAOLO LE ONDATA Music Charts
1. Setting, Setting The North Carolina–based trio of Jaime Fennelly, Nathan Bowles, and Joe Westerlund bring together their captivating collective voice on this eponymous latest release. The trio weave together their backgrounds that span projects like Mind Over Mirrors, Califone, Black Twig Pickers, and Sylvan Esso into a range that is audible, but it’s not presented as collage. It’s integrated. Sometimes swampy and fat, sometimes trancey and ethereal, every sound is treated with care on Setting . Released in 2026 via Thrill Jockey, the album sits between improvisation and composition without announcing the boundary. The instru- mentation is broad and fascinating in timbre (synthesizers, cassette loops, banjo, percus- sion, electronics) but the emphasis is on how those materials are held together , not how they contrast. What distinguishes the record is its internal pacing. Even at its most abstract, there is a low, continuous sense of motion. Less beat, more pull. A hum. The trio doesn’t rely on density to create movement; they rely on alignment. Small shifts in emphasis, from percussive accents, tonal drift, changes in register, carry the structure forward. This is where their experience shows. The playing is relaxed, not loose, but deeply inten- tional like a puzzle. Nothing feels accidental. The improvisation is bounded by a shared sense of duration: how long a figure can sustain? When to redirect? When to leave space intact? That produces a continuity that doesn’t depend on
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