Greater Lansing pot shops go all out for Pride Month

Companies and brands across the country usually make a conscious effort to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots this month, often with flashy packaging and signage — maybe with a rainbow flag or two. In some cases, they go beyond symbolic wokeness and actually give back some of their revenues in honor of that crucial tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States and to recognize the impact that LGBTQ people have made in American society. 

And there aren’t many sectors of the economy that are more progressive than the cannabis industry. During Pride Month, those true colors were (literally) on full display while pot shops across Greater Lansing rolled out some new specials to help celebrate the LGBTQ community.

Skymint and Pure Options rebranded with some new rainbow-themed logos. Bazonzoes launched promotional discounts on a series of Pride-inspired products — including $35 eighters of Rainbow Driver and half-gram vape cartridges of Rainbow Gelato for only $15 each. 

Pride-themed vaporizer cartridges from Platinum Vapes are also included in the local lineup at dispensaries across Michigan. A portion of sales from those products go to the Michigan chapter of Equality, a nonprofit group dedicated to advocating for the LGBTQ rights and bringing their voices to institutions of power nationwide. Beyond the bright, colorful packaging, those super gay cartridges are jam-packed with distillate that tests in at 90% THC.

Good job Lansing: Every shop in the city seems to have sold out of those charitable cartridges. The Botanical Co., near the Capital City Region International Airport, has also pledged to donate a portion of the profits this month to The Trevor Project to help LGBTQ youth. Founded in 1998 by the creators of the short film “Trevor,” that nonprofit has been billed as the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide services to LGBTQ people under age 25. 

High Profile in Ann Arbor (which was featured in a special “on the road” edition of this column last year) has also raised more than $10,000 for the Trevor Project through Pride-themed pins. 

Last year, Skymint also released four new dank strains for Pride Month, including Rozay No. 1. Through a partnership with the Fair & Equal Michigan campaign, all of the proceeds from those select sales were sent straight to a ballot initiative to amend the state’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act and better protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender discrimination across the state.

Following some delays tied to the coronavirus, organizers plan to get the amendment on the 2022 ballot. And Skymint is once again donating up to $10,000 to support the voter initiative. 

Surprisingly, it’s still possible to be fired for being gay under state law. So, Skymint is also keeping it light by donating $2 for each selfie that customers post online using the #skymintpride hashtag. Of course, the Urban Outfitters of weed is also selling Pride shirts and tote bags too.

The company also tried to bring in acclaimed LGBTQ YouTube star and Michigan State University alumnus Tyler Oakley for National Pride Day, but the plans fell apart last week. 

Finally: I’d be remiss not to mention the special rainbow-designed rolling trays released last month from my friends at Blazy Susan. They sent me a killer sample package this month that included some of the best cones I’ve ever smoked. Pick up a pack of pink papers for Pride too!

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