Waffle cone edibles, strawberry pre-rolls: Here's what new in Michigan's marijuana industry

As Michigan enters its fifth year of legal recreational marijuana sales, the industry's offerings have expanded as brands try to capture a piece of the state's large cannabis market, which is the second largest in the U.S. only behind California.

Since legal recreational cannabis sales started in December 2019, cannabis beverages are now available for consumers to purchase, athletes have tried to capture a piece of the market with their own cannabis brands and companies have distinguished their products from others with descriptions like "artisanal."

Some have failed and it's become an increasingly difficult environment for companies to operate with prices dropping and margins tightening. Yet, companies continue to innovate and offer a wide variety of products to Michigan consumers.

Below is a sampling of new cannabis products that are now available to purchase in Michigan.

Chocolate-covered strawberry pre-roll to keep the Valentine's Day celebration going

Grasshopper Farms, an outdoor cannabis farm in southwest Michigan, has launched an infused pre-rolled joint with the flavor of chocolate-covered strawberries "to extend the Valentine’s Day sweetness," a news release announcing the pre-roll said.

"By infusing the flavor directly into the flower, we're offering consumers a more authentic and enjoyable smoking experience," Will Bowden, founder and CEO of Grasshopper Farms, said in a news release.

Bowden said the chocolate-covered strawberry flavor will be available for a few months and later, Grasshopper Farms will expand its offerings with flavors like tangie, red white and berry blast, apple jack haze and peach punch.

The pre-rolls are sold at dispensaries such as The Clinic Cannabis Co. in Detroit and MSC3 in Adrian and at several other dispensaries around Michigan.

For more information on the infused pre-rolls and retailers in Michigan that sell them, visit GrasshopperFarms.com/infused-pre-rolls.

More on Grasshopper Farms: Tours of Michigan cannabis companies reveal inner workings of marijuana business

Muha Meds returns to Michigan dispensaries

After Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency suspended the licenses held by Muha Meds in November, saying the health and safety of its customers were jeopardized by its continued operation, the California-based brand announced in early 2024 that its licenses had been reinstated.

"We worked tirelessly with the Cannabis Regulatory Agency to fix any concerns raised and welcome greater transparency between our organizations," Ali Garawi, founder and CEO of Muha Meds, said in a news release.

More on Muha Meds: Michigan cannabis regulator suspends licenses held by producer of Muha Meds products

As part of its return to Michigan dispensaries, the company introduced new 2-gram disposable vapes (an electronic smoking device designed for one-time use) and live resin concentrates (flash-frozen cannabis that is put through an extraction process to preserve the cannabinoids and terpenes) to Michigan.

Muha Meds' products are available at several dispensaries around Michigan. Visit MuhaMeds.com/store-locator to see which retailers sell the products.

An edible made to be paired with ice cream

The California-based company Gelato Canna Co., which first launched its products in Michigan in 2022, is now selling Last Bite, a waffle cone edible filled with chocolate.

Gelato CEO and Co-Founder George Sadler set out to create "products that are both approachable and fun," he said in a news release, and was inspired by the "last bite" of an ice cream cone.

The edibles, which each contain 10 milligrams of THC, come in three flavors including milk chocolate caramel; strawberry chocolate; and cookies and cream white chocolate, and can be "consumed alone or topped with ice cream."

For more information on where the products are sold, go to GelatoCanna.com/Michigan.

Willie Nelson's new cannabis line

Country singer and cannabis activist Willie Nelson's cannabis brand is now available in Michigan in partnership with the cannabis company Aardvark Industrees, joining seven other states around the country that sell the products.

"Like Willie’s music, there’s going to be strains to chill by and strains to make you get up and dance," Hilary Dulany, a partner at Aardvark Industrees, said in a news release. Five different strains are available, and start at around 24% THC and rise to about 30%.

For more information on where Willie's Reserve is sold, visit WilliesReserve.com/Retailers.

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New products sold at Michigan dispensaries include waffle cone edibles