Sneaking away from Christmas dinner with your family to smoke weed with your cousins is tradition in my family.
Covertly trailing off from the conversational circle like ex-military (even though everyone notices but doesn’t care) — what a thrill!
It’s always the older cousin bringing the bag, bestowing their knowledge on the next generation like the passing of a torch (in this case, the passing of a lighter). I remember being too young, watching my cousins make their way to the back bedroom. I begged to get in — “I’m cool! I’m cool!” I pleaded as they tried to shut the door in my face.
The response back: “No, you’re not.” Slam. Been hearing that my whole life.
But when I did get let into the smoking circle, there was nothing like returning for dessert with a stupid grin on my face, exchanging a knowing glance of red eyes with the initiated.
It feels like a sacred ritual. A bond between blood.
But now that cannabis is legal in Michigan, does this even happen anymore?
Call me the anti-Mitch Albom, but I’m lamenting the days gone by when something criminal was happening. Not the usual hand-wringing that columnists do over “crime” today and what it means for society.
By making it legal, I’m afraid we’ve lost the thrill of getting away with something.
Sure, the age limit for buying cannabis at a dispensary is 21. There are loads of regulations in place. Keeping inventory and reporting to the state of Michigan is a full-time job for dispensaries and growers alike.
But weed is everywhere now because of these dispensaries.
There are over 750 licensed retailers in Michigan alone. That number will keep climbing until no city is safe. It’s a boon for the billboard industry.
You’re likely closer to a dispensary than you are to a McDonald’s. This is a different kind of happy meal.
And the prices on cannabis are approaching those of value-meal menu items.
In Michigan, the average price for an ounce of dried flower is $89. In Ohio, where the cannabis market is years behind ours, the average ounce is closer to $250.
If it’s cheap and accessible, can it still be a special occasion to smoke with friends? Sneak away with family around the holidays? Is a bond still shared over marijuana if it no longer holds much value?
More than a quarter of residents say they’ve smoked weed in the past year in the Mitten State. One out of nine residents say they’ve smoked in the past month, according to a 2020 University of Michigan report.
Smoking down remains a special occasion for many.
But with cannabis absolutely everywhere, I’m finding it hard to celebrate.
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of , Detroit’s NPR station (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.).
This story originally appeared in the December 2024 issue of vlog. To read more, pick up a copy of vlog Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our will be available on Dec. 9.
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