Much like the beer and spirits we love in Grand Rapids, cannabis has gone craft.
Arriving on the scene in early April, Love Supreme Craft Cannabis is just one of three “microbusinesses” in all of West Michigan. As a microbusiness, they can only sell their own products and are limited to just 150 plants at a time (though advocates are working on increasing that cap to give these smaller businesses a better chance).
We stopped in to visit and chat with owner Skyelar Hoort, and the whole crew showed us the ropes.
The Bar
Drive south from the city on 131 and in no time you’ll see a building with a large flower mural on the side, done by local artist and art teacher George Eberhardt. The exit ramp there practically drops you right into the Love Supreme parking lot, making it one of the most accessible cannabis stores in town.
When you walk in, rather than a sterile waiting room staffed with security guards, you’re greeted to a cozy little counter area decorated with vintage furniture and art. The whole vibe here is a mix of the ’70s and the modern, resulting in a comfortable, yet hip atmosphere. This aesthetic also comes through with the name, Love Supreme, inspired by John Coltrane’s masterpiece album.
Step around the corner and you arrive at the flower bar, an area to chat with the budtenders and examine the offerings. It’s set up just like a craft brewery, complete with barstools, a chalkboard menu, and someone to walk you through the experience. There’s also a shop, selling stylish and completely unique bongs, bowls and other smoking accessories, alongside art and accessories from local artists.
At the bar, you can see and smell the cannabis up close, using cute heart-shaped bowls, while learning more from the budtenders. Hoort said every worker there also spends time in the back, learning about the grow operation and helping to trim and cure the flower.
Plus, the current budtenders all have experience in the restaurant and bar industry, so they not only know the cannabis strains inside out, they know how to ask questions and guide customers to the best experience. They can even tell you exactly which terpenes are in each strain, according to their lab.
The Flower
The menu itself is limited, with just six strains when I visited (though a new harvest should be hitting shelves in the near future), but that’s not really a downside. At Love Supreme, you don’t have to sort through dozens of different strains you’ve never heard of, from growers you’ve never heard of. You have a small selection of the best of the best, narrowed down by their team over months of work too complex to go into detail here. The grow team at Love Supreme are also all former caregivers, bringing another layer of expertise to the tightknit crew.
When I visited, Love Supreme was in the process of switching to a hydroponics system created by the Byron Center-based Hydra Unlimited. Aside from that system, everything they do is by hand, which lends to the “craft” moniker. That includes their ice water hash, a method of making cannabis concentrates that doesn’t use any solvents—such as CO2 or butane—or big machines, just agitating by hand. This hash is then used to make vape cartridges and tasty edibles!
Personally, I took home three different strains as pre-rolls. I’m not a weed sommelier, but I will say the Hella Jelly was sweet and fruity, and simply a fun time. The Cold Feet was uniquely tasty and very light, giving more of a body high. Then there’s the Ice Cream Cake, which smells so good they had me sniff the BIG jar. The high was potent and pleasant enough that the joint lasted multiple sessions.
The People
Hoort and her team come from the restaurant and bar world—you may know her husband Todd Hoort and Love Supreme’s head grower Christopher Weimer as the co-owners of Linear Restaurant. When the industry got going five years ago, they tried to apply and secure a spot but where quickly edged out by the big players.
Hoort said the initial heartbreak just strengthened her resolve, and she then realized microbusinesses have more options in terms of licenses and available buildings. While they originally planned to just be a grow operation, they quickly realized this type of business, where they could interact with customers and create a community, was a much better fit.
Going forward, Love Supreme plans to keep producing quality flower while building that community with events like artisan markets and potentially a consumption space down the road. Hoort also hopes to use their kitchen expertise to create unique edibles, such as THC honey and chocolate bars.
They’re just getting started, but Love Supreme is already a unique and special place, with plenty of room to grow. As Hoort puts it, “We’re going to evolve as our city evolves.”
Love Supreme Craft Cannabis
1925 Century Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
lovesupremecultivations.com
