Back in 2021, I first offically connected with Travis from Northcoast Cannagar Company during a time when Michigan’s cannabis industry still felt like the wild frontier. Everyone was figuring things out in real time—brands, products, marketing, even the language we used to describe things. Travis had a vision though. Northcoast wasn’t just rolling joints—they were crafting premium, infused cannabis experiences. At the time, they were known for their cannagars: carefully packed, slow-burning cannabis cigars designed for people who wanted to sit back and actually enjoy the moment.

That first shoot was all about education. Travis and I worked together on scripting a series of simple “how-to” videos—how to enjoy a cannagar, how to light it properly, and even how to extinguish it without ruining the experience for later. These weren’t just smoke-and-style videos; they were meant to help people understand the ritual of it. I filmed and edited the project, building out a clean set of educational clips for the brand that they could use across their platforms.

A lot has changed since those early days.

As legalization progressed and Michigan’s market matured, Northcoast Cannagar Company grew right along with it. The brand eventually became part of the expanding ecosystem around House of Dank, which had been part of the long-term vision from the start. Watching that kind of growth happen in real time is one of the most interesting parts of working around this industry—small ideas and niche products can evolve quickly when the market catches up.

Even the terminology has shifted. What we used to call cannagars have evolved with the market into what people now widely recognize as donuts—rosin-infused joints with that signature hash hole burning right through the center. In Michigan’s metric market today, these infused donuts have become one of the most sought-after ways to enjoy premium flower and concentrates together.

Recently I decided to revisit the footage from that original project and give it a modern refresh. The way people watch content has changed dramatically since 2021, and most cannabis brands today live in a vertical video world. I took the original material and rebuilt the edits into full 1080×1920 vertical reels, adding captions and tightening the pacing so the videos would work naturally on today’s social platforms.

For the shoot itself, we worked with Elizabeth—known on Instagram as @motherofgrowth—who brought a great on-camera presence to the visuals. We leaned into creating atmospheric, smoky imagery that captured the slow burn and craftsmanship behind these infused products. Those visuals paired perfectly with the instructional tone of the videos.

To tie everything together, Detroit legend Fat Ray stepped in to read the voiceovers for the three videos. His voice added a grounded, unmistakably Detroit feel to the project—something that always makes a piece feel authentic when you’re working in Michigan’s cannabis scene.

Looking back on this project now, it’s interesting to see how much both the industry and the content landscape have evolved. What started as a straightforward educational video series in 2021 has now been reshaped for a completely different viewing environment. Updating the edits gave the project a second life while preserving the original collaboration Travis and I built around the brand.

Sometimes the best projects aren’t the newest ones—they’re the ones worth revisiting.