Millions of America’s football fans will pair their favorite pastime with more legal cannabis than ever before.
Super Bowl LVII in the mature legalization state of Arizona promises one of the biggest bumps in sales of the year. The stoke is even bigger in freshly legal Kansas City. Medically legal Philadelphia, San Francisco smokers, and friends across the US will also burn one for the game Sunday afternoon.
The lines at Phoenix and Kansas City dispensaries have already begun, owners report.
More than 99 million people watched the 2022 Super Bowl, and up to 600,000 people descend on the Phoenix valley this week. The line of planes waiting to land has begun stretching for miles, said Demitri Downing, co-founder of the major trade association MITA-AZ. This year offers the highest visibility ever for the ascendant legal cannabis movement.
“The town is going to be packed,” Downing said. “This is our biggest event of the year.”
Fans love to pair cannabis with the Big Game: Weed’s common effects of euphoria, hunger, and relaxation can enhance the experience of watching sports. The data company Springbig anticipates sales to jump up to 24% over the daily average in February. Savvy sellers tell Leafly they have hit 5,000% average sales with bargain ounces, vapes, and edibles delivered minutes after mobile ordering.
“We’ve seen a massive, massive bump,” said Jeff Dillon, head of marketing for Smoakland weed delivery in Northern California. “Cannabis and football go together like chips and dip.”
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Arizona sizzles in the spotlight
(Courtesy The Mint)
The Phoenix metropolitan area is set to host hundreds of thousands of people for Super Bowl LVII weekend, beginning now through the game on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m. PST. Arizona began adult-use sales in January 2021, and more than 100 dispensaries are open.
“There’s a bunch of events going on. It’s going to be a crazy week,” said Downing for MITA-AZ.
The rapper Redman headlines the Mint Mall at Consumption Park, promoted by one of the closest dispensaries to the stadium, The Mint. Trulieve hosts the Cannablitz tailgate party as well. Ricky Williams hosts the 4th and 20 party over three days.
Two miles from State Farm Stadium, Sonoran Roots CEO Michael O’Brien expects his store Ponderosa to sell at least 10% more products than it does during a normal day. Then, Sonoran Roots will host a party downtown.
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“We’ve been getting a lot of calls from people out of town,” he said. “It’s the best time of year for us.”
He planned for brisk business in flower varieties like Sonoran Roots premium Kush Mints, Cherry Cosmo, and Lemon Cane. Canamo concentrates and Lost Farm edibles from Kiva sell well to novices.
“They’re looking at more vapes and edibles. They’re looking to be discreet.”
Arizona’s mature legal cannabis market includes online ordering. A third of orders this week will come in from mobile phones and computers, O’Brien said.
MVP: Co2lors disposable vape pens from Trulieve. (Courtesy Trulieve)
The trade association Co-Founder Demitri Downing wants to showcase the responsible, health and wellness facet of cannabis.
The run-up to the game includes a no-alcohol golf tournament and a yoga event with former NFL players.
“We don’t want to see the equivalent of a booze-drenched party in cannabis,” Downing said. “Our industry is right in the middle of deciding its image—we advocate individual excellence, responsible behavior, and responsible messaging.”
“Cannabis is one of god’s best remedies that ever existed,” he said.
Missouri and Pennsylvania riding high
The Good Day Farm dispensary serves adults 21 and older now in Kansas City. (Courtesy Good Day Farm)
Missourans ride high with Kansas City in the NFL finals and legalization blowing through the former Confederate state. Up to 100,000 marijuana record expungements may result from the freshly enacted law.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ place in the NFL Finals only compounds crowds at Missouri dispensaries, which flipped from medical to adult-use with the stroke of a keyboard last week.
Some stores have seen 7 times the average daily sales, said Laurie Gregory, chief marketing officer for Good Day Farm. “It’s been a fantastic weekend. The Show Me State showed up.”
Shoppers will snap up pre-rolls priced at one penny this weekend and “Game Day Gummies.” The southern dessert King Cake is now a THC-infused gummy flavor.
King Cake-flavored gummies from Good Day Farm. (Good Day Farm)
Gregory said Good Day Farm’s best-selling flower right now in Missouri is the comically named Titty Sprinkles. The strain’s breeder lost a mom to breast cancer, said Gregory. Proceeds from the products go to breast cancer research. Patients use it for pain and inflammation.
“It’s just a fan favorite. They laugh at the name. They chuckle again. It’s cannabis, it’s fun—part of having fun is feeling good,” said Gregory.
All-in-one vape pens from Go Pens do well with flavors Grape Soda, Wild Watermelon, and Strawberries and Cream.
Good Day Farm’s Kansas City dispensary hosts food, music, and fun. It’s an incredibly proud moment for Missouri, she said.
This indica hybrid of Grease Monkey and Purple Punch 2.0 was bred by Secret Society Seed Co. (Courtesy Good Day Farm)
“We anticipate very strong sales. The weed here is amazing.”
Laurie Gregory, chief marketing officer for Good Day Farm, Missouri
“We anticipate very strong sales,” she said. “The weed here is amazing.”
Over at Greenlight’s dispensary in Kansas City—kiosks, a walk-up window, and a drive-through will promptly provide folks with edibles, vapes, and their custom K.C. Kush. Greenlight. Greenlight CEO John Mueller said a couple of stores sold 9 times their average amounts last weekend. Missouri now entices Illinoisans across the border with lower taxes, more cultivars, and better strains, he said.
Greenlight also hosts three bonafide, legal farmer’s markets this weekend called Underground. Missouri farmers go direct to consumers in a secret room in the dispensary—featuring blowout deals and new releases.
“It’s going to be a very crazy weekend. It would have been crazy with the Super Bowl alone.”
“Online order ahead to walk or drive up, and save yourself time,” he said.
A proud Chiefs fan, Mueller holds Chiefs season tickets. His family has been dressing in red all week, and he will attend the game in Phoenix.
“It’s a great time,” he said. “It’s kind of our thing here, being the local company we are.”
Reggie Harris, CEO of House of Kush, Kansas City, MO brand cannabis went from pro football to cannabis. He used to be the General Manager of the Kansas City Brigade, an Arena Football League team. Now, his minority-owned business has fresh strains on shelves in Missouri in time for the game and is sponsoring Consumption Park.
“Interest in the brand has picked up,” he said. “There is huge value in getting in front of consumers.”
Pennsylvania pride
The medical cannabis state of Pennsylvania celebrates the Philadelphia Eagles in the finals this weekend. Roughly 165 stores will likely run deals and promotions there as well.
The nine Ethos dispensary locations run bundle deals on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Philly and Pennsylvania in general is juiced for the Eagles to win the Super Bowl. Ethos has begun planning for the downtown parade next week.
“Our patients are super-excited and ready for the Eagles to win the Super Bowl,” said Ethos Vice-President of Retail Operations and Supply Gibran Washington. “We’re going to have a parade in Philly next week. We’re betting on the parade.”
San Francisco smokes to a wild season
A Zkittlez bud. (Matt Stangel for Leafly)
And back in San Francisco, fans lick their wounds and toast to an unexpected run after the 49ers’ defeat by the Eagles. Stores and delivery services have already hit big with the NFL season so far.
Smoakland cannabis delivery service marketing director Jeff Dillon reports 5 times the average daily sales near the 49ers’ stadium and party hot spots. Fans place mobile phone orders and receive a drop from a van in minutes near the park. Smoakland ran specials like the Brock Star and Zkittlez ounces for $88. The best seller is a $49 flower ounce touted at tailgate parties in the stadium parking lot.
All-in-one house brand vapes called Faders sell well.
“Business has been fantastic,” he said. “Especially because it falls on Valentine’s Day—you got a little bit for him, a little bit for her. For us, it’s a big holiday.”
“You would expect it to slow down. We get very heavy sales all the way through the game.”
Smoakland cannabis delivery service marketing director Jeff Dillon
Sales stay heavy through the game, Dillon said.
“You would expect it to slow down. We get very heavy sales all the way through the game.”
Welcome to March, Stargazers! This month brings dreamy and reflective energy to move us through Pisces season, a time of intuition, creativity, and emotional depth. The Sun in Pisces for most of the month creates an opportune time to slow down, embrace your imagination, and go with the flow. Embrace a schedule that allows time to ruminate, or just enjoy a little extra relaxation—trust that you’re exactly where you need to be.
But it won’t all be smooth sailing—cosmic shifts may bring some challenges. Venus goes retrograde on March 1, stirring up emotions in relationships and personal values. Old feelings may resurface, and uncertainty destabilizes connections. Mercury also begins its retrograde mid-March, unleashing its usual chaos in communication and travel, so patience and clarity will keep you focused on enjoying the ride. Instead of resisting the delays, use this time to reflect and reconnect with what truly matters.
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As the month closes, Neptune prepares to enter Aries on March 30—for the first time in 165 years! This transition hints at a new era of vision and putting action to your inspirations, but there’s no rush. March is about feeling your way through the currents rather than pushing ahead, so give yourself time to prepare for your power moves. Take time to unwind, enjoy simple pleasures, and trust that the universe is working things out in its own time.
Your March horoscope
Pisces
(Leafly)
Happy Birthday Pisces! With the Sun shining in your sign, you may feel more in tune with your emotions and desires, but Venus in retrograde could bring some uncertainty in relationships or creative projects. Mercury retrograde adds another layer to this period of introspection, encouraging you to revisit old ideas, reconnect with past connections, or simply slow down. Instead of seeking immediate clarity, embrace this moment to reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re headed.
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Toward the end of the month, Neptune, your ruling planet, begins its transition into Aries, though it remains in Pisces for now. That means you have 29 days of focusing on endings and completions! A shift is coming, but there’s no need to rush—the best approach is to go with the flow and trust that everything is unfolding as it should. March is a time to nurture yourself, set quiet intentions, and move at your own pace. As the energy shifts in the coming months, you’ll be ready to take your next steps with confidence and clarity.
March strain: As the oldest, wisest, ripest sign in the zodiac, you deserve a strain that matches your deep, dreamy energy—so meet Ripe. With bold lemon and tropical fruit flavors, this balanced hybrid is perfect for unwinding, reflecting, and vibing with the universe.
Aries
(Leafly)
March starts off with a quiet, introspective energy for you, rams, as Pisces season encourages you to slow down and recharge before your birthday season begins. Venus in retrograde may muddle relationships and personal values, so be mindful of old emotions surfacing. Mercury retrograde makes communication even trickier—double-check plans and give yourself extra time to avoid frustration. Instead of pushing forward too quickly, use this time to reflect and prepare for the fresh start ahead.
By the end of the month, Neptune makes a major move toward Aries, though it remains in Pisces for now. This shift signals big changes on the horizon, encouraging you to tap into your dreams and long-term plans. While you may feel antsy to get moving, March is about trusting the process rather than rushing ahead. Take things one step at a time, and you’ll be ready to embrace the energy of Aries season when it arrives.
March strain: This is a month that will challenge your temper, Aries, but it will also set you up for big moves in 2025.As Venus amps up your charisma and career vibes, why not elevate your experience with Last Supper? This hybrid strain offers a unique blend of cheesy, tropical fruit, and gassy notes—perfect for unwinding after conquering your goals. It also has an ideal balance of effects to keep you even-keeled, but no less productive.
Taurus
(Leafly)
This is a big one, bulls. March invites you to slow down and connect with the people and dreams that matter most. With Pisces season in full swing, your social side takes the spotlight, making it a great time to nurture friendships and reflect on long-term goals. At the same time, Venus—your ruling planet—goes retrograde, which brings unresolved feelings in relationships or uncertainty around love and finances to the surface. Mercury retrograde adds another layer of confusion, so take your time with important decisions and avoid making big commitments just yet.
As the month winds down, Neptune begins its shift toward Aries, though it remains in Pisces for now. This signals an upcoming shift in your perspective, especially when it comes to your personal aspirations. While you may feel a pull to dream bigger, March is a time for quiet preparation rather than fast action. Embrace a steady pace, trust the process, and let clarity come naturally as the energy begins to shift in the weeks ahead.
March strain: March brings with it spring weather and the promise of a new season of treats.As you embark on new adventures and personal growth, why not treat yourself to Sundae Supper? This hybrid strain offers thick buds with a tropical banana ice cream flavor—perfect for unwinding after a day of self-improvement as the weather turns.
Gemini
(Leafly)
March may feel a little foggy at times, Gemini, with both Venus and Mercury in retrograde stirring up emotions and obstructing communication. Since Mercury is your ruling planet, you might notice more delays, misunderstandings, or moments of uncertainty. Pisces season also highlights your career and public life—so take time to reflect on your goals rather than rushing into new plans. Instead of forcing clarity, go with the flow and trust that things will make more sense once Mercury moves forward again.
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Toward the end of the month, Neptune begins its slow transition into Aries, but that won’t show its full force until April. This shift will eventually bring fresh inspiration to your social life and big-picture dreams, but for now, focus on tying up loose ends. Give yourself space to rest, rethink, and ease into any changes at your own pace. March is about patience, not perfection—trust that the answers you need will come in time.
March strain: As Mars fuels your energy and creativity, why not channel that drive with Tangieberto? This indica-dominant hybrid, bred from Tangie and Key Lime Pie, offers stony, creative effects with flavors of orange, lime, and gas—perfect for inspiring your next DIY project or artistic endeavor and keeping your big personality balanced.
Cancer
(Leafly)
March brings a sense of introspection and expansion as Pisces season, crabs, encourages you to dream big and explore new perspectives. Whether you choose travel, learning, or spiritual reflection, this is a time to step outside your comfort zone—at least mentally. However, with Venus in retrograde, relationships and personal values won’t come as naturally this month, and Mercury retrograde brings delays or confusing communication. Instead of pushing for answers, allow yourself to sit with any questions that arise and trust that clarity will come in time.
As the month comes to a close, Neptune begins its transition into Aries, though it remains in Pisces for now. This signals an upcoming shift in how you approach your goals and ambitions, but for now, patience is key. Take things one step at a time, focus on personal growth, and trust that the right opportunities will reveal themselves when the timing is right. March is about reflection, not rushing—so lean into what feels right and let the rest unfold naturally.
March strain: As you take it easy and focus on your well-being, why not unwind with the soothing Pineapple Pucker? This hybrid strain evokes the fast-approaching summer, with intense tropical vibes and piña colada flavors—perfect for relaxing and sparking those creative ideas while you recharge during a trying month.
Leo
(Leafly)
March encourages you to take a step back and focus on what’s happening beneath the surface, Leo. With Pisces season catalyzing deep emotions and personal transformation, this is the time to fight your natural instinct for action and focus on reflection. Venus retrograde may bring up old feelings in relationships, while Mercury retrograde could cause delays or confusion, especially around shared resources or financial matters. Instead of getting frustrated, use this time to reassess and make adjustments that bring clarity—it will serve you when energy shifts later on.
As the month ends, Neptune starts its transition into Aries, where it will remain for generations. This signals a slow but steady shift toward new inspiration and broader horizons in the months ahead. While you may feel eager to break free from uncertainty, March is about patience and trusting the process. Lean into self-care, take things one step at a time, and know that brighter days are just around the corner.
March strain: As your enthusiasm and humor make you the life of the party, why not elevate your social game with Gas Station Zushi? And don’t worry—this zushi is always lab-tested. This hybrid strain, a cross of Zushi and the Runtz-derived Terdz, offers a classic candy gas flavor with a stony sensibility—perfect for keeping the good vibes rolling.
Virgo
(Leafly)
March puts a spotlight on your relationships, Virgo, as Pisces season encourages you to focus on connection and partnership. Venus in retrograde finds you reflecting on past relationships and reassessing what you truly need from others. Mercury, your ruling planet, also goes retrograde, which could bring miscommunications or delays in important conversations. Instead of trying to control the outcome, take a step back and allow things to unfold naturally—this is a time for patience, not rushed decisions.
As the month nears its end, Neptune prepares to shift into Aries, a shift not seen in over 150 years. This signals that major changes are on the horizon, particularly in how you approach emotional connections and personal growth. While you may feel a pull to seek clarity, March is about embracing the unknown and trusting that answers will come in time. Focus on balance, take care of yourself, and allow this period of reflection to guide you toward a stronger, clearer path forward.
March strain: We know relinquishing control is hard, Virgo, but it will pay off in the end.As you dive into new projects and let your creativity shine, fuel your inspiration and focus with Clout Tomahawk. This hybrid strain, a smooth blend of heavy hitters Wagyu and OGKB, offers a fuel-tinged finish—perfect for keeping your mind sharp and your ideas flowing.
Libra
(Leafly)
March encourages you to slow down and focus on your well-being as Pisces season highlights your daily routines and self-care. Venus, your ruling planet, goes retrograde shaking up your relationships and how you view your personal values and creative projects. Mercury retrograde adds another layer of reflection, bringing delays or possible mix-ups in work and communication. But don’t let the frustration get you down—use this time to pause, reset, and make small adjustments that will set you up for success once things start moving forward again.
As the month winds down, Neptune begins its transition into Aries, though it remains in Pisces for now. This signals a long-term shift in your relationships, but for now, it’s more about observation than action. March is a time to go with the flow, trust the process, and focus on balance. Give yourself the space to rest, rethink, and realign to prepare for the energy shift that’s coming in the months ahead.
March strain: March is about navigating big changes in your personal life and seeking mental balance. Clout King’s PB&T hybrid strain is a great way to stay calm in the process. This hybrid strain, a cross of Peanut Butter Cup and Terdz, offers a unique terpene profile—perfect for unwinding after a hectic day and keeping those mood swings in check.
Scorpio
(Leafly)
March invites you to embrace creativity, romance, and self-expression as Pisces season lights up your areas of joy and passion. However, with Venus in retrograde, relationships and personal desires may feel a little uncertain. Mercury retrograde adds to the mix, potentially causing miscommunication or delays in plans. Instead of pushing for answers, allow yourself to enjoy the present moment without overanalyzing where things are headed. Reflection now will help you move forward with more clarity later.
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As the month comes to a close, Neptune begins its transition into Aries, bringing a slow-coming future shift in your daily routines and well-being. But for now, March is about inspiration rather than action. Trust your instincts, take time for creative outlets, and lean into whatever helps you feel most connected to yourself. The energy will pick up soon enough, but for now, slow and steady is the best approach.
March strain: Even as Venus gets fritzy, love is still a worthy pursuit.As you seek comfort and emotional connection, why not unwind with Chapel of Love? This indica-dominant hybrid, a cross between Wedding Cake and Gush Mints, offers a sweet vanilla ice cream aroma—perfect for relaxing and finding that cozy vibe you crave.
Sagittarius
(Leafly)
March encourages you to turn your attention inward as Pisces season highlights home, family, and emotional well-being. With Venus in retrograde, embrace reflecting on past relationships or reassessing what truly brings you comfort and stability. Mercury retrograde enhances this introspection, potentially causing delays or miscommunications, especially in personal matters. Instead of rushing forward, take this time to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and sort through any lingering emotions.
As the month comes to a close, Neptune begins its transition into Aries, signaling that change is on the horizon, particularly in areas of creativity and self-expression. While you may feel a pull to break free and chase new adventures, March is about trusting the process and allowing things to unfold naturally. Focus on grounding yourself now so you’re ready to embrace fresh energy in the months ahead.
March strain: March has some cinematic potential,As your confidence and social calendar soar, why not elevate your gatherings with John Woo. Named for the acclaimed Hong Kong director, this hybrid strain, a cross of Face Off OG and Watermelon Z, is perfect for sparking conversations and keeping you flying to new emotional heights.
Capricorn
(Leafly)
March encourages you to slow down and focus on communication, learning, and everyday connections as Pisces season highlights these areas of your life. Venus in retrograde sparks reconsidering certain relationships or creative projects while Mercury brings delays or misunderstandings in conversations. Instead of getting frustrated, take this as an opportunity to listen more, reflect, and fine-tune your ideas before taking action.
As the month ends, Neptune begins its shift toward Aries, but enjoy it in Pisces for now. This signals changes in your home and personal life coming on the horizon, but for now, March is about patience and observation. Trust that clarity will come in time, and focus on staying flexible rather than forcing answers. The best approach this month is to go with the flow and allow things to unfold naturally.
March strain: Embrace the mystic feelings of spring, Cap. As you navigate unexpected changes and seek creative outlets, why not find your balance with Lemon Elixir? This hybrid strain crosses Lemon OG and Last Supper for a unique herbal palate of eucalyptus, sweet lemon, pine, and earth—perfect for sparking your imagination and helping you unwind.
Aquarius
(Leafly)
March invites you to take a closer look at your finances, personal values, and sense of stability as Pisces season encourages reflection in these areas. With Venus in retrograde, you may find yourself reassessing spending habits and what truly brings you comfort and security. Mercury retrograde adds an extra layer of uncertainty, so be mindful of financial decisions and double-check any important details before committing. Instead of rushing into changes, take this time to slow down, review, and plan for the future.
As the month comes to a close, Neptune begins its transition into Aries. This signals a shift in how you think and communicate, with new ideas and inspiration on the horizon. For now, March is about patience and clarity—trust that everything will start to make more sense soon. Stay grounded, take things one step at a time, and let this period of reflection guide you toward smarter, more intentional choices.
March strain: The shifting planets may bring your priorities to another dimension. As you dive into new knowledge and spiritual exploration, why not enhance your journey with Chem DMT? This hybrid strain showcases all the best qualities of Chemdog with a strong garlic aroma with a skunky funk and turpentine bite, providing euphoric sedation—perfect for unwinding after a day of mental adventures.
Smoking a joint with your siblings is a sacred teenage tradition, something that bonds you across clouds of smoke—a furtive secret you all keep from your parents. For the five Savocchi siblings, it seemed an innocent enough past time during their childhood in Queens. But it was also prequel to their eventual entry into New York’ adult-use cannabis industry.
Now, on the streets of Tribeca, locals, tourists, and medical patients alike can stop and smell both the literal and cannabis flowers of Alto dispensary. It’s quite literally a family affair—siblings André, Stephanie, Nicole, Daniela, and Sarah, and parents Guido and Sandra man the ship and tend the bar, even as most of them juggle day jobs (for now).
“It’s been a wild ride to get here.”
Nicole Savocchi
The five siblings smoked together, but their parents were hip too—it was Guido’s cannabis arrest in the ‘90s that qualified them for the license, though the interest had been there for years. Sandra was the first to alert the family after hearing about the passing of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in 2021.
“I heard it on the radio going to work,” she says. “When I heard that this program was available, I’m like, ‘this is for us.’ Right away, I phoned André, and I said, ‘I just heard this, this and this. It’s going to be a difficult process I hear, but we have to do it.’ And he ran with it.”
André is the baby of the family, but he’s the driving force behind Alto. He’d delved the deepest into the cannabis world, including research in other states, and is the only sibling full-time at the store. During its intense renovation, he donned a white hazmat suit and got his hands dirty.
“At times, it definitely kind of feels like we’re building a plane as we’re flying it, just trying to navigate this new landscape. To now be open, we’re all just definitely happy to be here and be a part of the Tribeca community. There’s definitely a unique synergy and chemistry in our work.”
André Savocchi
He also curates the store’s menu, which includes multi-state brands like Wyld Gummies, Kiva Confections, and Select vapes as well as local hits like MFNY concentrates and Umami flower. The menu has to reflect all the multitudes of New York, just like the shop’s environment.
Customers waltzing through Tribeca’s artsy alleys won’t find anyone not named Savocchi on the floor by design. It should feel like coming to your cool family friend’s house, whether you want something to liven up your evening or have a need for something medicinal.
If you don’t partake, you can still buy the other kind of flowers in the front of the store. Alto’s Tribeca shop also has a second-floor space that will one day (Office of Cannabis Management permitting) become an events and consumption lounge.
Until then, if you’re in Tribeca, why not stop in and smell the flowers?
“I think when we’re all together, we’re not workers. We all have that level of dedication. People walk in, they’re like, ‘Oh, this feels so nice here. This definitely feels like a family vibe,’ even before they even know we’re family. They can actually feel that energy.”
For nearly two centuries, this New York farm has harvested organic crops, horses, and now, legal cannabis.
Immigrants have always come to the United States in search of a better life. But they can’t anticipate what their descendants might do in a new land. Lucas Kerr’s industrious ancestors likely never would have guessed that, one day, sprawling cannabis plants would grow on their family farm.
Kerr’s family came from Scotland in 1840, settling in the Catskills in 1846 on a few hundred acres to jumpstart their American dream. Torrwood Farm, as it’s called, has been many things over the last two centuries—harvests of organic crops, a horse farm, replanting sites for chestnut trees, and a water farm with some of the cleanest water in the country. Now, the leafy stalks of cannabis grow among black walnut trees, seasonal veggies, and apple orchards.
“We’re never going to be the Walmart of cannabis,” says Torrwood Farm owner Lucas Kerr. “But we don’t want to be a mom and pop. We want to be somewhere in the middle.” (Torrwood Farm)
Kerr didn’t expect to go into farming. He’d visit the historical site with his extended family for holidays, but his dreams lay elsewhere. During the Iraq War, Kerr joined the military, working his way up the ranks to the coveted 75th Ranger regiment. He did, as he puts it, “quite a few” tours, and rejoined civilian life with a business plan contracting with the Department of Defense. But he was noticing that many of his fellow veterans weren’t faring so well. Veterans dealing with injuries were given opioids without much supervision or consideration for adverse effects, while others struggled to cope with the post-traumatic stress of combat after an abrupt return home.
“I lost more friends to suicide and to the opioid epidemic, where the VA was just giving out pills like candy… It was insane. As I got more involved and evolved within the cannabis industry, I just said, ‘this is the answer for a lot of these guys.’”
Lucas Kerr, Torrwood Farm
Kerr discovered, as many veterans—including cannabis pioneer Dennis Peron—do, cannabis provided a holistic, medicinal alternative. While New York had established its medical marijuana industry in 2016, it exclusively licensed multistate operators with a limited range of products.
After the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, Kerr began researching hemp, hoping to eventually manufacture bandages for the army. He was living in California when the pandemic hit, but took the risk to fly back to New York and break ground on his first hemp harvest. “I just bootstrapped it and went out there with no farming experience, and just started figuring it out on the fly,” he told Leafly this fall.
Kerr began farming hemp in anticipation of New York’s adult-use legalization, and got his cultivation license in 2022; he later also acquired licenses for processing and distribution. But cannabis is a fickle plant, and after a long search for the perfect lead grower, Kerr hired Paul Bernal to take the cultivation reins.
Bernal grew up in New England but learned the cannabis trade in Humboldt, California. His methods reflect the symbiotic, California approach. He tries to feed the grow from materials found around the farm, harness the sunlight, and cultivate for both terpenes and cannabinoids.
“We want to give people uniqueness…The one thing that I was always taught from these old hippies is, ‘take care of the soil.’ It’s all about the local biology that you put into the soil—that then will give you the best outcome you could expect with working with nature for that year. So every year is different. Every plant is different.”
Paul Bernal, Torrwood Famrs
Torrwood currently cultivates, processes, and distributes a growing roster of products, including flower for Doobie Labs, prerolls for Dash and Weekenders, and a new line of gummy edibles. Both Paul and Lucas anticipate 2025 will be the year for Torrwood’s own brand to launch with a line of unique genetics to allow consumers, as Bernal puts it, “push the vision into whatever direction that they want to go into.” The harvest season has become a family affair, with Kerr relatives pouring in to help prune the plants.