legacy market

NYC Bud Crawl: Legal, legacy, and unlicensed strains

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2 years ago

March 29, 2023

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We hit licensed stores, legacy Zaza providers, and boof-selling bodegas within a 4.20 mile radius of NYC’s first legal weed stores: Here’s what we found.

New York City is home to three legal weed stores, with dozens more set to open on a rolling basis in the coming months. There are also around 40 medical dispensaries throughout the city, plus indigenous providers located upstate, and countless traditional market operators serving loyal customers for years.

But there are also thousands of unlicensed stores posing as legal retailers across the city. State officials and many legacy operators agree that these shops threaten the state’s budding legal market, because they mislead customers and flood the city with unregulated, sometimes contaminated, products.

Leafly’s Amelia Williams puts her nose to the streets to test New York City’s cannabis. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Still, many New York smokers appreciate the convenience of being able to pop into one of thousands of corner stores and smoke shops across the city for a quick pre-roll, or a presumably authentic pack of Runtz, Jungle Boyz or Cookies cannabis from states like California, Oregon, and Oklahoma.

During the first day of legal sales at Housing Works, the state’s first legal dispensary located in downtown Manhattan, many shoppers said they would be supplementing their legal haul with cannabis from their local deli or legacy provider.

To sort through New York’s sea of strains and brands, we took a bud crawl across the city’s three legal stores, plus a handful of local legacy sellers, and unlicensed shops nearby. Below, we reviewed it all by price, presentation, and quality. Here’s what New York City is smoking in 2023

Rating New York City’s licensed cannabis products

NYC bud crawl map Leafly review cannabis srtains. — New York’s legal weed stores are booming, thanks to incredible products from local licensed brands. Here’s what we found at Housing Works, Smacked Village, and Union Square Travel Agency. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Housing Works

The first stop on our bud crawl was Housing Works, located at 750 Broadway near NYU. We were at the grand opening in December, and keep coming back for brands like Lobo, Florist Farms, and Hudson Cannabis. In this photo, Customers pay cash for legal weed on day one of legal sales at Housing Works. (Meg Schmidt / Leafly)

Venom OG by Lobo

Price: $60 per eighth, $12 per pre-roll
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
How is it smoking?: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

“Lobo’s Venom OG is an indica-dominant strain that comes in understated but classy packaging. The nugs aren’t large or fluffy, and they have significant stems, which contribute to the weight, but not the smoke. Despite breaking down a bit dry, the smoke and accompanying high were smooth and intense. Despite the doubters who are skeptical of NY’s homegrown crop, I was left impressed that this Venom OG delivered on the mid-20s % THC promise.”

Amelia Williams

Best strains to grow in New York this year

Housing Works board member and legacy cannabis operator Daron Hudson shows off his legal Lobo pre-rolls at his dispensary’s grand opening. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

“The Venom OG nugs looked malnourished, but the smoke was rich. Lobo has built a great rep in other states (plus Canada), so its rapid New York takeover is no surprise. So far, Lobo’s flower and pre-rolls are available in all of New York’s legal weed stores. And this Venom OG lives up to the top billing with a mix of piney aromas and sharp chemical funk. The Lobo Minis pre-rolls were a great side dish. They were immaculately rolled, and the flower was above your standard pre-roll in terms of freshness and flavor. The pre-roll packaging also elevated the experience. It’s a collector’s item you’ll want to use as an extra stash box.“

Calvin Stovall

La Bomba by Florist Farms

la bombo strain nyc housing works by florist farms — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $60 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

La Bomba didn’t make me drowsy or too relaxed, and it helped me through the yoga flow while keeping me present and focused. La Bomba was the bomb, but sadly, the bonus pre-roll of RiRi I also grabbed from Florist Farms was not as memorable.

“I brought this sativa-labeled strain with me to a cannabis yoga class for some cerebral stimulation. Wedding Cake and Jet Fuel Gelato genetics come through in the bud density and fuel-forward flavor.” – Amelia Williams (Leafly)

Smacked Village

Purple Punch by Fat Nell

Price: $40 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

“I normally pass on Purple Punch, but this version really impressed me. It was flavorful with berrylicious, astringent grape notes, frosty buds, and good structure. Plus, the moisture, texture, and soothing effects have forever changed my mind on what Purple Punch is capable of. I also appreciate the bag and branding from Fat Nell, a woman-led local brand.”

Amelia Williams

Union Square Travel Agency (USQTA)

Union Square Travel Agency cannabis store in New York (Instagram / @paulfyau) — Our third stop was USQTA, just a few blocks from the first two shops. This is the largest selection on New York’s legal market so far. And a must-visit for NYC tokers who want a preview of the rich landscape of local brands that is ahead. (Instagram / @paulfyau)

oHHo preroll Northern Critical

oHHo Northern Criticall product shot by Leafly. — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly, USQTA)

oHHo preroll Northern Critical

Price: $56 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4.5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (3.5/5)

Prerolls get a bad rap, namely because they often use old trim and bottom-of-the-barrel material. But oHHo’s Northern Critical indica pre roll was pleasantly–not terrible. While it’s less than a standard gram of flower, the joint stayed burned evenly throughout, and the flavor was slightly earthy, with a little pepper. I was hoping for deeper fruity or diesel-laden notes, but the high was on par with 20% THC label.

Amelia Williams

Cinderella 99 by High Falls Canna via Lealfy. — (Leafly / High Falls Canna)

High Falls Canna Cinderella 99

Price: $60 per eighth

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Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

This flower from High Falls surprised me. It only contains 15% THC with 1% CBD, but only a bowl or two were necessary to achieve a nice creative, work-friendly, or video game focus high. The cheesy, skunky flavor of Cindy-99 came through consistently, with nice buds that were forgivably dry, considering the treasured old school buzz.

Amelia Williams

Hudson Cannabis Papa Smurf

Price: $8.85 per .5 gram

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4.5/5)

$10 for a half a gram?! These throwback dime bags are delivered in a mylar bag and stuffed with one fat nug, just like back in the day. Papa Smurf is a sativa-dominant cultivar that delivers a nice heady feeling on first smoke. The bud has decent moisture and structure, and the surface is extra frosty. The aroma was sharp, not fruity or sweet, so I’m guessing there is some diesel heritage in its genetic line.

Amelia Williams

Rating New York City’s legacy cannabis products

NYC bud crawl and illicit market haul — The MRTA bill that legalized weed in New York in March 2021 opened the floodgates for underground pioneers to step to the industry’s forefront. Many of these brands are now in line to launch licensed stores and brands, while others prefer to operate in the gray market. For now, authentic and bootleg versions of the world’s most infamous weed brands are popping up everywhere in NYC. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

From gift shops to private clubs, we smoked 12 legacy strains to see what the tried and true pioneers of New York cannabis have to offer.

Golden Haze by LIZM

Price: $50 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

After smoking LIZM’s Haze, I’d have to agree that they’re bringing classic Haze back. The product was frosty, funky, and fire. The lime-green buds had that light parmesan aroma, and sticky, almost choppy-looking buds that make Haze haze. I tried to make this pack last as long as I could, because I needed so little to get me into a fun headspace for hanging with friends, running errands, or playing my farming simulation computer games. The euphoria is there, the goofiness is there, the little headrush was most welcome. This is my #1 pick out of all the New York flower I’ve enjoyed so far.

Amelia Williams

OG Haze from 770 Monster (via Certz Lounge)

OG Haze from 770 Monster nyc legacy cannabis — The Certz Lounge stamped this pack as authentic Haze from Dyckman. For decades, Dominicans in Harlem owned the Haze trade, and Harlem rappers like Shiest Bubz and The Diplomats popularized the strain nationwide in the 2000s with projects like Cam’ron’s *Purple Haze* (2004). (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $40 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4.5/5)

Real purple haze isn’t purple, it comes with fluffy red hairs that resemble Peggy Bundy’s ’90s hairdo. True Haze heads might end up married with children if they get their hands on this updated reboot of classic NYC genetics.

Calvin Stovall

Legacy cannabis strains from Purp Invaders and The Smoker's Club. — We learn as kids not to judge books by their covers, but it’s hard not to judge Shiest Bubz’ packs by the amazing bags. Bubz has spent decades pioneering packaging like no one else, including bags that resemble Nike Air Force 1s, green aliens, and, in this case, a big middle finger.” – Amelia Williams (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Dex Lauper by Purp Invaders

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4.5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

The middle finger bag’s strain is Dex Lauper, a stoney hybrid that still allows you to function while floating. The bag had a nice gassy nose even after months of sitting in The Smoker’s Club historic catalog. The high was good for playing video games and watching videos or a movie. But definitely not a social weed smoke for me.

Amelia Williams

Grand Slam OG by The Smoker’s Club (pictured above)

Price: $50 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Grand Slam OG carried a strong locker room funk and it smoked just as strong as advertised, considering New York’s Kush God, Smoke DZA, is pictured on the packaging. The nugs were small and kind of distressed but still packed their original punch. Overall, a home run high that will leave any OG-lover wanting more.

Calvin Stovall

Madison Square GUMBO by FlyTrap

Madison Square GUMBO NYC cannabis strain — GUMBO is all over the city. The only question is if you have the real thing. We found everything from Spike Lee-themed bags, to authentic Cookies Madison Square GUMBO packs so far this year. The real GUMBO never disappoints, but we’ve found that many unlicensed stores are throwing the name around fraudulently. They’re stuffing certified boof in bootleg GUMBO bags hoping to ride the brand’s massive wave. So if you’re not buying from GUMBO-stamped legacy sellers in The Bronx, Harlem, or Brooklyn, you could be smoking anything. (Tash Patwary / Leafly)

GUMBO by FlyTrap

Price: $50 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4.5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

The Spike Lee GUMBO pack we got our hands on had that exotic spice that’s makes GUMBO one of the most mysterious but sought after strains nationwide. Soft to the touch, easy to break down, endlessly flavorful, GUMBO’s name will continue to ring on the legacy and gray markets as New Yorkers wait to buy licensed GUMBO packs from Cookies, and GUMBO co-founders Luka Brazi and Alex Major.

Calvin Stovall

Coochie Runtz by Runtz

a display of packaged 8ths, including one shaped like, and depicting, a woman's legs and buttocks — This is the closest thing to authentic Runtz gang products you will find in New York. Secret NYC smoke lounges have marked-up Runtz packs from California and other markets, and the quality is worth the high ticket. From the collector’s-quality bag, to the super-strong Cali-grown product, the only other way for a New Yorker to secure this smoke is to hop on a six-hour flight. (Calvin Stovall/Leafly)

Price: $80 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥💨💨 (3.5/5)

This is solid zaza smoke, another well-grown Lemon Cherry Gelato descendant. No complaints here, besides the price and availability. Just don’t buy Coochie Runtz expecting arousing effects (unless the packaging get the job done for you). But buyer beware, the city is also full of imitation Runtz, like the Munch Runtz reviewed below.

Calvin Stovall

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Knockout by Jim Jones x High Tolerance

Knockout Golden Gloves cannabis by Jim Jones and High Tolerance. — Harlem Rapper Jim Jones’ dark, frosty buds live up to their packaging. They will do exactly as promised and knock you out if you don’t consume with caution. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4.5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)

The buds are fluffy to the touch, but this strong purple flower hits hard from the first pull, and carries an intense high that will put you out for the count if you’re not a heavyweight. Named and branded by Harlem legend Jim Jones, this strong pack is sure to make noise in 2023 as more New Yorkers get their hands on it, and as High Tolerance finds ways to get it into licensed stores.

Mikhail Harrison

Charting Harlem’s long history as a hotbed for cannabis culture

I Can’t Feel My Face by Juelz Santana x High Tolerance

I Can't Feel My Face by Juelz Santana cannabis High Tolerance. — Harlem rapper Juelz Santana’s new “I Can’t Feel My Face” strain is packs a powerful hit of nostalgia that will instantly send even the most seasoned of weed connoisseurs back to their earliest highs. (Dan Reagans / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)

Hard to get, but worth the chase. From the very first pull down to the last drag, this frosty deep purple flower out performs most celebrity weed brands. It was hand picked for a concentrated high that will reset one’s sensory system. Definitely a nighttime strain, and by no means made for beginner smokers. The high price point (73.00 per eighth) should keep beginners away. This hard-to-find flavor is doing numbers in California, but it’s also flooding the streets and weed stores of NYC and the rest of the East Coast. The head-banging experience numbs your mind and takes you back to classic purple exotics of the 2000s, when Santana was buzzing as one of New York City’s hottest artists.

Dan Reagans

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EAST KAPRI by Dave East x High Tolerance

East Kapri by Dave East and High Tolerance — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4.5/5)

Sweet and light. Incredible bag appeal, and a taste and high that live up to the packaging. NYC rapper Dave East released this collaboration with High Tolerance along with another flavor, East Pop. Both packs are fluffy and soft, but Kapri’s petite pillowy nugs are lighter than a feather, and provide an easy fruity smoke that I can enjoy throughout the day while remaining clear and collected.

Calvin Stovall

Gusherz by City Gold

Price: $50 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)

City Gold has a subdued brand identity, but the weed speaks volumes! The Gusherz comes with that piney, diesel smell, plus hints of fruit and dark purple buds. The taste was sharp, even after a week. Good density. Smoked flavorful and stony.

Amelia Williams

This is one of the best strains I had this past year. The rich outdoorsy smell, the slightly fruity taste, and the incredibly powerful effects set the bar so high that it took weeks to find a worthy East Coast pack to follow this one. Not to mention, incredibly professional service from the dispatcher and delivery driver. I will definitely be shopping with this provider again and hope they get licensed by the state ASAP.

Calvin Stovall

White Durban by City Gold

White Durban cannabis by City Gold nyc legacy cannabis — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth

Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (3/5)

The White Durban was supposed to be a Durban Poison cross, but it didn’t really look or smell like a true DP. It’s also unclear where the “white” part of the name originates—maybe White Runtz? It does have that Runtz (LGC) look. My quarter ounce was mostly one big bud. It gave a slightly peppery smoke, and nice heady effects, but true sativa lovers might not love it. But if you want an upbeat hybrid buzz, these buds were enjoyable, fresh, and exemplified good growing practices.

Amelia Williams

Tropicana Cookies by New Amsterdam

Tropical cookies by new amsterdam new york cannabis — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4.5/5)

Legacy growers from New Amsterdam is growing some of the freshest most delicious buds around, and waiting patiently to join the licensed market. These buds smell incredible, and smoke great in the morning leaving a strong orange aftertaste and mind-clearing buzz. After years of perfecting the cultivation and distribution side of NYC’s underground market, New Amsterdam is poised to elevate the licensed market for years to come.

Calvin Stovall

Gorilla Glue #4 by Nature Always Wins

Gorilla Glue #4 by NAW new york cannabis — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

The legacy growers at Nature Always Wins are giving the people what they want with this phenomenal GG4, grown organically in New York. GG4 is the most popular strain in New York, according to Leafly search data. And this bag stands up next to the very best with sour gassy notes and an earthy pine freshness that will satisfy 90s and 2000s era smokers who miss that classic sour funk.

Mikhail Harrison

Rating New York City’s unlicensed cannabis products

Woman holds cannabis bag and pulls out buds in NYC. — New York lawmakers don’t mind the small, underground delivery and private cannabis services that have been feeding the city’s massive demand for decades. But regulators and legacy sellers alike agree that unlicensed stores who pose as legal providers must go. The state’s cannabis office assured Leafly that no law enforcement will target small-time sellers who are operating discreetly and within the MRTA’s rules for possession and consumption. But brick-and-mortar stores, lounges, and trucks that are selling and soliciting in the open are another story. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Within a 10-block radius of Housing Works, we were able to find two stores and three unlicensed sellers that had a wide range of quality, consistency, and price. Here’s how NYC’s unlicensed providers stack up (names have been changed to protect the dank).

Bodegas and Smoke Shops

If you don’t see this stamp on a storefront or packaget, it’s not legal. (Leafly / iStock: 400tmax) — Don’t be fooled by the thousands of “legal dispensaries” popping up across the city. Licensed shops have a QR code and stamp on the outside verifying they have tested and regulated products. (Leafly / iStock: 400tmax)

Bodega weed serves the exact purpose that a bodega does—you get convenient access to a variety of foods and products that aren’t available nearby. But while corner stores are a great place to grab munchies or last second toiletries, you probably don’t want to buy your bud from people who have no experience sourcing or selling the plant. Here’s what we found from unlicensed shops posing as legit dispensaries.

Motor Breath by Jungle Boyz from Smoke Shop

Motorbreath by Jungle Boys illicit nyc nug shot and package — (Calvin Stovall)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (3.5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Dozens of bodegas and smoke shops have white bags of Jungle Boys for between $40-$60. The bags are sealed and have California labels, but there’s no way to know if it’s authentic. The Motorbreath I grabbed on our bud crawl smoked potent, but it wasn’t up to Jungle Boys standards. The nugs lost some of their body and felt light and airy. But I can see this passing the standard for most NYC smokers, especially at this price.

Calvin Stovall

Cereal Milk by Cookies from Bodega

(Courtesy Cookies) — The nearby bodega sells a variety of flower on any given day, in addition to edibles, vapes, and accessories. It’s all cheaper than you’d find at a dispensary and with more options than a medical dispensary. But I can say with confidence, having smoked my fair share of true California Cereal Milk, that this was not it. (Courtesy of Cookies)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🗑️🗑️💨💨💨 (2/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥💨💨 (3/5)

This was not Cereal Milk. The buds didn’t look right. They smelled off too—the smell out of the bag was a lot earlier and more peppery, whereas Cereal Milk is supposed to evoke its namesake—milky, sweet, and a little doughy. That raised red flags. The high was fine, but a bit nondescript. It felt very squarely hybrid. The onset wasn’t too intense and it lasted a decent amount of time. Whatever it was was fine for $40, but it certainly wasn’t Cereal Milk.

Amelia Williams

Seller 1

person texting text message — We saw enough from the bodegas and decided to see what local sellers have to offer. These three sellers had dozens of flavors to complete our haul, giving a full view of what NYC is smoking in 2023. (AdobeStock)

Marathon OG from Seller 1

Marathon OG by The Cure Company — “I loved this pack so much, I had to fly to Cali to get the real thing and compare my illicit pack to The Cure Company’s authentic collaboration with Nipsey Hussle. It wasn’t quite the same quality in terms of freshness and cure timing, but the terps certainly lived up to the brand name.” – Calvin Stovall (Leafly)

Price: $60 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (5/5)

I’m not sure if an East Coast grower got their hands on real Marathon genetics, or if this is a reject batch from the real Cali growers that trickled down to the black market. Either way, it’s the best weed I smoked this year while east of the Mississippi. During a trip to Cali I tracked down the real thing and was surprised how close the packs were in terms of taste and high.

Calvin Stovall

Sour Diesel from Seller 1

Sour Diesel nug shot — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Sour is still alive and well in NYC. Throughout 2023, plenty of sellers and stores are offering reboots of the all-time great. This pack from a local NYC seller had the skunky smell and sour piney taste Sour heads look for. The smoke was also up to par, just not up to par with some of the other Diesel packs floating out there as this NYC fixture continues to spread in popularity nationwide.

Calvin Stovall

Fuel up for NYE on Sour Diesel—December’s Leafly HighLight

The legacy of a true Sour Diesel hangs heavily over New York City. Nowadays, that astringent, gasoline, pine tree palate is hard to find, but we managed. This Sour was a zinger, but I have a hard time remembering anything super exceptional about it. It had a pretty look and nice nose, and it suited my long train ride home for pondering the world.

Amelia Williams

GG4 from Seller 1

GG4 strain photo — Pound for pound, GG4 is New York’s favorite strain, according to Leafly search data. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

On a night out, choosing the right strain sets the tone for the night. GG4 is ideal for a long, social evening for barhopping and dancing. This bud was fresh, and had that gluey, herbal flavor to match its rhythm-inducing effects. Even hours later.

Amelia Williams

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This has been my go-to pack for months. It’s not Zaza, it doesn’t knock me out, and it’s consistently potent. The Sour Diesel in its lineage make this strain destined for dominance in NYC. Add the rich chocolatey notes and chemical burn and you get a flavor and high that will probably never go out of style.

Calvin Stovall

Lamb’s Bread from Seller 1

Lambs Bread from NYC's legacy market. — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥💨💨 (3/5)

It was exciting to track down the classic Jamaican strain that was famous in 90s NYC. But the interesting look (super fluffy orange hairs) and taste (understated earthiness with a hint of pepper) did not culminate in a great high. Looking forward to the breeder who figures out how to reboot these classic genetics with a modern punch.

Calvin Stovall

French Toast from Seller 1

French Toast from NY unlicensed market. — Terribly cultivated and cared for. Visibly unhealthy buds make the semi-sweet smell irrelevant. The terps don’t lie, as the weak aroma foreshadowed a predictably mid-grade high. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🗑️🗑️💨💨💨 (2/5)
Quality: 🗑️🗑️💨💨💨 (2/5)

Rainbow Belts from Seller 1

Rainbow Belts from illicit market — This is the worst case scenario for shopping outside of the legacy or licensed market. Dusty buds with nugs that appear black when they should be purple. Straight to the trash, not even using this to make brownie butter. (Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🗑️💨💨💨💨 (1/5)
Quality: 🗑️💨💨💨💨 (1/5)

White Truffles from Seller 1

White Truffles nug shot illicit nyc strains — Sweet, sticky, and luxurious. White Truffles is great for a date night or intimate moments. Expect to catch the giggles, become more open socially, or even to be slightly aroused with heightened sensitivity. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Bad Apple from Seller 1

Bad apple cannabis strain — Bad Apple is right. These buds were clearly rotten. Despite a decent smell and visible trichomes, we didn’t make it to the bottom of this bag before throwing it out in favor of healthier nugs. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥💨💨 (3/5)
Quality: 🗑️🗑️💨💨💨 (2/5)

Seller 2

photo-of-cannabis-on-a-scale — One NYC seller claimed to have authentic Cali pack. Here’s how the seven strains he grabbed from them were smoking. (AdobeStock)

Apple Monkey from Seller 2

Apple Monkey cannabis strain — This was not the deep purple Apple Monkey I got from the source in Cali last spring. The buds are not as purple, but the high is just as intense as we’ve come to expect. The bags and brand name are showing up across NYC, which means the monkey is on the move nationally and could be on the verge of a licensing deal that would put it in New York markets. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $60 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Boo J’s Sweet Tooth & Gas House from Seller 2

Boo J's Sweet tooth package — While his Apple Monkey raised eyebrows, this seller did appear to have real Boo J products, including Sweet Tooth and Gas House. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Rare review: Pro skater Boo Johnson’s new Laughing Gas strain, powered by Apple Monkey

Boo J sweet tooth — This is your typical dessert strain with an added hint of funk. Expect deeply relaxing vibes and a taste that will make it hard to stop hitting. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Boo J's gas house cannabis strain. — Formerly known as Laughing Gas, the name change was made with respect to Joey Diaz and Zashimi, who have a laughing gas of their own. Gas House balances the indica leaners in the Apple Monkey line with an uplifting diesel funk that is best for daytime and social smokers. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Gas Cream Cake from Seller 2

Gas Cream Cake strain photo — Modern reboots of classic gassy strains are all the rage this year. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Gastro Pop by Compound Genetics debuted in late 2022 as one of many modern reboots bringing classic gas into the new age of exotic dessert strains. Gas Cream Cake hits all the same notes as Gastro Pop, giving both OG and new age smokers a common ground to get high on.

Calvin Stovall

Gary Payton from Seller 2

Gary Payton from NYC's unlicensed market. — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $30 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

This was up there with the very best strains we found in NYC. It came off a plane from Cali, and appears to be authentic GP from the Cookies fam. The trichomes were glistening, the buds were firm, and the smoke stuck to my heads for days. The nugs did not look completely healthy, so this might be a reject batch that didn’t pass testing, but it’s definitely the best case scenario when you consider price and source.

Calvin Stovall

Bruce Banner from Seller 2

Bruce Banner strain photo — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $25 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

There’s no denying that this was some high quality Cali-grown bud. But it took me a while to smoke through this pack because they nugs were clearly distressed and and unhealthy. Not sure if it’s chemicals in the cultivation process, but it didn’t appear, smell, or taste like the best version of Bruce Banner.

Calvin Stovall

Seller 3

Our final provider said they sourced their bud from the city’s top lounge in midtown, plus indoor growers throughout the Northeast. The price were high, but the quality was top of the line. (contentdealer/AdobeStock)

Marshmallow by Kandy Co. from Seller 3

Price: $80 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

I don’t like spending this much on weed, and I really don’t like when it ends up being worth it. This is the highest-end bud you will find in New York City. It literally smells and tastes like marshmallows, and kicks in one of the most intense hybrid highs I experienced so far this year.

Calvin Stovall

LA Beatnik from Seller 3

LA Beatnik from NYC seller, grown in MA — (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $45 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

I was told this came from an elite Massachusetts grower with strong connections in NYC. It’s by far the freshest and stickiest bud on this list, a clear mark of expert curing and peak freshness. Incredible for daytime relaxation, and suitable for nighttime creativity–I look forward to the day when this level of smoke is available in all New York stores.

Calvin Stovall

Yellow Fruit Strips by Lemonnade from Seller 3

Yellow Fruit Strips from nyc illicit market. — This was packaged to look like the best-seller from California’s Lemonnade stores. It seemed authentic, but ultimately wasn’t worth the cross-country mark-up. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $50 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Fire Flower from Seller 3

Fire Flower bag and nug shot — Frosty and dark, this is a perfect nighttime indica. Engineered for binge watching, video game playing, or deep physical and mental relaxation, the sweet grape notes will pull you into a purple wave of deep sleep if you don’t tread carefully. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $70 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Kryptochronic from Seller 3

Kryptochronic strain photo — This is solid smoke, especially for the price. Sharp and sweet with a gassy kick to keep you on your toes, we will keep an eye out for more variations of this indica-leaner that helped with creative work and boosted my appetite. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Price: $35 per eighth
Presentation: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)
Quality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥💨 (4/5)

Munch Runtz from Seller 3

Price: $25 per eighth
Presentation: 🗑️🗑️💨💨💨 (2/5)
Quality: 🗑️💨 💨 💨 💨 (1/5)

Even the most consistent plugs fail sometimes. This struggle pack of Runtz was named after NYC “it girl” Ice Spice, who has fluffy red curls and a hit song called “Munch (Feelin’ U).” Sadly, I wasn’t feeling this strain in the least. The nose is deceivingly strong, buy the touch, taste, and high feel contaminated and left me with a mediocre high and a slight headache.

Calvin Stovall

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This Legacy-era rebel is taking Nuna Harvest to the moon

Published

4 days ago

January 17, 2025

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In just a few months, Nuna Harvest has built one of the best teams in New York cannabis. Owner and legacy-operator Howie Rondinone recently told Leafly how he did it.

New York has always been a city of characters, with every industry from tech to fashion to cannabis full of people with lives that seem to play out like movies. Or, if you’re Nuna Harvest owner Howie Rondinone, your life has been a tv show. More specifically, a mix of Showtime’s Shameless and FX’s Sons of Anarchy.

“I was a latch key kid. I didn’t have a curfew. A lot of weapons in my (childhood) house, a lot of drugs, a lot of bikers, a lot of hippies…gritty but glamorous.”

Howard Rondinone, owner Nuna Harvest dispensary

Howie was born and raised in the Bronx by a German American mother, a hippie “rebel”, and an “outlaw biker” father for whom it was routine to drive his chopper up the six-floor walkup to their apartment and leave it on the fire escape every night. He jokes that he attended all three Woodstock concerts, since his mother went while pregnant with him. It seemed predestined that he would work in the world of weed—legacy, legal, and all things in between.

“My mother saw that I was interested in growing, so she start[ed] teaching me how to grow. Meanwhile, my dad’s got all these illegal grows, and he was importing from Jamaica and Columbia. I’m being nurtured into the retail side of it with my old man. He’s explaining to me how the importation works. And then I’m going with my mom, learning the actual plant. So that was sort of where I started.”

Howard Rondinone, owner Nuna Harvest dispensary

Howie learned the sensibilities needed to navigate a covert business in New York City in the ‘80s, and started dealing cannabis he got from his father at 12 to kids at school, scaling his way up. It was a period ripe for graffiti culture, and weed was an easy way to enter more and more subcultures.

Nuna Harvest dispensary fast delivery to New York and Westchester — Click to order

Despite his extracurricular activities, Howie was a good student, but he was admittedly, “always a money grubber.” As was en vogue at the time, he fell in with the Grateful Dead and Deadhead crowd, following them on tour and providing his services. It was through his mentor that he got an up-close look at importing cannabis from Jamaica, flattening pounds down into the heels of shoes to bring it into Florida.

“From ‘91 to ‘99 I imported cannabis from Jamaica. I started with the shoes. I went all the way up to luggage, shipments of coffee, all kinds of importation. I seen people die. I almost got killed. We all went to jail.”

Howard Rondinone, owner Nuna Harvest dispensary

Again, he doesn’t say any of this with gravitas. C’est la vie, right?

The ‘90s for Howie had three major arcs: running his international cannabis business, reconnecting with his high school girlfriend who’d become his wife and mother of his son Peter, and his cannabis arrests. First in Florida, then in New York; after Howie did his time, he did his best to enter civilian life. He got a normal, W-2 kind of job, and started a community little league for other Bronx children to keep them from following in his path, or worse. But all the while, he was still running his weed side-hustle. Never did he think he’d be able to put his best skills to work on the other side of the law.

It doesn’t look like an Apple store or a med spa. Howie himself has adorned the walls with his artwork, blending portraits of iconic figures like Snoop Dogg with the art style of Keith Harring. There’s an entire hallway dedicated to artwork that Howie and general manager Sherri McGee hope to source from local artists. He’s also the buyer, ensuring that his inventory reflects quality and appeals to the vast spectrum of characters.

Howie’s managerial style comes from his time in the legacy market. Most of his team also hail from the Bronx; some he coached in little league all those years ago. Next year, they hope to build out a lounge and open the space for consumption. But for now, it’s about running Nuna the same way he ran his previous empire.

“I want it to be like a big, warm hug when you walk in. If I could put couches all over the place and let you sit here all day, I would.”

Howard Rondinone, owner Nuna Harvest dispensary

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New York dispensary owners are collaborating for a better future

Published

3 months ago

November 8, 2024

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This coalition of legacy operators is united and ready to thrive in New York’s legal market.

It’s been almost four years since cannabis was legalized for all adults in New York—and two years since the state’s first adult-use store opened. But many of New York’s first licensed dispensary owners are still fighting for a fair shake on the legal market.

To balance the odds, Flower City Dispensary owners Britni and Jayson Tantalo unified the New York Retail Cannabis Association (NYCRA). The NYCRA comprises hundreds of dispensary owners determined to make the most of New York’s historic licensing program. In 2021, the state’s MRTA law put those most impacted by cannabis prohibition first in line for dispensary licenses. But the road to opening has been full of unforeseen challenges.

NYCRA leaders Jayson Tantalo(left), Britni Tantalo(center) and Coss Marte (right) are demanding new regulations and protections for New York dispensary operators. — NYCRA leaders Jayson Tantalo (left), Britni Tantalo (center) and Coss Marte (right) are demanding better regulations and protections for New York dispensary operators. (courtesy of NYCRA)

“The sad truth is that there are only a few operators that were lucky to find success and are profitable so far. A few are just breaking even, and a large share are still at the starting point from over two years ago. It has placed a major boulder on all of our backs and our families.”

Britni Tantalo, Flower City Dispensary owner, Co-Founder & President of New York Cannabis Retail Association

NYCRA co-founder and president Britni Tantalo told Leafly that “stringent marketing and packaging regulations, limited indoor cultivation and canopy capacity, and the early entry of large out of state companies to the market put a burden on local operators.” NYCRA leaders believe the current regulations are stopping locally-owned dispensaries from growing into sustainable businesses.

This year, NYCRA and Leafly partnered to help New York dispensaries navigate the many challenges facing the new legal market. Keep reading to see how we’re helping New York dispensaries bounce back, and reach out to NYCRA to learn more about joining their community of cannabis operators.

The challenges of opening New York’s first adult-use dispensaries

NYCRA leaders advocate for a fair shake from the state. — “When you care about people, you will show up for them, you will fight for them and you will do everything in your power to protect them. It’s just that simple!” Britni Tantalo (far right), owner of Flower City Dispensary and co-founder and president of the New York Retail Cannabis Association. (courtesy of NYCRA)

Of the 463 licenses granted in the first round so far, only 227 are open for business. Another 1,400 or so license applicants are waiting for the state’s approval to open—but it could take until 2026 for all of them to be reviewed.

Many applicants had to secure and pay for their store’s property before receiving their license. That means some have been paying rent on commercial spaces for months without any assurances on when they’d be approved to open, if at all.

The Tantalos waited two years for approval to open Flower City before getting the green light. To make matters worse, they watched unlicensed shops spread like wildfire while they paid rent for a legal shop they couldn’t operate.

“We had to borrow against our homes, borrow from family and friends and/or downsize operations [just] to open a location. It placed everyone in a position of financial constraint and therefore mental and emotional instability.”

Britni Tantalo, Flower City Dispensary

To weather the storm, members of the New York Cannabis Retail Association embrace a philosophy of collaboration over competition.

NYCRA Vice President Jayson Tantalo explains, “We share valuable resources such as business plans, SOPs, along with just emotional support, which have proven essential for licensed operators who may not know where to start.”

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Here’s why hundreds of NY dispensary openings have been delayed

House of Hibernica dispensary outside — After a year of paying for a storefront they couldn’t open, House of Hibernica opened in April and has grown fast in 2024. They’re no offering deliveries to all of the Bronx. (House of Hibernica)

In the Bronx, the House of Hibernica endured multiple delays before finally being cleared to open this April. “It was a whole year from when we applied for the license, to opening,” said Hibernica co-owner Bojan Trpcevski. “We had to have a store so we could apply. Then the injunction happened in 2022. So we were paying rent for a year,” Trpcevski said.

In November 2022, a judge blocked hundreds of stores from opening for six months as part of a controversial injunction. The lawsuit that caused the injunction was filed by an out of state resident who said the program’s social equity requirements violated the US constitution.

Just as the first applicants were being approved to open in 2022, multiple injunctions placed the rollout in jeopardy. Dispensary owners were on the hook for real estate, operations costs, and private investments. Delays compounded as the state’s resources and attention went to the court case. When the first injunctions finally began to lift in May 2023, the plaintiff in one case received a license as part of a settlement agreement. By then, many owners were already 6 months behind their business projections.

Then, this October, a group of unlicensed dispensaries that were shut down for allegedly selling cannabis without a license also took the state to court, and won. They claimed they were put out of business without receiving due process as part of Mayor Eric Adams’ Operation Padlock, which has reportedly padlocked over 1,000 unlicensed shops since kicking off this spring. Last month, a judge ruled that the operation “stands against the cornerstone of American democracy and procedural due process.” The ruling could encourage unlicensed shops to re-open, adding uncertainty for operators as newly-approved stores open almost daily.

Operators like Budega’s Alex Norman have had no time to place their dreams on hold. “I started my brand three years ago in anticipation of an opportunity like this,” Norman told Leafly days after the injunction came down. “But I’m not gonna say it’s gonna stop me.” Over a year after the injunction and still not open, Norman remains dedicated to seeing things through with Budega after decades in the legacy market.

House of Hibernica’s team said they had no idea it would be this difficult when they started the process of applying. “We thought it would be similar to the restaurant business,” Trpcevski said, “because we opened a few before. We didn’t expect that we were going to wait so long, and that every small thing is going to stop the whole process.”

How much is a New York dispensary license worth?

Housing Works board member and owner of Brooklyn Legends Dispensary. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly) — Housing Works board member and owner of Brooklyn Legends Dispensary shows off one of New York’s first legal cannabis purchases: Pre-roll Minis by Lobo— which are still top sellers across the state nearly two years after debuting. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

The unforeseen delays have some license holders thinking about selling equity, or their entire license to the highest bidder. “The valuation is running from $600,000 to $800,000,” according to Daron Hudson, owner of Brooklyn Legends Dispensary, which is licensed and waiting to open. “If you have a location secured, it’s going up to $2,000,000,” Hudson told Leafly this fall.

Hudson is also a board member at Housing Works, New York’s first retail dispensary, which opened in December 2022. But opening his own store has proven much more difficult than getting the well-known nonprofit off the ground.

To help with start-up costs, the state originally promised owners a private equity fund to support store build outs. But the fund failed to launch.

“The access to capital and other resources that were promised to all of us CAURD applicants was simply not there. When you are promised a turnkey dispensary with low interest rates and access to grants from your state regulators, you don’t plan to obtain these things for yourself. When we realized that the promises were not going to be fulfilled anytime soon, if at all, we had no choice but to pivot. Most of us could not find investors because investor confidence was low due to the failed rollout.”

Britni Tantalo, Flower City Dispensary

Now, a new loan fund may provide some relief. But Hudson and other owners have already begun vetting investors who can help them get opened. And they’re finding that these new potential partners have far more leverage than the state’s regulations intended.

“I was part of the Housing Works license, I was the justice involved individual that helped get them the license. But now as an applicant myself, it hasn’t been an easy road. There’s no funding whatsoever. If you don’t have money in a shoe box somewhere, you’re left at the mercy of investors. And they’re bringing you these astronomical terms that are bleeding you out. There’s a sense of urgency to get the doors open. But I have to find somebody that I can trust to do business with for the next ten years.”

Daron Hudson, owner Brooklyn Legends Dispensary

How NYCRA and Leafly are helping New York dispensaries thrive

Leafly is proud to help bring New York dispensary owners new legal customers from across the state. Jayson Tantalo said dispensaries need help creating “brand recognition and demonstrating what legal cannabis looks like here in New York.” That’s why we’re leaning into content and activations that represent the very best of New York cannabis.

Our content partnerships with stores like Good Grades and Trends use the power of Leafly’s strain and product database to help keep shoppers informed about what they’re buying. In-person activations around the state are also helping first-time legal shoppers discover the top dispensaries and cultivators in their area. With the both the state, and federal laws, limiting the ways dispensaries and cannabis brands can advertise, every new customers counts.

“Partnering with Leafly brings tremendous value to our organization. Advertising and marketing are extremely difficult to navigate and complex to understand. By providing this platform to our members. With almost 20 years of experience in search engine optimization, I understand the challenges involved in effectively advertising. The terms being offered by Leafly to our members are particularly valuable because they make customers more accessible.”

Jayson Tantalo, Vice President of NYCRA and co-owner of Flower City Dispensary

Leafly and NYCRA also work closely with store operators to analyze data that improves their performance. We’re going the extra mile to make the cannabis industry accessible for all – including those negatively impacted by the failed war on drugs.

“I had Leafly before the legal industry even started,” said Hudson. “It was for the strains. Back in the legacy era, if somebody was selling me cannabis and said this is purple something, I’d go see what purple is on Leafly.”

Since 2010, Leafly has provided cannabis patients, users, growers, advocates, and researchers with groundbreaking data that’s helped normalize the plant in 38 legal states and over 40 counties. With New York City consuming more cannabis than any other city in the world, the state’s new legal market presents an enormous opportunity for residents and visitors to safely and responsibly support local growers and sellers.

Now let’s get to work!

Click here to find your closest New York legal dispensaries on Leafly.

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Voices of cannabis: Tahir Johnson

Published

2 years ago

April 1, 2023

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This Trenton, NJ native is opening his town’s first adult-use cannabis dispensary later this year.

“My parents have literally seen all three of their sons be arrested for cannabis before … just to be able to change this whole dynamic of what cannabis means for my family and the area is such a blessing.”

Tahir Johnson

After receiving more than 1,000 applications across all license types, New Jersey’s cannabis board awarded its first 11 conditional adult-use retail licenses on May 24th, 2022 — and one of those licenses went to entrepreneur Tahir Johnson. Tahir won a conditional license for his business, Simply Pure Inc., which is located in Trenton, New Jersey.

Tahir also helped lifelong friend and fellow social equity applicant John Dockery receive his own conditional license approval to open a second location. Tahir, who had cannabis-related charges prior to applying, had been closely monitoring the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission for updates on social equity applicants and prospective business owners.

He also consistently advocated for equity in the space. As Tahir was pursuing his dream of becoming a dispensary owner, and while he had his conditional license, he built key relationships and support as he continued to raise capital.

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