PharmaCann New York Launch
A date night for due dilly.
As a New York State resident and cannabis enthusiast, I’ve been looking forward to the legal market launch for a long time. That wait finally ended in March, 2021.
Three years later and last Friday night, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the PharmaCann New York Launch at The House of Cannabis in NYC…
…as they hosted CUARD licensed operators, budtenders, friends and adult-family for a wine flower tasting for the ages. Five floors, each with numerous nooks and crannies, showcased a delicious assortment of cannabis brands—flower, pre-rolls, vapes, drinks (with edibles as garnishes). “All of this,” I thought to myself, “in New York City.”
I’ve known Brett Novey, CEO of PharmaCann, for a number of years now. We would see each other at industry events and our conversations were always thoughtful. I also found him to be quite likeable, which isn’t always a given for a Cannaland CEO.
I was aware of the inherent tensions in the New York market. In the three years since cannabis was made legal, this budding industry has been bogged down in bureaucracy as the illicit market flourished with more than 1500 illegal dispensaries.
Many pioneers in the NY legal market saw their once promising passion morph into an aggravating plight. People were pissed, money was lost and lawsuits were filed.
Registered Operators (MSOs) were portrayed as the villain in some circles but I don’t believe that’s fair. They didn’t butt-fumble the rollout and they aren’t to blame for the proliferation of unsafe and unregulated competition on almost every corner.
As my wife and I indulged in further due diligence and watched the night take shape, it occurred to me that the drama was less about ‘us vs. them’ and more about ‘we and how,’ as in, ‘we both know the illicit market is the true enemy—how can we both win?’
As the smoke cleared filled the space, there was more than just reconciliation in the air—there seemed to be a sense of collaboration. And why not? If the goal is to get the best quality cannabis products to eager consumers at the lowest possible price—and take share from the illicit market, with or without storefronts—it’ll take a village.
Now again, not all operators are created equal—there are bad apples in every orchard, much less one that is still federally illegal—but you can learn a lot about someone and the company they lead by watching what they do and why they do it.
It’s no secret the last three years have been a shit show for the cannabis industry, not just in New York—though especially in New York—but for the entire industry, and by that I include the publicly-traded stuff, the state-level programs and everyone who is trying to launch our inside-out U.S. legalization* the right way.
The lucky ones are still around, some barely and most bitter; this industry has taken a pound of flesh and then some to get to the starting gate. Getting anyone to focus on a non-revenue generating endeavor given the carnage in the space is a big ask. Having someone blow away expectations because it’s the right thing to do is something else.
We and How
Weldon Angelos + Mission [Green] have been fighting the good fight for people who can’t fight for themselves for a long time and I’ve had the opportunity to work closely in support of his efforts for the last several years. This is important work.
After SAFE Banking failed in December 2022, Weldon got a call from a U.S. Senator who asked him why the cannabis industry couldn’t agree on a single ask? Different companies with different agendas lobbied for different things without a consistent or coordinated effort or strategy.
As he told me this on January 4th after I got back from a family trip, I asked him why we couldn’t just build upon Mission [Green]-Verano program that was so successful in 2022—efforts that helped Luke Scarmazzo finally find justice—and roll that out across all operators nationwide?
He asked me if that was possible? I said, ‘why not?’
Not everyone was receptive. Some were receptive in principle but not so much in practice. And the truth is that I had no idea how involved this project would become, or how technical it would get, before we could actually get something up and running.
I don’t recall precisely when I asked Brett if this was something they would consider but I remember how surprised I was by how quickly he responded. There wasn’t even hesitation, he believed in the cause and he said that they would support the program.
PharmaCann’s operational footprint spans eight states (MI IL CO OH NY MA MA PA) through 55 operational dispensaries + 11 active facilities. They’re an industry force, just one that hasn’t come public yet, and in our continued efforts to achieve critical mass to allow people to be the change they hope to see, this was no small get.
A man of his word, Brett had the round-up program up-and-running in Q4 as part of a six-month commitment and they didn’t just do it, they really did it.
Late last month, Weldon and I received an email. The PharmaCann team let us know that they raised nearly $150,000 for Mission [Green] thus far and they also decided to extend the partnership for an additional term.
They didn’t have to do this. Nobody was watching. But they did. And that says a lot.
Stars of the Evening: PharmaCann’s family of all-star canna brands + products.
THC for You and Me: Sights and Scenes from 1/20/24
It was an amazing night, one that reminded me of the power of this plant + my belief in people. It was barely 10PM when turned to collect my wife so we could catch an Uber for our hour-trip home to the burbs but as usual, she was one step ahead of me.
Enjoy your night, be safe and please enjoy responsibly.
If you’d like to help Mission [Green] change federal cannabis policies, please click here.
CB1 has positions in / advises some of the companies mentioned and nothing contained herein should be considered advice.
Great article Todd. Lots of good people out there, doing good things.