From legacy to legal, Uncle Budd NYC has officially entered the New York recreational cannabis market. After dealing with a fair share of obstacles along the way, the brand is back on track. The legacy Black-owned brand has partnered with Omnium Canna to manufacture licensed products that will soon be available in legal dispensaries.
Uncle Budd NYC x Omnium Canna Partnership
Though thousands of illicit weed brands have popped up in NYC in the past couple of years, Uncle Budd NYC was undoubtedly a stand-out. The brand garnered media attention for its vibrant buses and its loophole method of “selling” cannabis. Instead of selling cannabis for money, which is illegal without a license, Uncle Budd gifted their cannabis in exchange for a small donation. This donation goes back to the legacy market, supporting the community that has been uplifting the scene for decades.
“We’re trying to keep them alive by enabling them to thrive. They’re the original cannabis community that has been doing this successfully for decades and they want to keep doing it,” Uncle Budd founder Craig Sweat told Benzinga.
Sweat was a victim of the War on Drugs, serving 21 years in prison from 1995-2016; the feds claimed he was selling drugs as part of a big criminal enterprise, but he maintains his innocence. A few months after New York legalized adult-use cannabis in March 2021, Sweat opened his first weed truck in Harlem. This quickly expanded to a dozen trucks around the city; all of which have since been confiscated by the police, along with Sweat receiving a heavy fine. Afterward, Uncle Budd rolled out an UberEATS-style delivery app. The app has since been shut down as they transition into the legal market.
History in the Making
This partnership is not only exciting due to Uncle Budd’s anticipated presence in the legal market, but also because history is being made. Uncle Budd is the first Black-owned cannabis brand in the New York recreational cannabis market. Meanwhile, Omnium Canna is the first licensed minority-owned weed processor and extractor in the country.
“This partnership is more than just a business deal. It is a statement of our commitment to equity and justice in the cannabis industry. We are proud to work with Omnium Canna to bring our vision of a more inclusive and equitable cannabis industry to life,” Sweat also told Benzinga.
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