The Mobb Deep co-founder and Queensbridge native opens The Bridge in Astoria this weekend, with The Alchemist, Funk Flex and Kid Capri on the bill. He calls it ownership, not an endorsement.

Havoc has repped Queens for more than three decades. This weekend, he plants a flag in it. The Mobb Deep co-founder and Queensbridge native opens The Bridge, a licensed adult-use cannabis dispensary at 25-15 Broadway in Astoria, with a grand opening weekend on June 6 and 7.

What separates it from the usual celebrity cannabis move is the structure. Plenty of artists lend a name to a strain or sign a licensing deal. Havoc is an owner, investing directly in one of the country’s fastest-growing legal markets, in the borough that raised him.

“Hip-hop gave me a platform, but ownership creates a legacy,” Havoc said in a statement. “The Bridge is about building something lasting in the community that raised me.”

The opening doubles as a New York hip-hop reunion. Producer The Alchemist and radio fixture Funk Flex headline Saturday’s reception, with The Alchemist scheduled from 4 to 5 p.m. and Funk Flex from 5 to 7. Kid Capri joins the public opening on Sunday, when doors open at 11 a.m.

The move lands where New York’s market keeps heading, with legacy culture and licensed business colliding in real time. For a borough that helped build East Coast rap, a Queensbridge legend behind the counter of a legal shop is about as full-circle as the new market gets.

Watch Our Conversation With Havoc

High Times sat down with Havoc earlier this year. Watch that conversation below.

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Cannabis has been moving through that underground-to-icon pipeline for decades. So when Patricia Field’s universe collides with a hemp-derived THC beverage on the eve of New York Fashion Week, it doesn’t feel provocative. It feels right on time.

This is, after all, the same creative force behind Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. A stylist who turned fashion into narrative, rebellion into glamour, and excess into language long before any of it was considered respectable.

Highly Anticipated, the limited-edition capsule created with Black Market and four designers from Patricia Field’s orbit, doesn’t treat weed as a novelty or a trend. It treats it as part of the creative bloodstream that has always run through art, nightlife, and fashion. The difference now is visibility.

At the center of the project is a federally legal, hemp-derived Delta-9 THC beverage brand that rejects the idea of cannabis as either vice or gimmick. Built by a team with deep roots in cannabis culture, the brand blends bold design with carefully selected wellness-forward ingredients, positioning itself as a deliberate alternative to alcohol rather than a replacement for it.

Instead of claiming the spotlight, Black Market and the Patricia Field ARTFashion Gallery operate as facilitators, using the product not as a branding exercise, but as a canvas. Each designer was given space, resources, and autonomy to reinterpret the bottle through their own language, materials, and creative processes.

In an industry where collaborations often extract value from creatives without truly supporting them, Highly Anticipated flips the script. It’s not about borrowing edge or aesthetics, but about amplifying independent voices that already exist at the intersection of fashion, culture, and subversion, and letting them be seen on their own terms.

High (on) Fashion

Let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t weed merch.

There are no lazy motifs or wink-wink pot jokes stitched into a hoodie. Instead, each designer was invited to do exactly what they already do best, interpreted through the lens of Black Market—and the experience of being under the influence.

“Each of these artists already came to the table with their own unique process and aesthetic. For example, Free Maison’s predominant materiality is metal, while Wonderpuss Octopus has a signature three-dimensional painting technique that emulates organic lifeforms. Chelle Bee is all sparkle with hand-applied rhinestones, and SSIK is known for her unique use of silicone,” Field explains.

Rather than imposing a look, the brief aimed to be experiential. The artists were encouraged to sample the product and let that guide their process. What emerged reflects both the cannabis experience and each designer’s individual identity.

Here, weed appears as a symbol embedded into material language, not a joke or a shortcut.

Who’s Participating

Free Maison, founded by Jesse Aviv and Tay Dun, reworks ancient chainmail techniques through contemporary ciphering, using anodized aluminum to create lightweight, sculptural garments meant to be worn and collected.

Wonderpuss Octopus, the practice of artist PJ Linden, transforms found objects into meticulously painted, three-dimensional works that blur sculpture, fashion, and organic form—an approach long championed by Patricia Field.

Brooklyn-based Chelle Bee infuses maximalist glamour into the capsule, transforming everyday garments through dense crystal embellishment that treats excess as structure rather than ornament.

SSIK Designs, led by FIT-trained designer Kristina Kiss, channels downtown New York nightlife into experimental silhouettes defined by silicone treatments, garment manipulation, and a DIY ethos born from wearing what didn’t yet exist.

Together, the designers form a capsule that reads less like a collection and more like a shared frequency.

This Isn’t Resistance. It’s Creative Freedom.

Despite arriving amid renewed legislative pressure on hemp-derived THC, Michael Robinson, manager of Patricia Field’s boutique and creative operations, is careful not to frame Highly Anticipated as protest fashion. Creatives, after all, are not strangers to using altered states as gateways to inspiration, and cannabis has quietly occupied that space for centuries.

“Now that cannabis use is legal and destigmatized, they can really let loose and enjoy themselves on whatever that journey looks like for them.”

There’s something quietly radical about that. Not rebellion for rebellion’s sake, but the freedom to create without shame.

Heidi Minx, Chief Marketing Officer of Black Market, acknowledged the broader cultural and regulatory tensions surrounding the project. “The Draconian legislative actions at the end of last year definitely caused a lot of tension, headaches and sleepless nights. But I will allude to the adage that silence is akin to complicity.  Artists have visually expressed dissent against over-control for time-eternal.”

So, if weed suddenly feels fashionable, Robinson argues that it’s not because it became trendy. It’s because the barriers finally cracked.

“Cannabis has been ‘in’ for a long time—but now, finally, people have easy access to it and the freedom to enjoy it because the legal roadblocks have been eased.”

Support for cannabis, he notes, isn’t driven purely by its former taboo status, but by a sense that its prohibition was unfair. After all, in The Land Of The Free, people don’t like unnecessary bans on relatively innocuous things, or restrictions that feel pointlessly punitive.

Before You Buy, Check the Supply

At the same time, there’s a wellness, eco-friendly component at play. Younger generations are increasingly turning away from alcohol and embracing cannabis as a more natural alternative. Those same values—care, sustainability, and accountability—are increasingly shaping fashion itself.

“We work with up-and-coming artists and designers who handmake one-of-a-kind creations using upcycled garments and materials. We also have an extensive vintage department. This shop is a really guilt-free way to enjoy fabulous fashion,” Field says.

Robinson frames it through a familiar fashion reference: “I think Miranda Priestly’s The Devil Wears Prada character summed it up perfectly when she chided Emily for her dismissal of cerulean blue.”

In fashion, nothing exists in a vacuum. The cerulean sweater was never just blue, and hemp is never just a trend. Everything we wear is connected to an invisible supply chain that begins long before the storefront. Farmers need stability. Stores need consistent rules. People need to know their jobs are secure.

Elevating Designers, Without Extraction

One of the most subversive details of Highly Anticipated has nothing to do with THC.

“The Patricia Field boutique is a female-owned, small business that supports emerging creative talent, so that’s where the proceeds will go. You won’t find any executives or shareholders lining their pockets off our partnerships. Our main goal is to highlight these talented individuals and bring awareness to their work,” Robinson states.

In an industry where collaborations often prioritize corporate profitability while creatives receive little recognition, this model stands apart. It’s patronage, not performance.

Asked what Highly Anticipated looks like in practice during Fashion Week, Robinson frames it as a natural extension of Field’s long-standing relationship with artists and subculture: “We’re two separate brands from two separate industries, but like-minded in so many ways that partnering just felt natural and effortless.”

The launch is not conceived as a traditional event. Visitors will be able to meet the artists, acquire their work, and view the customized Black Market bottles as standalone art objects. Participation, not spectacle, is the point.

The collaboration extends beyond garments and into the glass. Black Market will be serving a curated menu of “Hightails”, THC-infused cocktails inspired by each of the designers in the capsule. Each recipe translates materiality, texture, and aesthetic obsession into liquid form: layers, shine, metal, drip, and volume reimagined through color, flavor, and structure. A fully immersive sensory experience.

“We’ve partnered with Black Market on our last two in-store events (Fashion Week & our anniversary) and our clientele really enjoyed it. Fashion people love a party, they love to get high, and they love beautifully designed things. What’s there to hesitate about?”, Robinson states.

‘More Power to You’

For Patricia Field herself, cannabis was never a statement.

“I’d enjoy a joint from time to time, but it was more for relaxation and social enjoyment with friends. I’ve always been a champion of self-expression, experimentation, and creativity, first and foremost —so if you use cannabis in your pursuit of these ideals, more power to you!”

Which, honestly, might be the most Patricia Field answer of all.

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This Green Wednesday, Verilife is celebrating the season by offering a special discount for their medical patients. They’re marking down some of their top products, and that’s not all. On the week of 11/23, medical patients who stop by any New York Verilife location can get a chance to redeem a doorbuster with just a […]

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When Joanne Wilson decided to launch Gotham, her flagship cannabis dispensary in New York City, it wasn’t just another business move. It was the culmination of decades of experience in retail, investing, philanthropy, and culture, and a bold attempt to rewrite the narrative of cannabis in America’s most complicated market.

“I am the founder and CEO of Gotham,” Wilson told me. “And that is one section of my life.”

Sections, indeed. Wilson has been many things: a retail buyer out of college, a media entrepreneur in the early days of New York tech, a prolific angel investor with more than 150 companies backed, and the organizer of women’s entrepreneurship festivals that changed the city’s startup landscape. Her through-line has always been culture, community, and an unshakable instinct for what’s next. Cannabis, she says, was the natural next chapter.

From Angel Investor to Cannabis Entrepreneur

Wilson’s résumé speaks for itself. After investing early in media companies like Eater and Curbed, she became known as the Gotham Gal, a sharp-eyed backer of women, Black, and brown founders. “My mission was to really only invest in women and Black and brown founders,” she explained. “Not that I don’t have a few white men in there, but that was my focus.”

But after 150 investments, multiple boards, and a major conference series, burnout set in. She began thinking about what came next. A call from a friend changed everything.

“They asked me, do you know what’s going on in New York?” Wilson recalled. “At that point, I was thinking, yeah, maybe I’ll open a store. My original career was in retail. I love the immediate understanding of how your business is on a day-to-day basis. I love the interaction with people that work in the stores, the people that come into the stores. I think retail is just great, even though it’s a difficult business.”

So she jumped in, headfirst. “Anything in my career, I’ve never really flushed it out. I just sort of dive in first and then figure out how to get to the top,” she said. “And nothing could be more new than the cannabis industry.”

Redefining the Cannabis Store

For Wilson, Gotham was never going to look like the typical dispensary. She’d traveled across California, visiting shops, unimpressed by the sameness. “Do they have to look like this?” she asked herself. “Why can’t they be for creatures of culture?”

Instead, she looked to global design icons, Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market, and 10 Corso Como in Milan. “All of those stores, you go in and you have an experience,” she said. “One person might be trying on shirts, another buying a piece of art, another spraying cologne, another grabbing a gift for dinner. Why can’t cannabis be like that?”

At Gotham, it is. The store features a curated gallery supporting emerging artists, events like slam poetry nights and collaborative art projects, and a private label line that reflects the brand’s curated aesthetic. Customers may leave with a pre-roll, a candle, or a fashion accessory. Some don’t buy cannabis at all. “We sell a lot of fragrance and candles,” Wilson said. “We have some customers that come in and they don’t even buy cannabis, they just buy merchandise. It’s such a different retail environment.”

Culture, Community, and Frustration

If Gotham is a beacon of culture, it also exists inside one of the most chaotic regulatory landscapes in the country. Wilson doesn’t mince words about her frustration with New York State’s rollout.

“The biggest frustration is the absolute government incompetence,” she said. “They wanted to put a social slant on it, but the way they did it is the exact opposite. What they have done is create systemic racism all over again. I find it really reprehensible.”

For Wilson, the solution is simple: real jobs, with real benefits. “The only way to change people’s trajectory is to give them a good job with good pay, insurance they don’t have to pay into, an IRA, and the opportunity for upward mobility. It’s pretty simple stuff.”

She’s also outspoken about enforcement against illicit operators. “If New York really got rid of every single illegal store, including underground delivery businesses, how much tax revenue would come back to the state?” she asked. “Not only would it change the trajectory of dispensaries and farms, it could fill the hole in the $4 billion gap in New York City’s budget.”

A Lifelong Relationship with Cannabis

Wilson’s personal history with cannabis stretches back decades. “I basically started getting stoned in eighth grade,” she said, laughing. “I remember being at a party and thinking, Why is this illegal? It made no sense. Even then, I knew it was going to change.”

She kept smoking daily through high school, “probably self-medicating,” she admits, and remained a regular consumer until raising her kids made access less convenient. Today, she still prefers a joint, though she enjoys gummies too. “I think everybody should get stoned,” she said. “It changes your attitude, gives you an adjustment in terms of taking it down a notch. And so, yeah, I love getting stoned.”

Building Gotham’s Team and Inventory

Launching Gotham meant hiring under pressure. “After a year of talking to multiple people for certain jobs and never pulling the trigger because I didn’t have the license, suddenly someone says, You’re going to get your license in four weeks. And I thought, holy sh*t, I have to hire people now,” Wilson recalled.

Her longtime collaborator, Alexandra O’Daly, with her for 15 years, became Gotham’s number two. Together, they’ve built a strong executive team and a diverse staff. “It’s a great community and a really great executive team,” Wilson said.

Inventory is just as carefully curated. “From the cannabis perspective, Mary is our buyer and she keeps a very tight ship,” she explained. “One thing that is really important to the Gotham community is diversity. We’re always looking for BIPOC brands, women-led brands, and different types of brands in line with our aesthetic.”

The Gotham Consumer

So who shops in Gotham? “Any person in New York who wants to have their finger on the pulse of culture,” Wilson said. That might mean a 21-year-old FIT student or a 45-year-old music executive. “Everybody should have that high-end hospitality experience when they come into a store,” she added.

And while she predicted pre-rolls would dominate, the numbers have evened out across flower, joints, and vapes. “There’s nothing that’s so tilted out of the box,” she said. “What’s interesting is people are always looking to try something new. Some customers return several times a week.”

Fashion, Art, and the Next Wave

Wilson has long been plugged into the fashion world, and Gotham reflects that. The store carries designers like KHAITE and Grace Ling, alongside Japanese streetwear staples such as Porter. At one runway show, she recalled, “their models were smoking on the runway. We just got written up in Women’s Wear Daily, and when we showed up backstage, all the models were screaming, ‘Oh my god, Gotham is here.’”

It’s all part of what she sees as Gotham’s mission: to be a hub where cannabis intersects with art, design, and community. “We try to create a real community internally as well as externally,” she said.

Hard Truths and Advice for Entrepreneurs

Despite Gotham’s success, Wilson doesn’t romanticize the business. “This is the hardest business I have ever seen in my life,” she admitted. “Don’t open a dispensary and take anyone’s money. It’s so difficult to operate, with so many layers.”

Her advice to young entrepreneurs: start small, get experience, and don’t rush. “Work for some of the dispensaries, work for some of the brands, get your feet on the street, and see what it’s all about. Decide which area you want to be in. This industry is just starting, and we’ll see massive change in the next five to ten years.”

A Gotham Future

Wilson still imagines an ideal world where cannabis retail in New York looks more like Paris: “You could have a cup of coffee, come back at night for a martini, smoke a joint, and listen to a book reading. All these cultural touch points are so important, particularly in this city.”

Whether or not the laws catch up, Gotham is already proving that cannabis retail can be more than transactional. It can be cultural. It can be stylish. It can be a community.

Or as Wilson put it, “Retail will never go out, ever. People want engagement; they want places that make them feel good. And that’s what Gotham is about.”

Photo courtesy of Joanne Wilson

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A New York Supreme Court judge has granted a preliminary injunction that protects more than 150 licensed cannabis dispensaries from being forced to relocate or shut down after the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) abruptly changed how it measures distance from schools.

The decision is the first major victory for a coalition of operators, including ConBud, The Cannabis Place, Summit Canna, Hush, High Fade, Housing Works Cannabis Co., and Common Courtesy Dispensary. They sued the OCM in August after regulators admitted what they called a “measurement mistake.”

The Injunction

Signed by Judge Savona, the order blocks the OCM from enforcing its new interpretation and requires the agency to return to its March 2024 guidance, which had been vetted with community input.

The injunction runs through Feb. 15, 2026, covering all license renewal applications due before that date as well as new applications filed by existing licensees. The order can be extended, offering businesses breathing room as the case proceeds.

“This preliminary injunction is a critical safeguard for more than 150 compliant, tax-paying dispensaries across New York,” said Jorge Luis Vasquez Jr., attorney for the petitioners. “The Court has ensured stability while the broader issues are litigated.”

Equity Concerns

The dispute began in July when the OCM said dispensaries must be 500 feet from a school’s property line rather than entrance-to-entrance, as regulators had applied since 2022. That reinterpretation instantly left 152 shops out of compliance.

Nearly 90% of the affected dispensaries are Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees, owned by justice-involved individuals, many of them Black and Latino.

“Disrupting operations at this scale not only harms law-abiding businesses but also drives consumers back to the illicit market, where untested products put public health at risk,” said Matthew Bernardo, president of Housing Works, Inc.

Osbert Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place, called the ruling “a unique opportunity for Governor Hochul to lead the legislative solution and resolve this matter in an equitable manner that will save thousands of legal cannabis industry jobs throughout the state.”

What’s Next

The injunction does not end the lawsuit. It shields operators who have invested heavily in leases, buildouts, and community trust from the sudden threat of closure. The case now moves forward as lawmakers face growing pressure to deliver a permanent fix.

For now, more than 150 dispensaries across the state can keep serving customers without disruption. Equity licensees and the communities they serve have won a temporary reprieve.

And speaking of New York cannabis, there are still a few days left to sign up for the High Times Cannabis Cup: People’s Choice Edition 2025. All products must be licensed by the OCM and fully compliant with state rules. Judging begins October 21. Unlike the OCM, we measure in vibes, not property lines.

Photo by Keith Luke on Unsplash

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A group of licensed cannabis dispensaries in New York is suing state regulators over a rule change that threatens to shutter or relocate dozens of businesses.

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 15 in State Supreme Court in Albany, argues that the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) abruptly reinterpreted a law requiring cannabis shops to be at least 500 feet from schools. Since 2022, regulators measured that distance from one entrance to another. In July 2025, officials said the law should have been measured from a school’s property line, a correction that rendered at least 152 dispensaries noncompliant according to the New York Times and the Associated Press.

Who Is Suing

The twelve petitioners include seven licensed businesses that are open or fully approved (ConBud, The Cannabis Place, Summit Canna, Hush, High Fade, Housing Works Cannabis Co., and Common Courtesy Dispensary) and five provisionally licensed applicants, Rezidue, Elise Pelka, Toastree, Monarch NYC, and Luxe Leaf Boutique. The businesses span Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx, as reported by Cannabis Business Times.

The Lawsuit’s Arguments

The complaint states that regulators “poured their life savings into launching their businesses” after approvals from the state, only to be told their locations are now in violation. Petitioners say OCM changed its interpretation of the law without a formal rulemaking process, violating the State Administrative Procedure Act. They also argue that the change strips them of due process and equal protection.

“Relying on those approvals, petitioners poured their life savings into launching their businesses,” the complaint says. “They signed leases, completed build-outs, hired employees and opened their doors to the public under the state’s very detailed framework. But now, in a complete about-face, OCM incredulously claims it got the law wrong all along.”

Attorney Jorge Luis Vasquez Jr., who represents the plaintiffs, said the harm goes far beyond money. “This is way more than just financial harm to small businesses,” Vasquez told Gothamist. “This goes beyond money. This is time. This is resources. This is energy. This is building relationships with communities.”

The Stakes

State officials acknowledged the mistake affects 108 licensees and 44 provisional applicants. The OCM has told licensed businesses they can stay open for now, but cannot renew licenses until lawmakers act. Provisional applicants will need to relocate, with access to a $15 million fund that offers up to $250,000 each, according to Gothamist and the AP.

For many dispensary owners, that relief falls far short. The lawsuit cites buildout costs between $500,000 and $1 million per business, plus millions more in operational expenses. Several plaintiffs signed personal guarantees on leases, creating a risk of bankruptcy if they are forced to move, Cannabis Business Times reported.

Equity Concerns

Eleven of the twelve plaintiffs hold conditional adult-use retail dispensary (CAURD) licenses, reserved for justice-involved New Yorkers, and one holds a social and economic equity license. Plaintiffs argue the rule change undermines the state’s promise to prioritize those harmed by prohibition.

“OCM’s reinterpreted rule disproportionately harms these stakeholders and licensees and undermines the very purpose of this law,” the complaint states.

In a joint statement sent to High Times, the coalition Save New York Legal Cannabis for All said that licensed cannabis operators “have worked in good faith, invested their life savings, and followed the rules set forth by the State.” The group, which includes ConBud, The Cannabis Place, Rezidue, Summit Canna, Hush, High Fade, Elise Pelka, Housing Works Cannabis Co., Common Courtesy Dispensary, Toastree, and Monarch NYC, warned that OCM’s announcement threatens the small business owners and equity licensees who form “the backbone of this industry.”

“OCM was supposed to follow a multistep process laid out by law before making such an earth-shattering determination, yet it completely failed to do so,” the statement reads. “Worse, OCM’s proposed ‘solution’ to the damage caused by its carelessness will not actually help us. This so-called solution… still leaves licensees out of compliance, and when a cannabis business is out of compliance, it cannot access banking, real estate, or investment—no matter what the state says.”

The coalition said the lawsuit was filed “to ensure every licensed operator is protected and given a fair path to compliance and success,” and called on lawmakers to adopt a “functional solution that includes all operators, safeguards investments, and fulfills the promise of a truly equitable cannabis program that benefits all New Yorkers.”

State Response

OCM Acting Executive Director Felicia Reid apologized to affected businesses and said legislative intervention is needed to allow them to remain in place, according to the New York Times. Gov. Kathy Hochul called the error “a major screw-up” and promised to work with lawmakers to keep dispensaries open. A spokesperson for Hochul told Gothamist the governor “has been clear that she will work with the Legislature to ensure these hardworking businesses are able to continue to operate without interruption.”

Despite the turmoil, New York’s regulated cannabis market is expected to reach $1 billion in sales this year. But with hundreds of equity-focused businesses now facing relocation or closure, industry leaders warn that the proximity dispute could further destabilize an already rocky rollout.

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

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In just a few short years, Revelry NYC has become the cannabis event where New York’s culture, commerce, and community converge. This year, it’s taking over Pier 36 in Manhattan on September 12–13, 2025, and according to co-founder Lulu Tsui, it’s bigger, more inclusive, and more dialed-in than ever.

As the Chief Experience Officer for On The Revel, Tsui has spent years designing events that bridge the gap between New York’s rapidly evolving cannabis industry and the community that sustains it.

“We create spaces, trade shows, events, and industry nights specifically for the cannabis industry,” Tsui told me. “To gather good people who are working in the industry, interested in the industry, and who want to support the community.”

Roots in Community, Not Just Commerce

Lulu’s story starts far from the Manhattan waterfront. Her family immigrated from northern China to Eugene, Oregon, in the late 1970s, a place she describes as “a little hippie college town that hasn’t changed since the ’60s.”

The people who helped her family adjust to life in America were cannabis growers and distributors. “I was just raised by aunties and uncles that had a very different viewpoint towards cannabis and psychedelics,” she said. This was in stark contrast to her “super hardcore communist dragon” parents, who, like many Chinese immigrants, were hesitant and still saw cannabis simply as “drugs.”

That early exposure shaped her belief that “community and how you talk about it, how you work with it, can change hearts and minds in such a huge way.”

Her first cannabis experience came at 13, facilitated by her aunt, followed by an equally intentional introduction to psychedelics from her uncle. “It’s not a taboo thing. It’s not a scary thing. It’s a healing thing.”

Photo: Angie Vasquez

Designing Experiences Like No One Else

Tsui and her co-founder, Jacobi Holland, approach event production like UX designers. “We’re the most annoying group to work with because we talk through the flow for every interaction,” she laughed. “From sponsors and exhibitors to attendees and speakers, we design based on what people need.”

They also have the rare advantage of having worked as operators themselves, Tsui in the Washington State market, Holland in Colorado, bringing firsthand understanding to every decision. “Would you have a shoe designer design a shoe if they’ve never worn shoes before?” she asked. “We know the challenges operators face.”

The team behind Revelry reads like a cross-disciplinary dream roster:

• Jason Starr, a human rights lawyer and co-author of New York’s MRTA legalization bill.
• Peter Marcato, neuroscientist and head of community and content.
• Gerald Dean, a veteran of sales and trade show production.
• Saki Fenderson, producer, activist, and longtime community organizer.
• Delilah Ware is, fresh graduate of LIM College’s Cannabis Program.

Photo: Erica Harris

For Tsui, diversity goes beyond surface appearances. “Diversity is your personal background, education, life story, religion, all of those things. We have multi-dimensional humans who all believe in being of service.”

From a Gym Basement to Pier 36

Revelry’s first trade show took place in early 2023 in the basement of a gym. Even then, the formula clicked: 60 exhibitors, 44 of the state’s 60 licensed dispensaries, and a lot of handshakes.

Now, with their sixth trade show approaching, the scale has exploded. This year’s Buyers’ Club will feature 200+ legal New York cannabis brands and over 400 retailers.

“We’re calling it the New York Hunger Games,” Tsui joked. “There’s always chaos in the headlines, but what we’re trying to do is highlight the people who are still pushing forward as best as they can.”

A Lineup as Bold as the City Itself

This year’s Revelry Festival stage is stacked with talent that embodies New York’s unmatched cultural energy. Black Thought brings lyrical mastery, while Angel & Dren infuse the waterfront with their genre-bending DJ sets. Phony Ppl will deliver their signature blend of soul, R&B, and hip-hop, joined by the culinary creativity of Chef Nikki and the Latin-inspired sounds of Dos Flakos. Scottie Beam takes the mic for a keynote conversation, and Eagle Witt brings the laughs with his sharp comedic edge.

It’s a lineup that reflects exactly what Revelry stands for: the seamless blend of serious industry connections with the art, music, and flavor that make New York a global icon.

Building on the success of May 2025’s Buyers’ Club, which drew 1,800+ attendees and connected 300+ buyers with 160+ brands, this September’s festival is set to further cement New York’s role as a cannabis powerhouse.

Two Days, Two Experiences

Day 1 – Friday, Sept. 12: Industry-Only Buyers’ Club

This is all about business. “Ninety percent of our attendees are buyers,” Tsui explained. “You’re talking to the decision makers who can give you a purchase order or become a hot lead.”

Day 2 – Saturday, Sept. 13: Revelry Festival

When the doors open to the public, the vibe shifts from trade show floor to full-blown cultural celebration. Music, food, live art, and consumer education panels set the tone for a uniquely New York experience.

This year’s programming includes:

• Consumer Education & “Keeping It Real” Brand-Building panels
• OG New York Legacy Strain Stories
• A Psychedelics Panel previewing On The Revel’s January psychedelic conference
• Keynote interviews with Scotty Beam and Black Thought
• Live performances from Phony Ppl, Angel + Dren, Dos Blacos, and more surprise guests

And yes, Tsui is trying to bring in roller disco.

Navigating Stigma and Winning Over Venues

Landing a venue like Pier 36 is not as simple as signing a contract and mailing in a deposit. For Tsui and her team, it can be a year-long process of building trust, answering concerns, and proving that a large-scale cannabis event can run as smoothly and as safely as any other major cultural gathering in New York City.

“It usually takes me and the team a year to get sign-off for a festival this large,” Tsui said. While sales managers at potential venues are often excited about the idea, the final decision-makers can be more cautious. “We’re still dealing with that stigma, what about the children, there’s going to be crime, all of those misconceptions,” she explained.

Overcoming that hesitation requires more than just promises. Revelry leans on a proven track record: years of hosting high-profile, incident-free events, maintaining clear communication with venue partners, and leaving every location in better condition than they found. This level of professionalism has not only earned them repeat invitations but also allowed them to secure spaces that are rarely, if ever, used for cannabis-related gatherings.

By combining transparency, meticulous planning, and genuine respect for their hosts, Tsui and her team are showing New York and the rest of the country that cannabis culture can be celebrated openly, responsibly, and with the same level of polish as any top-tier music festival or industry convention.

New York Cannabis Culture: Quiet but Powerful

Unlike California, where cannabis can be a loud part of personal identity, Tsui says most New Yorkers consume quietly. “Everybody I know consumes weed, they’re just not loud about it. It’s part of their creative process, their hiking trip, their meditation, their breathwork.”

Part of Revelry Festival’s mission is to grow the “addressable consumer market” by making cannabis as integrated into lifestyle culture as food, music, and art.

Not Just Another Trade Show

Trade show fatigue is real, but Tsui believes Revelry thrives because it’s more than a convention center with booths. “We don’t see things as transactions. We’re very rich in culture, community, and industry currency.”

Her team listens closely to feedback after every event and experiments with new ideas, even if they might fail. “Most of the time it hits. Sometimes it doesn’t. But no one’s pointing fingers.”

This openness to iteration keeps the event fresh, and the mix of business-first focus on Day 1 and community celebration on Day 2 ensures that both sides of the industry get value.

The Bigger Picture

Tsui envisions a future where cannabis events in New York are as culturally embedded as art fairs and music festivals. “Let’s do what New York does best with culture. Let’s bring the food. Let’s bring music. Let’s bring good vibes. Let’s bring cannabis.”

By carefully curating both the brands that exhibit and the audience that attends, Revelry NYC has become a trusted platform for genuine connection between legacy and legal operators, between industry insiders and consumers, and between cannabis and the broader cultural fabric of the city.

Revelry NYC 2025 At a Glance

Location: Pier 36, Manhattan

Dates:

• Friday, Sept. 12 – Industry-only Buyers’ Club (Brands, Cultivators, Processors, Retailers, Microbusinesses, Licensed Operators)
• Saturday, Sept. 13 – 21+ Public Revelry Festival

Highlights:

• 200+ Legal NY Cannabis Brands
• 400+ Retailers & Buyers
• Consumer Education & Brand Panels
• OG Legacy Strain Stories & Psychedelics Discussions
• Live Performances & Surprise Guests

As I wrapped up our conversation, Tsui reminded me:

“We’re just trying to create spaces for people to gather, and I think we’re pretty good at it.”

For anyone invested in the future of New York cannabis, whether you’re a brand, buyer, advocate, or consumer, Revelry NYC isn’t just another date on the calendar. It’s where the state’s cannabis culture comes to life.

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