California-based cannabis firm The Parent Company announced on Monday the launch of RCVRY, a new brand co-founded by professional esports player Nordan Shat, aka FaZe Rain. Created in partnership with The Parent Company’s Caliva premium cannabis brand, RCVRY will open early access to the brand on Monday, September 12th at 1:00 PM. The first 33 entrants will receive guaranteed access to RCVRY’s launch products, limited-edition brand swag and VIP privileges at RCVRY’s upcoming launch event in West Hollywood. 

RCVRY is a cannabis brand created to support a lifestyle focused on wellness and creativity. FaZe Rain was inspired to begin the RCVRY project following his difficult recovery process from severe nerve damage, when cannabis became an important piece of his well-being. The launch will include limited drop eighths of the “Rainz Runtz” strain, which was hand-selected by the RCVRY team in collaboration with The Parent Company (TPCO). The strain gives off a faint berry-like smell and is part of the same lineage as the Zkittles and Gelato phenotypes, the brand reports. Rainz Runtz will be available in limited quantities exclusively at Calma dispensary in West Hollywood and will not be available for delivery.

“When I started my journey with cannabis back in 2015, I had very little knowledge on the different strains and experiences available to consumers. As I learned more about the space, I saw a need to further the potential of the industry by helping to advance the mainstream acceptance of cannabis,” Shat said in a statement from The Parent Company. “RCVRY was created to further that goal and change opinions on cannabis while providing a consistent source of top-tier flower to all RCVRY community members. We are focused on delivering the cleanest cannabis possible to our consumers.”

Esports Star and Brand Founder

Shat is the co-founder of the popular esports and entertainment organization, FaZe Clan, which he founded with Quinn “The Wizard”, Yonatan Hagos and Erick Kahn. The Parent Company CEO Troy Datcher said that FaZe Clan, a lifestyle and media platform rooted in gaming that has garnered more than 500 million followers across social media platforms, will help extend the reach of the new brand. FaZe Clan’s roster of content creators, esports professionals, and world-class gamers includes Kyler Murray, LeBron James Jr., Offset, Snoop Dogg and more.

“We are thrilled to partner with Nordan Shat, aka FaZe Rain, and the RCVRY team, who share our passion for the plant,” said Datcher. “The FaZe Clan brings an immense audience, and our collaboration represents a prime opportunity to unlock the synergy between gaming and cannabis communities. My priority continues to be optimizing our portfolio of high-quality, authentic brands, and our partnership with RCVRY is another strong addition to our roster.”

Cannabis retailer Calma West Hollywood will host a meet-and-greet appearance on Saturday, September 17th from 1:00-4:00 PM with Shat and friends to celebrate the launch. At the event, Shat will interact with customers while offering limited-edition merch giveaways and the opportunity to experience an onsite photo booth.

The new RCVRY product features a QR code that will provide customers access to a survey contest featuring questions about the esports star. The winner will receive the chance to hang out with Nordan and friends at a private L.A. location after the event. The event is open to consumers 21+ (or 18+ with a medical recommendation). All profits made from the launch will be donated to “peer-to-peer” recipients in need of financial assistance, with the objective to promote natural and healthy living.

New Brand for The Parent Company

Datcher wrote in an email to High Times that the new collaboration is in line with The Parent Company’s strategy to create authentic brands, adding that RCVRY is “a strong addition to our brand portfolio.”

“During my first meeting with Nordan, I was incredibly moved by his story but also inspired by his commitment to the plant and understanding of the benefits of cannabis,” he said.

Although he is keen on those benefits, Shat doesn’t necessarily see his cannabis use as medical, saying in a virtual interview that “I enjoy cannabis recreationally because the plant helps me feel more like myself.” Consistent with the RCVRY brand’s initial product offering, Shat says that smoking is his favorite way to consume cannabis.

“When it comes to cannabis, I prefer smoking flower,” he said. “That is why we worked with TPCO to find the best flower for RCVRY that my team would love and we hope the people love it too.”

Although he kept mum on any additional celebrity collaborations that might be in the works, Datcher teased some new initiatives to strengthen The Parent Company’s portfolio of brands.

“We’re about to embark on a very exciting period for The Parent Company and its portfolio of brands, including updates to our current product lines and expanding our partner brand offerings,” he said. “Our commitment to our consumers remains strong, and we will continue to collaborate with partners who have true connections to the cannabis community to bring safe, high-quality, and authentic products to market through our owned retail channels as well as third-party retail partners.”

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New York regulators on Monday awarded 15 licenses for adult-use cannabis processors, a key step in the path to the launch of legal recreational marijuana sales slated for later this year. New York’s Cannabis Control Board issued the licenses to businesses already licensed as cannabinoid hemp processors, giving the businesses the opportunity to function as an integral facet of the state’s fledgling regulated marijuana industry.

“Processors aren’t just an important part of the cannabis supply chain, they are creators, who take a raw plant and transform it into tested, consistent, high-quality products that consumers can trust,” Tremaine Wright, chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said in a statement quoted by local media. “When we open New York’s first stores, owned and operated by New Yorkers harmed by the misguided criminalization of cannabis, the shelves will be lined with infused edibles, topical creams and concentrated oils. None of those products would be possible without these first processors launching New York’s cannabis industry.”

The hemp processors awarded licenses to process adult-use cannabis are required to participate in a mentorship program designed to provide entrepreneurship opportunities, encourage sustainable practices in the cannabis industry and ensure that those with convictions for marijuana-related offenses have a path to participation in the regulated industry.

“New York is launching our cannabis industry the right way, and our cannabis processors are an integral part of that,” Office of Cannabis Management executive director Chris Alexander said in a statement. “These processors aren’t just expanding their own businesses, they are committed to also mentoring the next generation of cannabis processors. They’ll be teaching vital manufacturing skills to those with a passion for cannabis who will take our state’s industry to the next level. New York’s entire cannabis ecosystem will create opportunities for those who have been shut out of jobs and industry, and will bring those skills to communities across the state.”

Troy Datcher, CEO of California licensed cannabis company The Parent Company, said that awarding New York’s first cannabis processor licenses is an encouraging and essential step in the launch of the state’s adult-use market later this year. But he noted that the state’s cannabis regulations, which are currently being drafted, must reflect the realities of an entrenched illicit market.

“We appreciate that these first cannabis processors in New York will be providing mentorship to social equity applicants to enable broader participation in the state’s industry,” Datcher wrote in an email to High Times. “However, as we’ve learned in California, it is critical that we create a policy environment that gives these businesses a chance to succeed. In particular, we need to ensure that the state’s advertising and packaging regulations do not make it impossible for these processors to make products that meet consumer needs. Given the lack of restrictions on New York’s untested, illicit cannabis market, it is important that we take steps to help legal businesses succeed.”

New York Initiative Fosters Social Equity in Cannabis

The cannabis processors mentorship program is part of New York’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which Governor Kathy Hochul launched earlier this year to help facilitate social equity in the cannabis industry. The initiative guarantees support for equity applicants and secures investment in communities most impacted by the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition.

“New York State is making history, launching a first-of-its-kind approach to the cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting the wrongs of the past,” Hochul said when the initiative was launched in March. “The regulations advanced by the Cannabis Control Board today will prioritize local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and opportunity for communities that have been left out and left behind. I’m proud New York will be a national model for the safe, equitable and inclusive industry we are now building.”

The Cannabis Control Board also approved an additional 19 conditional adult-use cannabis cultivator licenses on Monday, bringing the total number of growers to 242. Ryan Smith, CEO and co-founder of cannabis wholesale platform LeafLink, said that New York’s cannabis regulation is shaping up to be a model for the nation.

 “New York State is taking another encouraging step towards establishing an equitable cannabis ecosystem to right the wrongs of the War on Drugs,” Smith wrote in an email. “Based on our experience operating in over 25 states and territories, early supply constraints continue to be an issue when a market launches. We applaud the state’s Cannabis Control Board for prioritizing equity, transparency, efficiency, and consumer choice, and look forward to seeing New York’s adult-use market come online.”

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