How Curaleaf delivered the first medical marijuana flower product in New York

This article is brought to you by Curaleaf, a cannabis provider dedicated to advancing the industry through research, education, and advocacy.

While many West Coast markets are comfortable and thriving with nearly unlimited access to cannabis products, a multitude of people in the eastern states are still fighting for access to familiar form factors – including quality cannabis flower. For decades, residents of New York’s medical marijuana community have diligently shared their opinions and needs, clamoring for plant matter in addition to their oil-based products.

The first company to be able to deliver on the dream is Curaleaf, a multi-state vertically-integrated medical marijuana provider that made it a priority to thoroughly understand the needs of the people of New York, along with the stringent rules and regulations of the state. The results of Curaleaf’s efforts are ground flower pods that get actual cannabis flower into the hands of consumers.

“Curaleaf is proud to be dispensing the first medical cannabis flower products to be offered in New York state, which is first and foremost a relief for our patients,” said Amy Deneson, Curaleaf New York Director of Marketing and Sales.

“With this new product, New York medical cannabis patients can legally access premium flower for the first time without having to cross state lines or turn to untested products from the illicit market,” she says. “This an important step toward making natural plant products available in New York, and we’re proud to be the first ones to dispense flower in the state.”

Focusing on MMJ needs and DOH standards

To release a new product with intentionality, Curaleaf knew they had to listen to exactly what their New York patients needed. After all, if the patients don’t like it, they knew they would have missed the point.

“It is incredible to have access to an all-natural product that is easy to use, affordable, and provides quick relief,” said Tracey Hurtz, a Curaleaf New York patient. “As someone who depends on medical cannabis to manage my chronic disease, having access to Curaleaf’s ground flower product is a huge savings for me, not to mention the significant impact on my health. After 20 years, I was able to drastically reduce my use of narcotics for pain management with medical cannabis.”

Stories like Tracey’s emphasize the highlights of the Curaleaf’s ground flower pods, including many relatable aspects that people all over the world rely on flower to experience, like affordability. It turns out, everything from the packaging to the price of the pods was intentional, too.

Even though Curaleaf New York already had four medical cannabis dispensaries in the state, they still had to make sure that this new product format could pass inspection and serve patient needs for high-quality medicine, including making sure that their products remained perfectly aligned with standards set by the Department of Health.

As a result of their efforts, each pack of Curaleaf’s pods provides medical marijuana patients with 3.5 grams of premium ground sativa, indica, or hybrid flower carefully cured and packed into two 1.75 gram sealed containers approved for sale in the state of New York.

Mission New York cannabis flower: accomplished 

It was an arduous journey, but Curaleaf knew if they did their jobs right, they could fulfill their mission to help New Yorkers live life well.

“Flower is the cannabis plant in its natural form. Therefore, it is the least processed and should go to market as the most affordable form of cannabis. Curaleaf Ground Flower Pods are priced competitively to provide patients with an affordable choice free from pesticides, fungus, and other contaminants, as their medicine should be,” says Director of Compliance and Quality Assurance, Eliel Melendez.

Now that they’ve crossed the finish line, Curaleaf can help New York residents explore the power of medical marijuana in an affordable, consistent, and accessible way, one pod at a time.