Let’s be honest about where we started. When New York’s legal market first opened, the shelves were… underwhelming. We saw a flood of dry, corporate flower grown in massive warehouses by people who spent more time looking at spreadsheets than they did looking at trichomes.
But if you’ve been paying attention lately, you know the tide has turned.
The “Second Wave” of New York cannabis is here, and it is being led by the people who actually care about the plant. We are talking about the legacy operators who kept the city high for decades, the micro-businesses growing in small, controlled rooms, and the farmers who hand-trim their buds instead of tossing them in a machine that knocks all the flavor off.
These brands aren’t growing for Wall Street; they are growing for us.
If you are done with “corporate mids” and want to taste what New York is supposed to taste like, these are the 10 brands you need to know. And the best part? We stock every single one of them right here on Staten Island.
🏆 The NugHub Hit List: NY’s Best Small Batch Brands
These aren’t just brands; they are the new standard for quality in the Empire State.
1. Alchemy Pure
The Status: Genuine Micro-Business Alchemy Pure is one of the few brands operating under a true Microbusiness license. Why does that matter? Because it allows them to stay vertically integrated. They grow it, they process it, and they package it. There are no middlemen and no massive corporate supply chains degrading the product.
Their reviews on our menu speak for themselves. Alchemy Pure rarely misses a 5-star rating because they focus on high-potency, small-batch runs that prioritize terpene retention over mass yield.
- Best For: High tolerance smokers who need that extra kick.
- What to Cop: GMO. It is funky, loud, and consistently tests high. If you love that savory, garlic-mushroom-gas profile, this is the best version of it in the legal market.
- Shop the Brand: Alchemy Pure Collection
2. Supernaturals NY
The Status: Farmer-Owned / Living Soil This is as natural as it gets. Supernaturals is a farmer-owned operation in the Hudson Valley that grows in “living soil” under the sun. They don’t use salt-based synthetic nutrients to pump up the buds. Instead, they rely on a complex soil food web that feeds the plant naturally.
The result is a smoke that feels different. It is smoother on the throat and has a terpene profile that feels wider and more complex than indoor hydro. It’s weed how nature intended it to be.
- Best For: Flavor chasers and “clean weed” advocates who care about sustainability.
- What to Cop: Hash-Infused Pre-Rolls. These aren’t just shake; they blend their living soil flower with bubble hash for a slow-burning, potent experience.
- Shop the Brand: Supernaturals NY Collection
3. MFNY (Marijuana Farms New York)
The Status: Single-Source Local Kings If you care about flavor, you smoke MFNY. They are “single-source,” meaning they grow the plant and extract the oil in the same facility in the Hudson Valley. This is crucial for concentrates because it means the material doesn’t travel, degrade, or sit in a hot truck before being processed.
They are single-handedly carrying the concentrate game in NY right now, producing live rosin and resin that rivals anything from the West Coast.
- Best For: The absolute best concentrates and gummies in the state.
- What to Cop: Live Rosin Gummies (the only ones that actually taste like the strain) or the Strawpaya Live Resin Vape for a tropical fruit explosion.
- Shop the Brand: MFNY Collection
4. Hudson Cannabis
The Status: Regenerative Farming Hudson Cannabis isn’t just growing weed; they are restoring the land. Based in the Hudson Valley, they use regenerative farming practices and moon-cycle planting schedules. It sounds hippie, but the science backs it up—healthy soil creates healthy, potent plants.
Their flower has a distinct “terroir” (a sense of place) that you just don’t get from rockwool and LED lights. It’s robust, sticky, and full of minor cannabinoids that contribute to the entourage effect.
- Best For: Smokers who want a full-spectrum, well-rounded high.
- What to Cop: The Farmer’s Blend. It’s a curated mix of their best strains, offering a complex high that hits both the body and mind.
- Shop the Brand: Hudson Cannabis Collection
5. Rolling Green
The Status: Regional Craft Powerhouse While they made their name winning awards in New England, Rolling Green operates with a craft mindset that puts most big MSOs to shame. Their key differentiator is the cure.
Too many brands rush the drying process to get products on shelves faster, resulting in hay-smell. Rolling Green takes their time. Their flower is consistently sticky, dense, and retains that “squish” that lets you know the trichomes are still oily and fresh.
- Best For: Consistent, top-shelf indoor flower that looks magazine-ready.
- What to Cop: Blueberry Muffin. The nose is undeniable—it smells exactly like fresh baked goods.
- Shop the Brand: Rolling Green Collection
6. Priscilla’s Garden
The Status: Women-Owned Craft Priscilla’s brings a level of quality control that is hard to find in this young market. A women-owned brand with deep roots in cultivation, they are known for clean ash and incredibly smooth smoke.
They focus on genetics that wash well and smoke clean. If you are the type of smoker who inspects the ash to make sure it’s white (a sign of a good flush and cure), Priscilla’s is the brand for you.
- Best For: A luxury smoking experience where smoothness is key.
- What to Cop: Oreoz. It looks like it was dipped in sugar and has a creamy, chocolatey finish.
- Shop the Brand: Priscilla’s Garden Collection
7. Doobie Labs
The Status: The New York Hype Doobie Labs is a newer NY brand making serious noise with exotic genetics. They aren’t playing it safe with standard Blue Dream or Sour Diesel; they are hunting the modern “hype” strains that dominate Instagram.
They are bringing West Coast-style flavors to the local market, focusing on bag appeal (how good the nugs look) and loud terpene profiles that fill the room the second you crack the jar.
- Best For: Trendsetters looking for the latest exotic flavors.
- What to Cop: Blue Lobster. It has an unmatched garlic, butter, and gas profile that savory terp lovers will obsess over.
- Shop the Brand: Doobie Labs Collection
8. Revert Cannabis
The Status: Veteran & Women Operated Revert is a local operation with a mission. Run by veterans and women, they focus on high-impact products at a fair price. They know that sometimes, you just need to get where you’re going without spending a fortune.
They are famous for taking good flower and supercharging it. Their infused products are some of the best bang-for-your-buck options on our menu.
- Best For: Value shoppers who still want high potency.
- What to Cop: NYC Diesel Kief Infused. It’s a nostalgic strain with an extra kick of kief that keeps you lifted for hours.
- Shop the Brand: Revert Cannabis Collection
9. New York Honey
The Status: The People’s Champ Owned by Veterans Choice Creations in Gloversville, NY, New York Honey has a simple philosophy: Good weed shouldn’t bankrupt you. They aren’t trying to be a luxury brand; they are trying to be the brand you can afford to smoke every day.
They use a proprietary full-spectrum oil blend that retains more of the plant’s natural character than standard distillate. Plus, their hardware is innovative and reliable.
- Best For: Daily vapers who want value, reliability, and effects.
- What to Cop: 2g Refillable All-In-One. It is hands down the best value vape in the entire state.
- Shop the Brand: New York Honey Collection
10. Continental Exotics
The Status: Indoor Premium Partnering with local operators, Continental Exotics focuses strictly on the high-end indoor market. This is “top shelf” defined. Their buds are manicured to perfection, catering to the smoker who buys with their eyes first.
If you are looking for holiday weed, gift weed, or just “treat yourself” weed, this is it. The nugs are dense, the trim is tight, and the nose is loud.
- Best For: Top shelf bag appeal and impress-your-friends quality.
- What to Cop: Pavin. A creamy, gassy strain that smokes as good as it looks.
- Shop the Brand: Continental Exotics Collection
🧐 Deep Dive: What Actually Makes a Brand “Craft”?
You see the word “craft” thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean in the New York market? It comes down to three things:
- The Cure This is the most important step. Big corporate cannabis is often flash-dried in massive ovens to prevent mold and speed up production. This kills the terpenes (flavor) and leaves the bud harsh. Small batch brands hang-dry their plants and cure them slowly in jars or bins. This allows the chlorophyll to break down naturally, removing that “hay” smell and locking in the flavor.
- The Trim Next time you buy a cheap eighth, look at the bud. Is it perfectly round? Does it look like a little golf ball? That’s a machine trim. Machines tumble the bud, shaving off the natural structure and, more importantly, knocking off the outer layer of trichomes (the crystals that get you high). Hand-trimmed bud looks like a plant—it has unique shapes, crevices, and intact crystals.
- The Source Micro-businesses and small farms often grow from clones they cut themselves or seeds they popped themselves. They know the mother plant. They know the specific spot in the room where that strain likes to sit. That intimacy with the plant translates directly to the quality of the smoke.
FAQ: Knowing Your Grower
Q: Why buy “Microbusiness” weed?
A: A Microbusiness license in NY allows the operator to grow, process, and sell their own product. It’s the closest thing to “Farm to Table” in the cannabis world. You are getting product that hasn’t changed hands five times before reaching you, which means it’s fresher and the money goes straight to the grower.
Q: Is “Small Batch” always better?
A: Usually, yes. While some large operators can grow decent weed, it’s hard to maintain strict quality control when you are managing 50,000 square feet of canopy. Small batch growers can inspect every single plant daily. If a plant is sick, they see it. If a plant needs more food, they feed it. That attention to detail shows up in the jar.
Q: Where can I get these brands delivered?
A: You don’t need to drive upstate to find them. NugHub delivers all 10 of these brands (and many more) across Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau County.
