Talk about a bargain.
Hudson Cannabis, a 500-acre “seed-to-smoke” cannabis farm in the Hudson Valley, has reached the milestone of delivering more than 100,000 bags of affordable, legal cannabis for sale at or below the retail price of $10 at licensed cannabis retail stores across the state.
Since legalization, many dispensaries and growers have preferred to sell marijuana in one-eighths of an ounce, for up to $70.
But Hudson Cannabis, which began offering legal delivery about two years ago, is the first company to offer marijuana in old-fashioned “dime” bags — enough for customers on a budget to roll a small joint or try a new brand or strain.
“We're pleased to have sold over 100,000 bags in New York state. Our choice to sell in 10 bag increments not only honors the traditional way cannabis is sold, but also makes New York-grown flower accessible to everyone,” said Melanie Dobson, CEO of Hudson Cannabis and co-founder who runs the farm with her sister Freya.
“Each 10-cent bag is compostable, biodegradable and part of our closed-loop system — a system that focuses on the plants, not the packaging. If you'd told me 10 years ago that we'd be selling over $1 million of these bags, I would have thought it was a dream.”
Hudson Cannabis The company packages and delivers marijuana products in dime bags and other flower-based marijuana products to 131 licensed dispensaries across the state.
The farm employs 65 people who grow, process, package and distribute cannabis to more than 100 retailers, all on-site, including distilling cannabis flower into edibles and other THC-infused products.
As the legal market expands, some days Hudson Cannabis staffers just pack 10-cent bags, each containing 0.7 grams of marijuana — the equivalent of one joint.
“Some days we have everyone working on the boat,” Melanie Dobson said.
Hudson Cannabis also makes pre-rolled joints and offers bulk marijuana and vape cartridges in packages ranging from 2 grams to 1/8 ounce.
Melanie Dobson likened buying a 10-cent bag of cigarettes, which contain a higher quality, stronger product than pre-rolled joints, to a customer looking for whole-bean coffee.
Hudson Cannabis' dime bags have been a big hit among New York's licensed marijuana store owners, who sometimes struggle to keep them on the shelves.
Osbert Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place in Middle Village, Queens, is selling 10-cent bags of cannabis for $8 to be more competitive.
“They're very popular. We sell a lot of them for 10 cent bags. We have a lot of different varieties,” Orduna said.
“They offer a great product at a very reasonable price. They have the most affordable product that we carry,” he said of Hudson Cannabis.
The Dobson sisters are originally from the Berkshires, and their father was an organic farmer who grew marijuana as well as vegetables.
They operated cannabis farms in Mendocino and Humboldt counties in Northern California before opening a farm in Hudson, North Columbia County, seven years ago. They initially grew hemp but switched to marijuana after state lawmakers and then-Governor Andrew Cuomo legalized its sale in 2021.
Housing Works in Greenwich Village and Union Square Travel Agency were among the first stores to sell the farm's dime bags, but they've also become hot sellers at Strain Stars in Farmingdale and Misha's Flower Shop in Bushwick.
There are currently 171 licensed cannabis dispensaries and delivery services in New York state, 71 of which are in New York City. The first cannabis retail dispensary opened in 2022.
The legal cannabis industry is slowly expanding after a shaky rollout plagued by lawsuits, bureaucratic missteps, crop spoilage and a thriving illegal market.
Tougher laws approved by Gov. Kathy Hawkle and increased enforcement by Mayor Eric Adams' marijuana enforcement unit, led by Sheriff Anthony Miranda, led to the closure of hundreds of illegal stores earlier this year.
