Hi there, and welcome to The Dealers Diary - my musings on the cannabis industry, California, and building Halara.

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In today’s entry: Biggest Month Ever | 11 Stores in 7 Days | The Mystery Strain Update | Strawberry Stray Tease | 420 Deals

Hey Dealers,

March was our biggest sales month ever. I want to sit with that for a second because six months ago I'm not sure I would've believed it.

Here's what happened. California is still the engine. Came in above projections, which is always lovely to hear. But the real story is Washington and New York. Two states we barely had a footprint in at the start of the year are actually contributing now. Not just "we got a few orders." Real reorders, real relationships with stores that are calling us back.

In the last seven days we added eleven new stores. Eight in New York, mostly around Long Island, and three in Washington. Eleven stores, seven days. And we're already in conversations about Minnesota being next on the list. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves but the footprint is growing faster than we planned for. That's a lovely problem to have.

Part of me wants to celebrate. The other part knows that 420 is eleven days away and we haven't slept. Both parts are correct.

Onwards and upwards,
Malcolm

420 is becoming two different holidays. In mature markets like California, it's basically Black Friday. Stores know what they want, they've got their promos planned, they're ordering for volume. But in newer markets like New York and parts of Washington, 420 is still an introduction. It's less "stock up for the rush" and more "let's get this product into people's hands for the first time." We're seeing this firsthand because we're running promos in all three states and the playbook is completely different in each one. California is about volume. New York is about first impressions. Washington is somewhere in between.

If your local spot carries Halara, ask them what deal they're running. We told our partners to go big this year.

The multi-state brands are figuring it out faster. Something I've been noticing at industry events and in conversations with other founders. The companies that operate in three or more states are learning things that single-state operators just can't see yet. How pricing varies by region, how budtender education needs are totally different market to market, how a brand that's established in one state is still a complete unknown in another. It's humbling and honestly it's been the biggest education of the quarter for us

Coming August: Strawberry Stray

Here's what makes this one different. For every Strawberry Stray cartridge sold, we're getting meals to a stray animal through the Humane Society. It's right there on the box. The paw prints, the name, the whole thing is built around it.

We've done versions of this before with Mochi Paws and Mutt Melon, and it always ends up being one of our favorite drops. Nick and I have been wanting to bring it back in a bigger way and this felt like the right product to tie it to. High THC sativa, 96% TAC, strawberry profile. The kind of thing that sells on its own. The charity piece just makes it even easier to feel good about it.

And part of the reason we're talking about this now, months early, is to show how far ahead we have to plan when we think something's going to hit. The best launches aren't last minute. They're built slowly, and they start way before they ever hit a shelf.

Consider this your first look.

PS - this was what Nick really wanted to put on the top (welcome to what our slack channels look like)

Quick update on this one because I know some of you have been guessing.

It's done. Out of testing. We've been passing it around internally for a while now and the feedback has been… nobody's given it back. It's going out to our distributors next week, which means it should start hitting shelves right around 420 or the week after.

Keep your eyes peeled for that black shiny package.

All-in-one. 94% TAC. 2,000 units only. $1,000 to the first person who guesses the strain.

If you guessed in the last few weeks and haven't heard back, you're not out. We're not revealing anything until it's on shelves. Keep guessing. Hit reply.

420 is eleven days out. What are you smoking?

Seriously. Reply to this email with what you're stocking up on, or recommending behind the counter. Doesn't have to be Halara. I want to know what's actually moving right now, what people are asking for, what you're excited about. Best answers get featured next issue.

If you're a budtender, tell me what strain you're pushing for 420 and why. If you're a consumer, tell me what you're grabbing. Let's hear it.

Know a budtender who'd dig this? Forward it. They subscribe, you get a Dealers hat.

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Halara · Emerald Triangle, CA

What I'm listening to this week. Full nostalgia mode: