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For decades, brands like Backwoods, Swisher Sweets, Phillies, and White Owl dominated corner stores, gas stations, and smoke shops across America. From the 1990s through today, these cigar and cigarillo brands evolved from simple tobacco products into cultural icons deeply connected to music, nightlife, street culture, and eventually cannabis consumption. But one of the biggest shifts in the market came from the rise of fronto leaf and natural tobacco wraps — changing the entire industry. In the 1990s, Swisher Sweets was king. The brand controlled a massive portion of the mass-market cigar category due to its affordability, flavored options, and nationwide availability. Phillies was also a major player during this era, known for classic machine-made cigars and blunt use before blunt culture became mainstream. White Owl gained popularity through flavored cigarillos and convenience-store accessibility, while Backwoods remained a smaller but recognizable rustic natural-leaf cigar brand. At the time, the industry was built around homogenized tobacco leaf wrappers — processed tobacco sheets engineered for consistency, cheaper production costs, and mass manufacturing. These wrappers helped companies produce millions of cigars quickly and cheaply. Consumers mainly bought cigars for tobacco smoking, but by the late 1990s and early 2000s, blunt culture exploded in hip-hop and urban communities. That changed everything. As cannabis culture expanded, consumers began gutting cigars and filling them with flower. Swisher Sweets became the default blunt wrap due to low prices and sweet flavors. White Owl followed closely behind. Phillies became heavily associated with traditional blunts before slowly losing relevance. But Backwoods eventually emerged as the cultural favorite because of one major difference: natural leaf wrappers. Backwoods felt more authentic. The rough-cut tobacco leaf looked and smoked differently from processed wraps. The aesthetic matched the shift toward premium cannabis culture. As consumers became more selective about flower quality, they also became more selective about wraps. Natural leaf became associated with stronger flavor, slower burns, and a more “real” smoking experience. Then came fronto leaf. Fronto leaf — whole tobacco leaves sold separately — completely disrupted the market. Instead of buying cigarillos and gutting them, smokers could now purchase full natural tobacco leaves directly. Fronto gave users more control, larger wraps, stronger nicotine hits, and a cleaner natural-leaf aesthetic. Smoke shops across New York City, especially in Brooklyn, Queens, and uptown Manhattan, began selling fronto in large quantities. This shift hurt traditional cigarillo dominance. Swisher Sweets still remained a volume leader, but market share began declining as consumers moved toward natural leaf products. White Owl attempted to modernize with flavored innovations and packaging redesigns, but it remained tied to processed-wrapper identity. Phillies slowly faded from mainstream relevance. Meanwhile, Backwoods exploded in popularity and became deeply embedded in modern cannabis culture. By the late 2010s, Backwoods had transformed from a niche cigar brand into one of the most culturally recognizable smoking products in America. Social media, rap lyrics, and cannabis branding accelerated demand. At the same time, companies rushed to release “natural leaf,” “grabba,” and leaf-wrap alternatives to compete with fronto’s growth. Regulation also reshaped the market. Federal flavor restrictions, FDA oversight, and tobacco taxation increased pressure on cigar brands. Smaller pack sizes, concept flavors, and “natural” branding became survival tactics. Many companies adapted by selling wraps instead of traditional cigars, leaning heavily into blunt culture without explicitly marketing cannabis use. Today, the market looks completely different from the 1990s. Cigarettes continue declining, while cigarillos, wraps, and leaf products remain deeply connected to cannabis consumption. The biggest winners have been brands able to align with authenticity, culture, and natural-leaf aesthetics. The rise of fronto leaf didn’t just change smoking habits — it changed the entire economics, branding, and identity of the cigarillo industry. — Justice Elevated Club NYC

New York City cannabis culture didn’t begin with dispensaries, QR codes, or glowing neon signs. Long before luxury branding and legal storefronts, weed in NYC lived underground — hidden inside record shops, barber chairs, bodegas, stairwells, parks, and pockets of the city most tourists never saw. In the 1970s, buying weed in New York was built entirely on trust and word of mouth. There were no menus online or storefront displays. If you wanted cannabis, you usually knew somebody who knew somebody. Harlem, the Lower East Side, Washington Heights, Brooklyn, and parts of Queens all had their own local scenes. Transactions happened quietly — on park benches, building lobbies, outside clubs, or from apartment windows. Packaging was simple and raw. Nickel bags and dime bags were common, sold in tiny plastic baggies, folded paper, aluminum foil, or brown envelopes. Most weed came compressed and seeded. “Chocolate,” “Colombian Gold,” “Jamaican,” and “Arizona” were names people heard long before strain branding existed. Prices were low compared to today, but quality varied heavily. A $10 bag in the late ’70s might last days, but the flower was often dry, compact, and far less potent than modern cannabis. By the 1980s and 1990s, NYC cannabis culture became tied deeply to hip-hop, graffiti, dancehall, and the city’s underground economy. Hustlers stood on corners where dispensaries now operate legally. Smoke spots formed outside bodegas and building stoops. Dealers hid product in ceiling tiles, soda cans, mailboxes, and hidden compartments. The city itself became part of the system. Packaging slowly evolved too. Plastic sandwich bags became standard. Some dealers vacuum-sealed higher quality imports. “Arizona,” “Haze,” and uptown hydro started carrying reputations and price jumps. By the late ’90s, a premium eighth could already cost $50–$60 in parts of Manhattan and uptown. The early 2000s introduced a major shift. Exotic strains became status symbols. Sour Diesel, Purple Haze, OG Kush, and later Cookies genetics transformed NYC cannabis culture. Branding started mattering. People weren’t just buying weed anymore — they were buying names, flavors, colors, and reputations. At the same time, smoke culture became more visible. DVDs, mixtapes, rap lyrics, and internet forums amplified strain culture across boroughs. What was once hidden in staircases moved into music videos and fashion. Still, legalization had not arrived. Transactions remained discreet. Delivery services operated quietly through burner phones, coded text messages, and private customer lists. Some operated like secret restaurants — invite only, referral-based, cash only. Then came legalization. Modern NYC cannabis retail looks almost unrecognizable compared to the city’s underground roots. Today, storefronts glow with LED signs and giant window branding. Products sit in illuminated display cases where dealers once hid bags beneath counters. Sidewalks flood with smoke shops selling flower, vapes, edibles, pre-rolls, and imported packaging from California and overseas. The irony is impossible to ignore. Corners once occupied by hustlers avoiding police surveillance now sit directly across from legal dispensaries with security guards and branded shopping bags. What was criminalized for decades became commercialized almost overnight. Packaging evolved from folded sandwich bags into luxury product design. Matte jars, holographic labels, terpene breakdowns, child-proof containers, QR codes, and strain lineage charts replaced handwritten nicknames and whispered recommendations. Prices climbed too. What once cost $10 now easily reaches $60–$80 an eighth for premium indoor flower. But despite the legal transformation, traces of old NYC cannabis culture remain everywhere. The language. The corner energy. The late-night deliveries. The smoke sessions outside bodegas. The blend of hip-hop, Caribbean culture, fashion, hustle, and survival. New York cannabis culture was never just about weed. It reflected the city itself — loud, adaptive, creative, risky, and always evolving. From hidden handoffs in the ’70s to luxury dispensaries in 2026, the city didn’t lose its cannabis culture. It simply brought it into the light. Quick. Easy. Discreet. No storefront. No lines. No stress. Premium cannabis delivered straight to your door — in as little as 20 minutes. NYC ONLY • 21+ • Valid ID Required.

Flower remains the largest category, accounting for 36.2% of U.S. adult-use retail sales.  However, its dominance is softening on the consumer preference side: only 21% of consumers now cite flower as their preferred format, as edibles, vapes, pre-rolls, and beverages continue to capture share.  The gap between revenue share and stated preference signals that flower’s structural lead is narrowing. Pre-Rolls — The Fastest-Growing Major Format Pre-rolls have been the fastest-growing major format, gaining share every year since 2021, and now account for 15.1% of adult-use retail sales.  Pre-roll sales jumped 12% to reach $4.1 billion , and the format crossed a symbolic milestone: on 4/20 2025, pre-rolls overtook flower for the first time as the most in-demand product category, indicating a significant consumer shift toward convenience during high-traffic events.  Vapes — A Steady Second Vapor pens hold 24.7% of adult-use retail sales , making them the second-largest category by revenue. Consumer preference for vapes and cartridges sits at 15%, reflecting sustained demand for discreet, convenient formats.  Edibles and Beverages — Growing, with New Dynamics Edibles account for 16% of consumer preference, while beverages surged 11% to reach $54 million.  The introduction of 100mg edible multi-packs in the second half of 2025 has shifted buying habits, with customers moving toward larger packs for better value — a momentum expected to carry into 2026.  Infused beverages represent a particularly notable opportunity, with mainstream retailers like Target now test-marketing hemp-derived THC drinks in select Minnesota stores.  Key Takeaway The overarching trend is a migration away from traditional smoking toward more convenient, discreet, and precisely dosed formats. Market maturity also plays a role — newer and medical-dominant markets still show flower commanding a much higher share, while more established recreational states like New York and Colorado see greater diversification across categories.  Operators who can manage their product mix dynamically — including seasonal demand shifts by category — are best positioned to protect margins in an increasingly competitive environment.