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Cookies

Cookies has always represented a lifestyle of excellence, quality, and taste. Living the best life possible and always striving to grow. We represent this lifestyle best through our cannabis, and we constantly strive to produce the highest quality and most diverse cannabis on the planet.

Cookies logo

Quick answer · What is the Cookies cannabis brand?

Cookies is one of the most recognized names in contemporary cannabis culture, built on a foundation of proprietary genetics, streetwear-inflected branding, and a devoted global following. Co-founded in California by breeder Jai Chang and rapper Berner, the brand helped define the premium shelf at dispensaries across the country and has since expanded its retail footprint to New York, where it reaches consumers through licensed wholesale distribution.

Cookies is one of the most recognized names in contemporary cannabis culture, built on a foundation of proprietary genetics, streetwear-inflected branding, and a devoted global following. Co-founded in California by breeder Jai Chang and rapper Berner, the brand helped define the premium shelf at dispensaries across the country and has since expanded its retail footprint to New York, where it reaches consumers through licensed wholesale distribution.

The story

Cookies traces its origins to the Bay Area of California, where breeder Jai Chang — known in cannabis circles as Jigga — and Gilbert Milam Jr., the rapper and entrepreneur better known as Berner, began collaborating on genetics that would eventually produce the Girl Scout Cookies cultivar, a cross widely credited with shifting consumer expectations around potency, terpene complexity, and strain identity. The partnership formalized into the Cookies brand in the early 2010s, with Berner serving as the public face and cultural engine of the operation. The brand's inflection point came when Girl Scout Cookies achieved something rare in cannabis: genuine crossover recognition. The cultivar became a reference point not just for enthusiasts but for breeders and competing brands, spawning dozens of derivative genetics (Thin Mints, Platinum Cookies, and beyond) that still anchor menus nationwide. Cookies leveraged that genetic credibility into a vertically integrated lifestyle company, opening branded retail stores in California and eventually licensing its name and genetics to cultivator partners in multiple states. The brand's New York entry followed the state's adult-use legalization framework, with Cookies products reaching licensed dispensaries through the state's multi-license wholesale network rather than under a proprietary New York OCM cultivation or processing license held by Cookies itself. This model — licensing genetics and brand standards to in-state production partners — is consistent with how the company has expanded into several regulated markets outside California.

Aesthetic & shopper persona

Cookies built its visual identity at the intersection of California streetwear and cannabis culture, drawing on the same sensibility that informed Supreme, Stüssy, and the broader West Coast skate-and-rap continuum. The logo — a stylized cookie with a bite taken out — is instantly legible and has migrated seamlessly onto apparel, accessories, and packaging. Product packaging typically features bold color blocking, proprietary strain-specific coloring systems, and a sans-serif typographic hierarchy that reads as clean and deliberate rather than clinical. The shopper persona skews toward a culturally fluent adult consumer who tracks both cannabis and lifestyle trends — someone equally comfortable at a concert, a dispensary, and a sneaker drop. The brand occupies a prosumer mid-to-premium tier: it is not positioned as artisanal small-batch craft cannabis, nor as a commodity value brand, but as a recognizable prestige name with cultural cachet that extends well beyond the dispensary. Its accessories line, which includes branded rolling trays, grinders, and apparel, reinforces this lifestyle positioning and allows the brand to monetize its audience across non-cannabis touchpoints.

Cultivation & craft

Cookies built its original reputation on in-house cultivation in California, where its genetics program — overseen principally by Jai Chang — prioritized phenotype hunting, selection pressure over multiple generations, and the development of proprietary cultivars that competitors could not easily replicate. The cultivation philosophy centers on indoor growing environments that allow precise control over the variables — light spectrum, humidity, temperature, and CO2 levels — that most directly influence terpene expression and resin development. This indoor-first approach is consistent with the brand's emphasis on visual bag appeal and aromatic intensity. In markets outside California, including New York, Cookies operates through a licensing and partnership model in which vetted in-state cultivators and processors grow Cookies genetics and produce Cookies-branded products under standards set by the parent brand. The consistency of this model depends heavily on the rigor of the licensing agreements and the cultivation capabilities of the local partner. For extraction-based formats — vaporizer cartridges and concentrates — the brand has historically favored processes that preserve the terpene profiles associated with its signature cultivars, though the specific extraction methodology varies by market and production partner. Consumers in New York seeking the most current information about the production source of a specific Cookies SKU are best served by consulting the product's certificate of analysis or asking dispensary staff, as partner arrangements can evolve.

What to try first

In the New York market, Cookies is represented primarily through pre-rolls, vaporizer products, and accessories — categories that reflect both the brand's national product strategy and the realities of its licensed-partner distribution model in the state. The pre-roll format is where many consumers first encounter Cookies outside California; the brand's infused pre-roll offerings, in particular, have earned attention for incorporating concentrates derived from its proprietary genetics, delivering a richer terpene profile than standard flower rolls. The vaporizer line — typically offered as 510-thread cartridges or all-in-one disposable formats — has become a signature category for Cookies nationally, allowing consumers to experience the brand's cultivar profiles in a discreet, portable format. These products are generally positioned as a step above commodity distillate offerings, with marketing emphasis on strain-specific terpene retention. The accessories category, while not a cannabis product in the conventional sense, is meaningful to the Cookies brand story: branded rolling trays, lighters, grinders, and apparel function as both practical tools and cultural signifiers, extending the brand's reach to consumers who may not yet be purchasing its flower or extracts.

When this brand shines

Cookies occupies a particular cultural niche that makes it a natural choice for the consumer who wants their cannabis to function as a conversation piece as much as a product. A Cookies purchase — whether a pre-roll, a vape cartridge, or a branded accessory — carries the weight of the brand's two-decade-plus cultural history, which makes it a logical gifting option for the cannabis-fluent adult who wants to give something with recognizable provenance. Beyond gifting, the brand's vaporizer formats are well-suited to occasions that call for discretion and portability: a night out, a social gathering, or a post-work transition moment where a full flower session is impractical. The pre-roll format, meanwhile, suits the communal, unhurried weekend ritual — sharing something with a recognizable name and documented genetic lineage among people who appreciate that context. The accessories serve an everyday utility function while quietly signaling brand affinity to those who recognize the logo. Across all these occasions, the throughline is social and cultural legibility: Cookies is a brand whose name does some of the communicating for the consumer.

Provenance

Cookies originated in the San Francisco Bay Area of California and remains headquartered there. The brand operates licensed retail dispensaries in California and has expanded its branded store presence to additional states. In New York, Cookies is not, as of the available public record, a holder of a standalone New York OCM cultivator or processor license under its own name. Its products reach the New York adult-use market through the state's licensed multi-license wholesale framework, in which a New York-licensed cultivator or processor produces Cookies-branded goods under agreement with the parent brand. Cookies has not publicly disclosed a social-equity license designation in New York, though Berner, as a Black entrepreneur in cannabis, has spoken publicly about the brand's intention to operate in equity-conscious ways. The brand has a presence in numerous regulated adult-use and medical states beyond California and New York, including Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, and Florida, generally through the same licensed-partner distribution or co-branding model.

Cookies — frequently asked

Where is Cookies made?+

Cookies was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where it maintains its headquarters and core cultivation and retail operations. In regulated markets outside California, including New York, the brand operates through licensed production partners who cultivate Cookies genetics and manufacture Cookies-branded products under standards set by the parent company. The specific New York production partner for any given SKU can typically be identified on the product's certificate of analysis.

Is Cookies a NY-licensed cannabis brand?+

Based on publicly available records, Cookies does not hold a standalone New York OCM cultivator or processor license under its own name. Its products enter the New York adult-use market through the state's licensed wholesale network, meaning a New York-licensed entity produces or distributes Cookies-branded goods under agreement with the California-based parent brand. Consumers with specific questions about licensing should consult New York's OCM public license database.

What is Cookies best known for?+

Cookies built its reputation on proprietary cannabis genetics, most notably the Girl Scout Cookies cultivar, which became one of the most influential strains in modern cannabis breeding. The brand is equally recognized for its streetwear-influenced visual identity, its global retail store presence, and its role in making strain-specific cannabis culture legible to a mainstream audience. In New York, it is primarily available in pre-roll, vaporizer, and accessories formats.

What product format should I try first from Cookies?+

For a first encounter with the brand in New York, the vaporizer line offers a straightforward introduction to the cultivar profiles Cookies is known for in a portable, controlled format. Consumers who prefer a more traditional experience may find the pre-roll format more expressive of the brand's genetic character. Accessories, such as rolling trays or branded grinders, are also worth considering for those drawn to the brand's lifestyle dimension as much as its cannabis products.

Who founded Cookies?+

Cookies was co-founded by Jai Chang — known in cannabis circles as Jigga — and Gilbert Milam Jr., the Bay Area rapper and entrepreneur better known as Berner. Chang is widely credited as the genetics architect behind the Girl Scout Cookies cultivar and the brand's cultivation philosophy, while Berner served as the public-facing brand and cultural strategist who expanded Cookies into a globally recognized lifestyle company.

Is Cookies a luxury cannabis brand?+

Cookies occupies a prosumer premium tier rather than a strictly artisanal luxury position. It commands prices above commodity cannabis on the strength of its genetic credibility and cultural recognition, but its wide distribution footprint and licensing-partnership model distinguish it from small-batch craft producers. The brand is best understood as a prestige streetwear-influenced label: accessible enough for broad retail, aspirational enough to function as a cultural signifier.

Does Cookies have a social-equity designation in New York?+

Cookies has not publicly disclosed a social-equity license designation under New York's OCM framework. Co-founder Berner has spoken in various press contexts about the brand's commitment to equity-conscious business practices and its significance as a BIPOC-led cannabis company, but a formal New York social-equity licensing status for the Cookies entity is not confirmed in available public records at the time of writing.

If you like Cookies, also explore

Runtz

Runtz shares Cookies' DNA — literally, as the Runtz cultivar descends from Cookies genetics — and occupies the same streetwear-inflected, hype-driven cultural lane, making it a natural next step for anyone already loyal to the Cookies shelf.

Jeeter

Jeeter's infused pre-roll format appeals to the same consumer who gravitates toward Cookies' pre-roll line: someone who wants a premium, ready-to-consume product with brand recognition and a step up in potency from a standard roll.

Stiiizy

Stiiizy built its brand on a proprietary vaporizer pod system with strong California roots and cultural credibility, making it a direct peer to Cookies' vape offerings for consumers who prioritize portable, strain-forward formats.

Tyson 2.0

Like Cookies, Tyson 2.0 is a celebrity-anchored cannabis brand with crossover lifestyle appeal, and its pre-roll and accessories formats attract a similarly culture-oriented adult consumer.

Khalifa Kush

Khalifa Kush occupies a parallel position in the market — a hip-hop-associated brand built around proprietary genetics and lifestyle identity — and appeals to consumers who chose Cookies as much for cultural affinity as for the product itself.

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