NUG

Cannabis Retail Dispensarynug.com

NUG is a California-based cannabis retailer operating physical dispensaries and e-commerce platforms, serving cannabis consumers with proprietary house brands TERP and SimplyERB alongside curated third-party brands such as STIIIZY and RAW GARDEN.

Company typePrivate
Founded2014
HeadquartersAlameda, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What NUG does

NUG is a California-based cannabis retail company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Alameda. The company operates multiple physical dispensary locations across California alongside an e-commerce storefront at nug.com and a companion web application at app.nug.com. NUG serves both new and experienced cannabis consumers, stocking a curated mix of third-party brands (including STIIIZY, RAW GARDEN, and BLOOM) alongside two proprietary house brands: TERP, an Oakland-rooted heritage line, and SimplyERB, positioned for premium simplicity.

The underlying technology is a standard consumer e-commerce stack for online ordering plus a dedicated web app that supports the NUG Rewards loyalty program and member account management. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities, data flywheel, or differentiated technical assets were disclosed in the available material. Customer acquisition spans physical retail, online ordering, points-based loyalty mechanics, and an active social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

The business model is direct-to-consumer retail: revenue is generated through one-time product transactions at dispensary locations and through online ordering. Pricing is transactional; no subscription, SaaS, or licensing revenue stream was disclosed. NUG is privately held, operates with 51-100 employees, and has raised $15M in disclosed funding as of May 2019. The company is led by Founder Jamie Besaw, President and CEO John Oram, CTO Jessamyn Stephania, Chief Growth Officer Timeka Drew, and COO Alissa Berihu. Specific revenue figures, GMV, customer counts, and detailed financial performance were not publicly disclosed.

NUG firmographics

Firmographics

Name: NUG
Website: https://nug.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2014
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: NUG is a California-based cannabis retailer operating physical dispensaries and e-commerce platforms, serving cannabis consumers with proprietary house brands TERP and SimplyERB alongside curated third-party brands such as STIIIZY and RAW GARDEN.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

NUG industry classification

Industry

Product category: Cannabis Retail Dispensary
NAICS: All Other Health and Personal Care Retailers (456199)
SIC: Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)
akta.pro primary industry: Cannabis Dispensary + Ancillary Retail (Accessories, CBD/Hemp, Merchandise) (CRANAFAH)
akta.pro secondary industries: Cannabis Online Ordering for Dispensary Pickup (Click-and-Collect) (CRANAGAC), Cannabis Lifestyle & Apparel/Brand Merchandise Retail (CRANAHAJ)

Keywords

Cannabis dispensary
Cannabis retail
Premium flower
Cannabis e-commerce
House brand cannabis

Where NUG is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Alameda
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

NUG business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Retail Cannabis Sales: NUG generates revenue through retail sales of cannabis products including premium flower, vapes, and edibles. The company operates physical dispensary stores in California and an e-commerce platform for online purchases. Revenue is derived from direct consumer transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

NUG product offering

Product offering

Core offering

NUG operates a California-based cannabis dispensary retail chain that sells premium flower, vapes, edibles, and concentrates through multiple physical store locations and an e-commerce storefront. The company sells its own house brands (NUG, TERP, SimplyERB) alongside curated third-party cannabis brands, and runs the NUG Rewards loyalty program to drive repeat purchases.

Product overview

NUG operates as a California cannabis dispensary with a multi-brand portfolio centered around its own retail operations plus sub-brands TERP and SimplyERB. The core offering includes premium flower, vapes, edibles, and concentrates available through physical retail stores and the NUG Web App. The company enhances customer engagement through the NUG Rewards loyalty program, allowing customers to earn points on purchases and unlock exclusive perks. NUG positions itself as an approachable, normalizing force in cannabis retail, creating welcoming in-store spaces for product exploration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

TERP: A cannabis brand deeply rooted in the authenticity and culture of Oakland. Known for commitment to quality, TERP offers a meticulously curated selection of unique flower strains. Products reflect the spirit and diversity of Oakland while contributing to the community.
SimplyERB

Products and services

NUG Cannabis Dispensary

Companies that use NUG

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

NUG technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

NUG partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

TERPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTERP is NUG's house cannabis brand deeply rooted in Oakland culture. The brand offers a meticulously curated selection of unique flower strains reflecting the spirit and diversity of Oakland. NUG develops and curates TERP products as part of their proprietary brand portfolio.
SimplyERBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimplyERB is NUG's house brand focused on delivering premium cannabis products with simplicity. The brand emphasizes straightforward great cannabis at fair prices with community commitment. NUG develops and curates SimplyERB products as part of their proprietary brand portfolio.
Brand Portfolio Partners (EUREKA, LIME, TURN, CLAYBOURNE, CAKE, CAM, WEST COAST CURE, OAKFRUITLAND, DIME, BLOOM, STIIIZY, RAW GARDEN, TRADITIONAL, SLUGGERS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNUG carries and retails products from various third-party cannabis brands including EUREKA, LIME, TURN, CLAYBOURNE, CAKE, CAM, WEST COAST CURE, OAKFRUITLAND, DIME, BLOOM, STIIIZY, RAW GARDEN, TRADITIONAL, and SLUGGERS. These are displayed as partner brand logos on the NUG website, indicating a curated retail distribution relationship.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

NUG competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Cookies: California-originated cannabis brand and retail operator with flagship dispensaries in multiple states. Comparable to NUG in combining a branded product portfolio with company-owned dispensary retail, targeting premium/lifestyle consumers.
Caliva: California-based vertically integrated cannabis company operating retail dispensaries alongside its own house brands (Caliva, [budtender's choice]). Highly comparable to NUG as a California dispensary chain with proprietary branded products.
Harborside Inc. One of California's longest-tenured and largest licensed cannabis retailers, operating multiple dispensaries across the Bay Area and beyond. Directly comparable to NUG as a multi-store California dispensary chain serving both adult-use and medical consumers.
Eaze: California cannabis delivery and e-commerce platform connecting consumers with local dispensaries. Comparable to NUG as a California cannabis retailer, though Eaze is delivery-only whereas NUG operates physical storefronts — overlap is on the online/dispensary aggregation side.
Lowell Farms Co. California-based vertically integrated cannabis operator combining cultivation, branded products, and retail (formerly Lowell Cafe). Comparable to NUG as a California-centric cannabis operator with own-brand products sold through retail and wholesale channels.

Emerging players

STIIIZY: California-headquartered cannabis brand (vapes, flower, pre-rolls) that has expanded into its own retail STIIIZY stores. Comparable to NUG both as a partner/brand NUG carries and as a vertically integrated California cannabis retailer now operating company-owned dispensaries.

Broad incumbents

Curaleaf Holdings: One of the largest U.S. multi-state cannabis operators with retail, cultivation, and branded products. Comparable to NUG as a vertically integrated cannabis retailer, though at substantially larger public-company scale and national footprint.
MedMen Enterprises: Historically one of the most prominent multi-state cannabis retailers with flagship California locations. Comparable to NUG as a California-anchored dispensary operator, though MedMen operates at significantly broader multi-state scale.
Green Thumb Industries: U.S. multi-state cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retail operator (Rise Dispensaries). Comparable to NUG as a cannabis retailer with branded products, though at much broader national scale and public-company scale.

Others

Dutchie: Cannabis e-commerce and POS technology platform powering online ordering and checkout for many U.S. dispensaries. Comparable to NUG as an enabling technology layer in cannabis retail, though Dutchie is a SaaS provider rather than a direct retail competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

NUG financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

NUG leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

NUG funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

NUG M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NUG

What does NUG do?

Is NUG a public or private company?

NUG is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.

When was NUG founded?

NUG was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is NUG based?

NUG is headquartered in Alameda, United States, in the North America region.

How does NUG make money?

One revenue line is on record: retail Cannabis Sales.

Who are NUG's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Cookies, Caliva, Harborside Inc., Eaze and Lowell Farms Co.. STIIIZY is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Curaleaf Holdings, MedMen Enterprises and Green Thumb Industries. Dutchie is listed as an others.

Does NUG have an API?

No public API is recorded for NUG.

What industry is NUG in?

NUG's product category is Cannabis Retail Dispensary. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANAFAH, Cannabis Dispensary + Ancillary Retail (Accessories, CBD/Hemp, Merchandise), with a secondary code of CRANAGAC, Cannabis Online Ordering for Dispensary Pickup (Click-and-Collect). Its NAICS code is 456199 and its SIC code is 5912.