Best Buds
Best Buds is a vertically integrated medical cannabis operator in Puerto Rico, operating a 50,000 sq ft indoor hydroponic cultivation facility, an in-house laboratory, and a retail dispensary network serving certified medical cannabis patients and qualified tourists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Juan, Puerto Rico
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Best Buds does
Best Buds is a vertically integrated medical cannabis operator headquartered in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, licensed for cultivation, in-house laboratory testing, and retail dispensary sales. Founded in 2018 by Griffin and Lance Kulick together with co-CEO Steven Edwards, the company controls the full seed-to-sale chain and sells exclusively to certified medical cannabis patients and visiting tourists with valid medical cannabis licenses.
The company's physical platform is anchored by a 50,000 sq ft indoor, fully automated, climate-controlled hydroponic cultivation facility — described as the largest known indoor cannabis cultivation in Puerto Rico — which produces a catalog of whole-flower SKUs sold by weight, proprietary concentrate formats (live sugar, cured sugar, live badder, cured badder), and a vaporizer line spanning all-in-one disposables including a dual-chamber two-gram device, alongside live resin, distillate, and cured resin cartridges. Each batch is independently lab-tested, with hand trimming, dedicated strain-specific drying rooms, and humidity-controlled packaging. The company has developed a library of proprietary genetics (Horchata, Mango Mintality, Zeal, Han Solo Burger, Black Cherry Gelato, Cap Junky, Lemon Squirt, Hash Burger) and its whole flower is described as award-winning, though the awarding body is not disclosed.
Commercially, Best Buds sells directly through six owned dispensaries (Vega Baja, Hatillo, Cabo Rojo, Caguas Town Center, Ponce, and Cidra) with three additional locations in Bayamón, Utuado, and Guayama planned, supported by online pre-ordering per location. Distribution is broadened by a wholesale channel of more than 150 third-party partner dispensaries, including named operators such as Emerald Fields, Be Well, Farma Verde, Cannacity, and Weedco, surfaced to consumers through the Bud Finder tool. Marketing is concentrated in owned digital channels (website, Instagram, email) with in-store staff-led consultative selling as the primary conversion point. Pricing is unit-based by weight or per device, with a promotional $100-per-ounce popcorn bud offer as the only publicly disclosed price point.
Best Buds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Best Buds
- Legal name
- Best Buds
- Website
- https://bestbudspr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Best Buds is a vertically integrated medical cannabis operator in Puerto Rico, operating a 50,000 sq ft indoor hydroponic cultivation facility, an in-house laboratory, and a retail dispensary network serving certified medical cannabis patients and qualified tourists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Best Buds industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medical Cannabis
- NAICS
- Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)
- SIC
- Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CRANAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cannabis Dispensary + Delivery/Online Pickup (Omnichannel Retail) (CRANAFAG), Cannabis Dispensary + Ancillary Retail (Accessories, CBD/Hemp, Merchandise) (CRANAFAH)
Keywords
Where Best Buds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Juan
- HQ country
- Puerto Rico
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices10 records
Markets served
Best Buds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Cannabis Retail Sales: Direct retail sales of cannabis products to medical cannabis patients through owned dispensaries and partner retailers. Products include whole flower, popcorn buds, vape products (all-in-one disposables and cartridges), concentrates (live sugar, live badder, cured badder, cured sugar), and edibles.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Whole Flower |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Popcorn Buds Special |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vaporizer Products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Concentrates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Best Buds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Best Buds operates a vertically integrated medical cannabis business in Puerto Rico, cultivating premium cannabis in a 50,000 sq ft indoor facility and selling a range of manufactured products (whole flower, popcorn buds, vaporizers, concentrates) directly to medical cannabis patients through its own retail dispensaries and a network of 150+ partner dispensaries. The company also facilitates medical marijuana certification services for new patients.
Product overview
Best Buds is a medical cannabis dispensary operating a vertically integrated business from seed to sale in Puerto Rico. The company offers a diverse portfolio of cannabis products organized into three main categories: Whole Flower (available in various weights), Vaporizers (including All-In-One devices and Cartridges in multiple extract types: Live Resin, Distillate, Cured Resin, and the new Dual Chamber format), and Concentrates (Live Sugar, Cured Sugar, Live Badder, Cured Badder). Additionally, the company operates multiple dispensary locations across Puerto Rico and provides medical marijuana certification services. Products are manufactured in-house using cannabis grown in their 50,000 square foot indoor cultivation facility using organic and natural processes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Whole Flower Cannabis flower grown using hand-selected premium genetics, organic pest control, and purified water, available in 1/8 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz weights for medical cannabis patients in Puerto Rico.
- Popcorn Buds Smaller cannabis flower buds sold at a reduced price point, promoted at 1 ounce for $100 every day at all dispensary locations.
- Dual Chamber All-In-One Vape Disposable dual chamber 2-gram cannabis vaporizer allowing users to switch between two distinct strains or flavors in one portable device.
- Live Resin All-In-One Vape All-in-one vaporizer product using live resin cannabis extract for a versatile vaping experience for medical cannabis patients.
- Distillate All-In-One Vape All-in-one vaporizer product using cannabis distillate extract for medical cannabis patients.
- Cured Resin All-In-One Vape All-in-one vaporizer product using cured resin cannabis extract for medical cannabis patients.
- Distillate Cartridge Cannabis vape cartridge using distillate extract for use with compatible 510-thread batteries.
- Live Resin Cartridge Cannabis vape cartridge using live resin extract for use with compatible 510-thread batteries.
- Cured Resin Cartridge Cannabis vape cartridge using cured resin extract for use with compatible 510-thread batteries.
- Live Sugar Concentrate Cannabis concentrate with crystalline texture and vibrant terpenes derived from fresh frozen cannabis, available in 1 gram.
- Cured Sugar Concentrate Cured cannabis concentrate with crystalline texture and rich flavor profile derived from carefully cured cannabis.
- Live Badder Concentrate Cannabis concentrate product from fresh frozen cannabis material with a soft, badder-like consistency.
- Cured Badder Concentrate Cured cannabis concentrate product with a soft, badder-like consistency.
- Medical Cannabis Certification Service facilitating medical marijuana certification for Puerto Rico residents and visiting tourists with valid medical cannabis licenses from their home jurisdictions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% natural and organic cultivation process with independent lab testing for product consistency
Companies that use Best Buds
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Best Buds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Best Buds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- 150+ Partner Dispensaries Across Puerto RicocoreBest Buds distributes its products through a network of over 150 third-party partner dispensaries and retailers across Puerto Rico. Partners include Emerald Fields Cannabis Wellness Center (Aguada), Be Well dispensaries (multiple locations), Farma Verde (multiple locations), Cannacity (multiple locations), Weedco (multiple locations), High Quality Cannabliss, and many others. Products are discoverable through Best Buds' Bud Finder tool.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Best Buds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Farma Verde (Puerto Rico): Multi-location PR cannabis dispensary chain that partners with Best Buds for distribution while also operating competing storefronts — same vertically-comparable business model and target patient base.
- Weedco (Puerto Rico): Puerto Rico medical cannabis dispensary chain that both stocks Best Buds products and competes for the same licensed patient pool with a comparable product mix.
- Emerald Fields Cannabis Wellness Center: Puerto Rico medical cannabis dispensary chain that both carries Best Buds products as a wholesale partner and competes with Best Buds' own retail locations in overlapping geographies such as Aguada — a direct competitor-supplier overlap.
- High Quality Cannabliss: PR medical cannabis dispensary that lists Best Buds as a distribution partner; directly comparable single-jurisdiction dispensary competitor with overlapping product offering.
- Be Well Dispensaries (Puerto Rico): Multi-location PR medical cannabis dispensary operator that distributes Best Buds product across its stores and competes head-to-head in similar patient demographics.
- Cannacity (Puerto Rico): PR cannabis dispensary operating multiple locations, listed as a Best Buds distribution partner; offers similar flower, vaporizer, and concentrate assortments to medical patients.
Broad incumbents
- Curaleaf Holdings: Largest US multi-state cannabis operator with vertically integrated cultivation, processing, and retail; relevant as a public-market comp for Best Buds' vertical integration and dispensary-rollout playbook, though at vastly larger scale.
- Trulieve Cannabis: Vertically integrated US cannabis MSO with strong retail footprint and in-house cultivation; comparable business model (seed-to-sale) to Best Buds, useful as a scaled reference for unit economics.
- Green Thumb Industries (GTI): US multi-state cannabis operator combining cultivation, processing, and retail; serves as a comparable vertically integrated benchmark for Best Buds' growth trajectory.
Emerging players
- Cookies Cannabis: Cannabis brand and retail operator built around proprietary genetics and lifestyle positioning; comparable to Best Buds in brand- and genetics-led differentiation, though operating primarily in US state-legal markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Best Buds social profiles
Digital presenceBest Buds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Best Buds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Best Buds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Best Buds M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Best Buds
What does Best Buds do?
Best Buds operates a vertically integrated medical cannabis business in Puerto Rico, cultivating premium cannabis in a 50,000 sq ft indoor facility and selling a range of manufactured products (whole flower, popcorn buds, vaporizers, concentrates) directly to medical cannabis patients through its own retail dispensaries and a network of 150+ partner dispensaries. The company also facilitates medical marijuana certification services for new patients.
Is Best Buds a public or private company?
Best Buds is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Best Buds founded?
Best Buds was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Best Buds based?
Best Buds is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the Latin America region.
How does Best Buds make money?
One revenue line is on record: cannabis Retail Sales.
Who are Best Buds's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Farma Verde (Puerto Rico), Weedco (Puerto Rico), Emerald Fields Cannabis Wellness Center, High Quality Cannabliss, Be Well Dispensaries (Puerto Rico) and Cannacity (Puerto Rico). Broad incumbents are Curaleaf Holdings, Trulieve Cannabis and Green Thumb Industries (GTI). Cookies Cannabis is listed as an emerging player.
Does Best Buds have an API?
No public API is recorded for Best Buds.
What industry is Best Buds in?
Best Buds's product category is Medical Cannabis. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANAFAB, Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, with a secondary code of CRANAFAG, Cannabis Dispensary + Delivery/Online Pickup (Omnichannel Retail). Its NAICS code is 325411 and its SIC code is 2833.