Illicit Gardens Dispensary

What Illicit Gardens Dispensary does

Illicit Gardens Dispensary is a privately held cannabis retailer operating two retail locations in northern New Jersey (Secaucus and Carlstadt), founded in 2020. The company serves both adult-use recreational customers and medical cannabis patients through in-store sales, online ordering, and a customer loyalty program.

The company sells a mix of its own house brand "ILLICIT" and curated third-party products, with a reported genetic library spanning 30+ strains and a shelf assortment of 25+ partner brands. This branded-plus-third-party model allows Illicit Gardens to capture both proprietary margin and category breadth without bearing full cultivation risk. The genetic library suggests some degree of in-house or contracted cultivation input, though the company is fundamentally a retail-led dispensary rather than a vertical operator.

The business model is straightforward retail: per-transaction dispensary sales of regulated cannabis products, supplemented by online ordering for pickup convenience and a loyalty program to drive repeat purchase. Headcount of 101–250 employees is consistent with a multi-location retail operation including budtenders, management, and back-office functions. The company has also positioned itself as a community-oriented operator, reporting more than $400,000 in cumulative donations since 2020.

Name

Illicit Gardens Dispensary

Legal name

Illicit Gardens Secaucus Rec and its affiliates

Website

https://www.illicitgardens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Illicit Gardens Dispensary is a privately held New Jersey cannabis retailer operating two dispensary locations in Secaucus and Carlstadt, serving adult-use and medical cannabis patients via in-store sales, online ordering, and a loyalty program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cannabis Retail Dispensary

NAICS

Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (45611)

SIC

Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro primary industry

Cannabis Dispensary + Delivery/Online Pickup (Omnichannel Retail) (CRANAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CRANAFAB), Adult-Use (Recreational) Cannabis Dispensaries (CRANAFAA), Cannabis Dispensary + Ancillary Retail (Accessories, CBD/Hemp, Merchandise) (CRANAFAH)

Keywords

• Cannabis dispensary retail
• Recreational cannabis sales
• Medical cannabis products
• Cannabis flower menu
• Cannabis concentrates retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Secaucus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Cannabis Sales: Direct retail sales of cannabis products including flower, pre-rolls, vaporizers, edibles, concentrates, topicals, tinctures, CBD products, and accessories. Products are sold in-store at two physical dispensary locations in New Jersey. Online ordering available for pickup.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Illicit Gardens Dispensary operates licensed retail cannabis dispensaries in Secaucus and Carlstadt, NJ, selling flower, pre-rolls, vaporizers, edibles, concentrates, topicals, tinctures, CBD products, and accessories to adult-use recreational customers (21+) and medical cannabis patients. The dispensary carries its proprietary ILLICIT house brand alongside a multi-brand portfolio and operates an online menu with order-ahead pickup.

Product overview

Illicit Gardens Dispensary operates as a licensed recreational and medical cannabis dispensary with two New Jersey locations (Secaucus and Carlstadt). The product portfolio centers on a diverse cannabis retail offering organized across core categories: Flower (Indica, Sativa, Hybrid strains), Pre-Rolls (singles, packs, infused), Vaporizers (cartridges and disposables), Edibles (gummies, chocolates, drinks), Concentrates (live resin, rosin, shatter, badder), Topicals, Tinctures, CBD Products, and Accessories. The ILLICIT house brand provides proprietary products including flower, pre-rolls, vapes, and edibles. The dispensary complements its house brand with an extensive selection from third-party brands including Rove, Joy Stick, Grön, Verano, Highsman, Botanist, and approximately 25+ other cannabis brands. Additional services include an online menu with order-ahead pickup, and a rewards/loyalty program. The company also offers cannabis education content through its blog.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ILLICIT: House brand featuring premium cannabis products including flower, vapes, concentrates, and edibles. The company's proprietary brand with strains like Animal Star Cookies, Dawg Lemons, Chem Butter, Grapezilla, and Diamond Infused.
• Highsman
• Grön
• Cookies
• Botanist
• CCell

Products and services

• Tinctures Liquid cannabis extracts typically administered under the tongue for fast absorption.
• Flower Dried cannabis buds in Indica, Sativa, and hybrid varieties, offered as a standalone retail category with strains including Animal Star Cookies, Dawg Lemons, Chem Butter, Gorilla Pie, Diamond Infused, Grapezilla, Banana Fosters, and Blue Limeade for adult-use and medical cannabis customers.
• Pre-Rolls Pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes available as singles, packs, and infused varieties, including products such as Frozen Margarita, Silk Road, Guava Jam, and Illicit-branded Smokos.
• Vaporizers Cannabis vape products including 510-thread cartridges, disposable vape pens, live resin carts, and live resin disposables from brands such as Rove, Joy Stick, and Illicit.
• Edibles Cannabis-infused food and beverage products including gummies, chocolates, chews, and drinks from brands such as Grön, Wana, Wyld, Botanist, Good Tide, and Illicit.
• Concentrates High-potency cannabis extracts including live resin, rosin, shatter, badder, wax, and solventless extracts.
• Topicals Cannabis-infused lotions, balms, and salves applied directly to the skin for localized relief without psychoactive effects.
• CBD Products Non-intoxicating cannabis products containing CBD, available in various forms including oils, tinctures, capsules, edibles, and topicals.
• Accessories Cannabis paraphernalia including rolling supplies, grinders, dab tools, and other smoking accessories.
• ILLICIT Brand Products The dispensary's proprietary house brand of cannabis products including flower, pre-rolls, vape cartridges, disposables, and edibles such as Banana Fosters Soft Caramels.
• Merch Branded merchandise including apparel and promotional items.
• Online Menu and Order-Ahead Web-based platform allowing customers to browse the live cannabis menu, place product orders for in-store pickup, and view current specials and promotions.
• Rewards Program Loyalty program allowing customers to earn points on every purchase and redeem for free product, with exclusive offers and deals for program members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 strains available through premier genetic library
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Last Prisoner ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with Last Prisoner Project, an advocacy organization with the mission to release cannabis prisoners. ILLICIT works with local and national advocacy groups to support the release of cannabis POWs. The company has donated over $400,000 since 2020 to support this cause.
• Canna Convict ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with Canna Convict Project, an organization assisting non-violent cannabis inmates in Missouri with their release from prison and reintegration back into society. ILLICIT supports this organization through donations as part of their advocacy efforts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Curaleaf: Multi-state cannabis operator with significant New Jersey retail footprint. Comparable as a competing NJ dispensary operator serving both adult-use and medical patients, though Curaleaf operates at vastly greater scale across multiple states.
• Green Thumb Industries (GTI): Multi-state cannabis operator whose brands (e.g., RISE, gti.) are sold at Illicit Gardens. Directly comparable as a competing NJ dispensary and brand supplier, with substantial scale and product portfolio overlap.
• Verano Holdings: Multi-state cannabis operator with NJ retail presence and a brand portfolio (including ones stocked at Illicit Gardens such as Verano flower and pre-rolls). Comparable as both a direct retail competitor and wholesale brand supplier.
• AYR Wellness: Multi-state cannabis operator with NJ retail presence under brands such as Botanist. Comparable as both a competing dispensary operator and a wholesale supplier whose Botanist products are stocked at Illicit Gardens.
• The Botanist: Cannabis retail and brand operator under AYR Wellness, with products stocked at Illicit Gardens. Comparable as a vertically integrated retail-plus-brand competitor operating in NJ.

Direct peers

• Cookies: Premium cannabis brand and licensed retail operator. Comparable because Cookies-branded products are sold at Illicit Gardens and Cookies operates competing dispensary locations, with overlap in strain selection, brand-forward positioning, and target demographics.
• Rove: Cannabis vape and pre-roll brand featured at Illicit Gardens (Ready-To-Use Live Resin Diamond Vaporizers, Ice Pack Rosin Infused Pre-Rolls). Comparable as a competing vape/pre-roll brand with similar premium positioning and channel strategy.
• Highsman: Cannabis lifestyle brand carried at Illicit Gardens (with dedicated 25% off promotion). Comparable as a niche premium brand competing for the same adult-use recreational consumer in NJ retail.
• Grön: Cannabis edibles and concentrates brand (Live Rosin Mega Pearl) sold at Illicit Gardens. Comparable as a premium edibles/concentrate competitor targeting the same adult-use consumer segment with similar SKU positioning.
• Joy Stick: Cannabis vape cartridge brand featured at Illicit Gardens (Tactical Tangie, Guava Glitch). Comparable as a premium 510-thread vape competitor with overlapping target consumer and channel placement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/igdnewjersey
• Facebookfacebook.com/illicitgardensdispensarynj
• Instagraminstagram.com/illicitgardensnj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illicit-gardens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Illicit Gardens Dispensary