The U.S. cannabis industry continues its expansion throughout the U.S., and in turn, new residents across the country are able to explore options that were previously only available out of state.
TICAL, the cannabis brand of Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man and named for his first solo album (which stands for Taking Into Consideration All Lives), first launched in California back in 2020. Today, the fast-growing brand has a presence in 11 total state markets and most recently launched in New Mexico.
Last week, TICAL announced in a news release that its products would be available for adult use in Carlsbad, New Mexico in partnership with Cave City Cannabis, with more stores and expanded availability to come.
Cave City Cannabis Co-founder Ryan Echavarria cited Method Man and Wu-Tang Clan’s “beloved fanbase” in New Mexico, adding, “The opportunity to work alongside Meth and his team at TICAL Official will have a very positive impact on the state and we ‘re excited to move things forward.”
Nathaniel “Nutta” Vereen, co-founder at TICAL Official, similarly nodded to the love that New Mexico has shown to Method Man and the TICAL family over two decades, highlighting his appreciation for the continued support.
“As we continue to grow across the US, it’s incredibly meaningful to finally land in New Mexico as well. Very excited to celebrate this weekend with our retail partners, and Method Man and Redman,” Vereen said.
The launch includes eighths of The Method, Iron Lung and Love Jones, with pre-rolls of the aforementioned and Hash Holes to follow. Altitude Cannabis, High Altitude Exotics, Roadrunner and Hashtag Cannabis are the participating dispensaries carrying TICAL.
TICAL is based in New York and, true to Method Man’s overarching brand and ethos, looks toward “all street intellectually inclined cannabis enthusiasts who embody music, art, fashion, sneakers and subculture.”
Among the ever-growing list of celebrities with cannabis brands, Method Man has remained a cannabis advocate well before reform took hold in the West. His album “Tical,” for which his brand is named, had a number of songs discussing his cannabis consumption, not to mention the collection of weed-focused lines and tracks from Wu-Tang Clan.
“TICAL is so much more than just a cannabis brand, it’s a movement. It’s a group of guys dedicated to doing right by a loyal friend in Method Man, while also helping people have access to the medicine they need in states that it’s allowed to be legally sold in,” Vereen told Forbes earlier this year.
“We are the American dream,” Method Man told the publication. “The brand is getting bigger and bigger. And the fact that a kid used to get locked up for this shit, he’s now a proprietor… a proprietor of the substance that was the bane of his existence. Which is great, man. I see big things for us.”
In that, many cannabis businesses and professionals resonate with TICAL’s aims, namely that the brand keeps a pulse on the current culture with an emphasis on equity and justice as it pertains to cannabis and the growing market.
“As a family-owned and proud minority-owned business, we find it refreshing that TICAL, an industry giant, has chosen to join forces with a local privately-held economic empowerment license holder,” said Jeff Similien, CEO and owner of the Boston-based LowKey Dispensary, at the time of the brand’s Massachusetts launch. “Our shared vision of delivering top-notch products to the people, uniting music, art, cannabis and community as a way of life aligns with TICAL’s mantra ‘taking into consideration all lives.’ We look forward to growing our brands together, supporting one another, and leveling up into the future.”
It’s been a busy few months for Method Man and TICAL. In addition to the New Mexico market launch, the brand made its debut in Massachusetts and Rhode Island last month, debuted in Missouri in October and launched in New York (specifically Method Man’s hometown of New York City) in September.
