Back at it with Cultivated Media this week and by popular demand we’re continuing The Challenger Brands series and updating New York’s most recent brands to watch. Once per month our team will focus on a single market and identify the current Challenger Brands in each of the dominant top level categories: Flower, Pre-Roll, Vapes, Edibles and Concentrates. Challenger Brands are brands that are moving up the category charts and challenging the top 10. As New York cannabis becomes more and more competitive, looking beyond the top 10 brands becomes more and more important for retailers looking to stand out and offer high quality variety to their customers. These are the brands that have shown staying power and upward trajectory in their respective categories. This month we’re refreshing the New York challenger brands and it’s clear that West Coast brands are starting to make their presence known across the board. California brand Smoakland Supply Co. has crashed the scene to challenge the almighty flower category while Rove throws its weight on yet another category in NY, pre-rolls. Vapes has another NY brand emerging as a top player in Hashtag Honey, while out of state brands like Dime Industries and Mfused continue their expansion in the state. The edibles category is starting to heat up as powerhouse edibles brands Green Thumb Industries (GTI) Incredibles and Smokiez Handcrafted Edibles are now challenging the top spots. Next month we’ll skip over the river for a check in on New Jersey’s challenger brands.