The Long Game. 🎯
Dr. Dankenstein is not just a grower—he is the bridge between New York's agricultural heritage and its emerging legal cannabis culture.
Three New Yorks
"There is almost like three New Yorks. There is New York City—the true New York—and then you got like the two Upstates. You got Buffalo and Syracuse... and then you got the Hudson Valley."
Dr. Dankenstein emerged from the part of New York that most people forget exists. Not the city. Not the suburbs. The agricultural heart of the state—where generations of farmers have worked the land.
"It's so spread out... you have like the Buffalo crew, but it's 100 miles away from the Syracuse crew. That's what makes Upstate different."
— Dr. Dankenstein on Upstate Culture
From Hemp Fields To The Table
Dr. Dankenstein's path to the legal market came through advocacy. When hemp farmers began lobbying for cultivation licenses, Dank was among those who pushed for legacy operators to be included in the conversation.
This organizing work connected him to Damian Fagon—then at CANY, later Chief Equity Officer at OCM—and eventually to The Kolektor and the broader NYC scene. Upstate and downstate, finally at the same table.
Balance Over Burnout
Dr. Dankenstein's approach to cannabis has evolved. He's moved toward evening-only consumption—reserving the plant for after workouts rather than throughout the day.
This reflects a maturation in the space: the acknowledgment that even plant medicine requires intentional consumption. Dank represents the grower who's been in the game long enough to understand that longevity requires balance.
Study The Greats, Add Your Own Sauce
"I looked at how Jungle Boys and all these big popular brands in California were going with the branding—branding the strains and then branding themselves as growers. They were not just a retailer or a middleman."
Ted Lidie from Alien Labs became a north star. "He had a garage. He was growing in a garage and blew up to this multi-million dollar brand. That is all the motivation I needed."
"You can be a micro and still grow bad weed. Not all are created equally. Craft is about quality more than anything else."
— On Defining Craft
The Upstate Voice
Dank champions Upstate growers who represent the best of regional cultivation— from the Finger Lakes to the Adirondacks. His perspective on the licensed market is grounded in Upstate realities.
The region faces different challenges: longer distances to retailers, outdoor cultivation traditions that don't always align with indoor-focused regulations, and communities where cannabis has been part of agricultural life for generations.
The 4DD
Every grower has their calling card. For Dr. Dankenstein, it is the 4DD—a Chem cross that has become his flagship.
"I cannot wait to put it into the legal market because it is the best weed I have smoked... the terp profile is something special."
What I Stand For
Find Dr. Dankenstein Near You.
Available at select dispensaries across New York State.
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