[August 02, 2014]

Leafly Places Nation's First Cannabis Company Advertisement in The New York Times Print Edition

Today Leafly, the world's largest information resource for cannabis, became the first cannabis company to place a full-page advertisement in The New York Times, with a print advertisement in the Main News section of the Sunday Edition.

Leafly Places Nation's First Cannabis Company Advertisement in The New York Times Print Edition (Photo: Business Wire)

New York recently became the 23^rd state to legalize medical cannabis when Governor Cuomo signed the Compassionate Care Act into law on July 7. Patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other conditions will be able to access cannabis. Polls conducted by Quinnipiac University and Siena Research Institute showed that more than 80 percent of New York voters were in support of legalization.

"We're in full support of New York's Compassionate Care Act," said Brendan Kennedy, CEO of Leafly. "As the walls of prohibition crumble, patients need the type of reliable, mainstream information about cannabis that only Leafly provides. Eight out of ten Americans agree that medical cannabis should be legal for patients," said Kennedy. "Leafly is here for those patients."

Cannabis varieties can have dramatically different effects - some are energizing and can address the effects of chemotherapy, while others are calming and can help with conditions like anxiety or PTSD. Leafly's thousands of reviews help consumers, patients and doctors understand whether a particular variety is right for their needs.

Leafly's advertisement comes on the heels of the New York Times' July 26 editorial supporting the legalization of cannabis and criticizing the social and economic costs of prohibition.

"Our advertisement in The New York Times is a responsible, mainstream message that elevates the conversation about cannabis in the U.S.," said Kennedy. "With cannabis now legal for patients in 23 states, Americans need professional, educational resources to help them navigate the changing legal, medical and social landscape."

Leafly helps responsible cannabis consumers and patients learn about different cannabis strains and products, their effects, and the best dispensaries and retail outlets. Leafly also connects cannabis patients with doctors. Leafly includes more than 100,000 user-generated reviews of more than 800 cannabis strains and thousands of dispensaries around the world. Through its website and mobile apps, Leafly hosts more than four million visitors each month. The Leafly app has been downloaded 1.6 million times.

Based in Seattle, Washington, Leafly is a global company, with top visitors coming from the U.S., Canada, U.K., Spain, and Australia. This year Leafly launched Canada-specific versions of its website in both English at Leafly.ca, and French at fr.leafly.ca, and also introduced Leafly.es in Spanish.

Leafly is backed by Privateer Holdings, the first private equity firm investing in the legal cannabis industry. Privateer Holdings has raised $22 million from private investors, and will close on $50 million in additional funds by third quarter 2014. In addition to Leafly, Privateer Holdings' portfolio includes Tilray, which holds a license from the Canadian government to grow and ship medical cannabis to Canadian patients. Tilray operates the world's largest federally legal cannabis growing facility - a $20 million, 60,000-square-foot facility in British Columbia.

Leafly can be accessed online at Leafly.com. The five-star rated Leafly mobile app is available for free download through Apple's (News - Alert) App Store and Google Play.

Leafly is the leading online information and education resource for cannabis consumers. Through Leafly, millions of visitors per month research strains of cannabis that will best meet their needs, access user-generated reviews of more than 800 cannabis strains and thousands of dispensaries, and follow news and culture content intended for everyone from first-time medical cannabis patients to the sophisticated connoisseur. To learn more, visit www.leafly.com or download the app through Apple's App Store or Google Play.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140802005021/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]