It doesn’t matter whether you work in the cannabis industry or if you simply benefit from it with new products, it’s not a secret that the industry is on an incredibly accelerated growth spurt. Especially since the 2018 Farm Bill passed that declared hemp-derived CBD a federally legal substance. Not to mention the November 2020 elections that saw all 9 states in the U.S. that were up for cannabis related votes pass.

This has not only triggered a rise in new product launches and innovations, but also an exciting new lineup of brands taking their first steps in a relatively new market. Whether it’s classic brands or entirely new ones, we’ve decided to make a list of the names that are leading the game. Here’s a 101 on the cannabis brands you should know going into 2021.

All the brands on the list have been selected using the help of The Pioneer Intelligence Index and validated by Herb regarding what we believe to be important in a cannabis brand.

Trulieve is a holistically structured company that doesn’t only focus on providing you with high quality products, but also connects you with trustworthy licensed physicians that can point you in the right direction in terms of using cannabis as a medicine. They have shops located in Florida, California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, all offering free shipping for customers over 65+ years of age and for orders over $200+.

Curaleaf is dedicated to being your guide in a fairly new and sometimes confusing industry. They are on a mission to help cannabis enthusiasts improve their consumption practices and help you locate nearby dispensaries with delivery and curb-side pick up services. Curaleaf are cultivators, innovators, and act as a matchmaker between you and a product that fits your needs.

Select is a renowned cannabis vape brand, perhaps one of the first to guarantee safe cannabis vaping. If you’re looking for a cannabis vape brand you can trust in terms of safety and quality, then Select is the way to go. However, they also offer a variety of edibles and tinctures.

Kiva Confections has an enticing lineup of brands that include cannabis gummies, mints, chocolate bars, all sorts of bites and chews. Besides the variety of product and brand options, Kiva Confections also provides a virtual budtender service to connect you with the right product that may provide the experience you’re looking for.

GLeaf is an online cannabis distributor for qualifying patients in four states; Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia. They help you learn about qualifying medical conditions in your state of residence, they have a list of licensed doctors you can visit, and an incredibly large selection of cannabis flowers.

Foria is an innovative sexual health & wellness company that bases their product creation on the natural abilities of natural plant based ingredients. They try to take a holistic approach to manufacturing that includes sourcing, production, and ecologically minded packaging. Some of the Foria products include vape pens, lubricants, bath salts, and suppositories focused on enhancing the customer’s intimate experiences.

Wyld focuses their branding, merchandising, and product innovation on the outdoors minded consumer. Their product line up includes deliciously hand-crafted chocolates with real fruit and cannabis enhanced gummies specifically formulated for the ‘wyld’.

Grassroots Cannabis makes it easy to explore the cannabis industry and discover new strains. They also provide a steady stream of relevant ‘grassnews’ and a wide product line up that not only includes flowers but also other product categories  like concentrates, vapes, and edibles.

Cresco is on a mission to personalize, normalize, and revolutionize the cannabis industry. The keyword in this company motto is perhaps the first one; personalize. By designing profile specific products, Cresco is ensuring that every single type of customer is attended to properly, offering them a wide range of goods that fits their needs like a ring on a finger.

Verano Brands are available in Nevada, Illinois, and Maryland, with operations soon opening up in Ohio, Michigan, Puerto Rico, and the incredibly competitive California. Verano acts as a holding company to other enticing brands of cannabis infused edibles, topicals, and capsules that vary in medicinal and recreational ends.

Cookies controls their whole process from growth of plants to the launch and distribution of a new product. This enables them to offer a high-quality lineup of strain specific products. Cookies are incredibly innovative and they seem to be taking steps to a holistically psychedelic future that includes not only marijuana but also other coveted products like mushrooms.

Based out of Colorado, Wana Brands has one goal in mind; enhancing your life physically, creatively, and emotionally by enabling you to consume cannabis responsibly. 

Cann Group develops safe and reliable medicinal cannabis products for Australian patients. Cann was the first Australian Cannabis to receive a license, which makes them a true pioneer in the Australian continent.

Lowell Herb Co. makes California’s best selling pre-roll, which should give you a clear idea of who you’re dealing with here; a company that takes their things seriously and with whom you will likely never have a quality complaint. However, Lowell is not just about pre-rolls, you may also find flowers, mints, hash, vaping products, and all types of concentrates.

Sira Naturals is a responsibly safe medical dispensary where you can find sustainably grown premium cannabis that has been grown with integrity. They have an incredibly ample brand portfolio, a vast amount of knowledge, and if you do not have a medical card then they can help point you in the right direction.

After his recent fight with former world champion Roy Jones Jr., Mike Tyson went on live T.V. to say that he had smoked weed every single day before the fight because ‘it’s a part of him’. If there is someone I want selling me cannabis it’s someone that lives it and takes it seriously. Tyson Ranch develops high quality buds and an incredible amount of apparel featuring the former Boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Stiiizy is not new on the Herb radar. In fact, we’re big fans of the Stiiizy pod system because it provides an easy and reliable way to consume various types of concentrate. Although their pods only work with the Stiiizy device and this might seem a little inconvenient at times, it also allows them to ensure an incredible smooth pull. Stiiizy also dabbles in edibles, flowers, and extracts, which makes us excited to see what they’re planning for 2021. 

Old Pal is a brand with a friendly next door neighbor with a home grown garden vibe to it. Their vision is literally ‘it’s just weed, man’. The cannabis grown by Old Pal is all-natural, sunkissed, and rain watered. In an industry and world that seems to rely so heavily on technology advancements, it’s nice to see a brand that can live in that world and still try to stay true to their essence.

Grow Healthy offers cannabis products and infused goods with a modality for nearly every personality. Based out of Florida, Grow Healthy features an easy 3-step process to make you a legal customer; they guide you in becoming a patient, then you just need to place an order with them, and voila, get to smoking.

Viola is a Washington State based brand co-led and founded by former NBA superstar; Al Harrington. Viola features high quality products that help achieve a larger than life purpose; positively impacting communities by reinvesting into those that have been most affected by the war on drugs. 

Curio is a Maryland-based cannabis company dedicated to providing safe, effective, and reliable cannabis for Marylanders. Their top products include sleep aids, fruit flavored chews, THC infused drink partnerships, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us for next year. 

Surterra is a medical cannabis dispensary that carries a wide range of cannabis product categories and brands in a single place. Surterra advocates frequently for more accessible cannabis and all their proprietary brand products are grown in their own facility under their professional surveillance.

Jungle Boys looks like the type of store you enter to buy a diamond grill and not a high quality cannabis bud. Nevertheless, they are also home to clean and impressively potent cannabis. Their mission is not only about growing and selling cannabis, it’s about setting a standard and educating the next generation of cannabis cultivators.

Connected Cannabis helps you stay connected to high-end products all over California by offering online orders in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Stockton. 

Tikun Olam likes to market themselves as ‘the most trusted name in cannabis’, and they sure feel like it. With over 15 years of research experience and an incredibly large patient database under their sleeve, Tikun Olam produces and distributes heirloom Israeli strains in all sorts of product categories.