Renowned cannabis brands fall into three groups: multistate operators, regional lifestyle labels, and hemp CBD companies. Each group sells different products and follows different rules.
Multistate operators
These companies hold licenses in several states and trade on public exchanges.
Popular Cannabis Companies: How to Check Lab Reports and Licenses
- Curaleaf: founded 2010 in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Trades as CURL on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
- Green Thumb Industries: founded 2014 in Chicago. Runs RISE dispensaries.
- Trulieve: founded 2015 in Quincy, Florida. Holds the largest retail share in Florida.
- Cresco Labs: founded 2013 in Chicago. Runs Sunnyside stores.
- Canopy Growth: founded 2013 in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Sells Tweed, Tokyo Smoke, and other lines.
- Tilray: founded 2013 in Canada. Merged with Aphria in 2021.
Regional and lifestyle brands
Cookies started in San Francisco in 2010 and sells flower, vapes, and clothing through licensed stores in several states. MedMen, founded in 2010 in Culver City, California, sold stores and assets after losses in 2023.
Hemp CBD brands
- Charlotte's Web: founded 2013 in Colorado by the Stanley brothers. Named for Charlotte Figi.
- Lazarus Naturals: founded 2014 in Portland, Oregon. Runs an assistance program with reduced prices.
- CBDistillery: founded 2016 in Denver, Colorado.
- Joy Organics: founded 2018.
What a lab report covers
Hemp CBD bottles carry a batch number. That batch number matches a certificate of analysis. A full report lists cannabinoid potency, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and microbials. Labs that hold ISO 17025 accreditation publish their test methods.
Federal law sets the delta-9 THC limit for hemp at 0.3% on a dry weight basis. A CBD product above that limit is not hemp under federal rules.
GW Pharmaceuticals gained FDA approval for Epidiolex in 2018 for two seizure conditions. That drug is a prescription medicine, not a supplement.
How brand rankings get built
BDSA and Leafly publish market share data each year. State regulators publish license lists and recall notices. A brand name alone says little about a specific jar. Check the batch report for the product in hand.