Illicit Gardens is shaking things up in Lafayette, breathing new life into the former Harmony ATC facility with grow knowledge and dedication from Missouri, where they’ve also taken a recently-legal state by storm. We sat down with Jon Bond, Illicit’s Chief Revenue Officer, to talk about their mission and passion for growing and crafting sustainable cannabis.
Growing Beyond Borders
With nearly a decade in the Missouri market, Jon and his team are bringing their expertise to NJ. “We see NJ and Missouri as one big ecosystem,” Jon shares. “There’s a lot of team that travels out back and forth between the two.”
For Illicit, “It all starts in the grow and everything comes after that,” he adds. “We have a lot of love and effort into growing quality, sustainable cannabis. It’s been a lot of fun. People passionate about getting the best products and consumer experience out there.”
Clean Green is the Dream
In Missouri, Illicit stands apart. “We’re one of the only cannabis companies with it (Clean Green Certified Cannabis)…and it’s one of the hardest certifications to have and it’s the highest, like FDA certified US agricultural certification to have.”
Think of Clean Green Certification as the closest legal equivalent to USDA organic cannabis. Since cannabis isn’t federally legal, it is not eligible for USDA organic certification. Clean Green is a third-party program that guarantees your flower is grown at least as clean as the organic produce at your local market.
Pursuing certification in New Jersey was a no-brainer for them. “We’re fanatical about the details and cleanliness of the grow and the quality of our products. You won’t ever walk in our facility and see hoses on the ground and water everywhere.”
Freedoms Campaign: Standing with Cannabis POWs
It’s not just about selling legal cannabis—it’s about raising awareness and taking action for those still locked up for doing what’s now making others millions. “We’re actively involved with efforts to right the wrong both financially and with our time. The reason why we named our company illicit is because we wanted to draw attention to the fact there’s still 40,000 people in prison for nonviolent cannabis crimes.” To date, Illicit has contributed more than $100,000 toward freeing what they term “Prisoners of War” (the War on Drugs).
In New Jersey, “We have Donte West on our team. He’s one of the cannabis prisoners that we supported in getting out of incarceration and we’re helping him get a store open in New Jersey.”
Check out more POWs stories here
Partners Who Get It
We’re all about teaming up with brands like Illicit who share our vibe and grow some great weed. They see dispensaries as an extension of their brand. “I love stopping into the stores,” Jon says. “We want people that are going to be great stewards of our products. We always send a decent amount of samples, so they can try them. And honestly, over half of every transaction is influenced by a budtender.”
Note to our Community 💌
“We just really appreciate the support, and we see it as a privilege to be here. We’re proud of the products we have gotten into the market so far—but we know as we continue to turn the facility around, the products will keep improving—and we’re getting better every day.”
Is there anyone you would like to shout out in the NJ Cannabis Community? 💚
”I’m really impressed with the Garden Greens guys. I like their culture. They have a great team and really good weed.”
