When you pick up your favorite product at Air City Cannabis®, it’s easy to focus on the end result; the smooth pre-roll, the perfectly cured flower, or the tasty edible.

But have you ever wondered how that cannabis actually gets from a seed in the ground to our dispensary shelves here in Utica?

🌿 Step 1: Cultivation — Where It All Begins

Every cannabis product starts with one tiny seed.

Licensed cultivators across New York grow cannabis under carefully controlled conditions. These operations use specialized lighting, humidity control, and nutrient systems to produce consistent, healthy plants.

Growers focus on genetics, choosing strains that deliver unique flavors, aromas, and effects. From energizing sativas to relaxing indicas, it all starts with the right seed.

Once harvested, the plants are dried and cured to preserve flavor and potency before moving to the next stage.

🧪 Step 2: Testing for Quality and Safety

Before any cannabis product can reach a dispensary it must pass state-mandated lab testing.

Each batch is tested for:

• THC and CBD potency

• Pesticides and contaminants

• Microbial safety

• Terpene profile

Only products that meet New York State’s strict safety standards are cleared for retail sale. This ensures you’re getting clean, reliable cannabis every time you shop.

🏭 Step 3: Processing and Packaging

After testing, cannabis can be processed into different forms: flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, vapes, edibles, tinctures, and topicals.

Licensed processors handle this stage, crafting products that are precisely dosed and properly labeled. New York requires child-resistant, tamper-proof packaging with clear information on potency, ingredients, and testing results.

That’s how you know exactly what you’re getting before you even open the package.

🚚 Step 4: Distribution to Dispensaries

Once packaged, products are transported to licensed dispensaries across the state.

This distribution system is fully tracked through New York’s “seed-to-sale” monitoring system, which follows each product from cultivation to purchase. It’s how the state ensures everything sold in legal dispensaries is safe, tested, and compliant.

🏪 Step 5: Hitting the Shelves at Air City Cannabis

When products arrive at our store, our team reviews them for quality, accuracy, and freshness before they ever reach the floor.

Then, our budtenders are trained to help you find the right product for your needs — whether it’s a calming indica, an uplifting sativa, or a balanced hybrid.

From seed to sale, every product on our shelves has gone through a rigorous journey to reach you safely and legally.

🌆 Shop Local. Shop Legal. Shop Air City Cannabis.

When you buy from Air City Cannabis®, you’re not just getting premium cannabis, you’re supporting New York’s licensed growers, local jobs, and a safe, transparent industry.

Visit us in Utica, NY, or browse our current menu at AirCityCannabis.com to see what’s new this week.

Your cannabis journey starts here. We’re proud to be part of it!