The cannabis mogul and rapper Berner of the MSO Cookies came to NJ to promote Vibes Papers for rolling weed at a 711.
A crowd had gathered to see Berner, buy a lighter and a small amount at 711, and then meet him and get an autograph.
(See the video below working on Instagram!)
The first 200 people who showed up got posters signed by Berner. (The video below works too!)
Berner and Vibes Papers Debut at 711 in Jersey
Vibes Papers Vice President of Sales Joe Hurwitz explained they made a deal with Bic Lighters to help them get into 711.
“It’s the first true cannabis brand in mainstream convenience with our partners at 711,” he argued.
Hurwitz explained that their rolling papers are specifically for rolling weed since they are associated with the Berner Cookies lifestyle brand versus rolling papers designed to roll cigarettes.
He said Vibes Papers are made of wood pulp in France and then rolled in the Dominican Republic to be shipped to the United States and elsewhere.
They sell a range of booklets of papers to use as well as cones which can be easier to fill, twist, and smoke.
Along with 711s and smoke shops, Vibes papers can also be found in licensed dispensaries.
Vibes has a local brand ambassador team that often gives out free rolling papers at cannabis events across Jersey.
Serial cannabis entrepreneur Carlos Bruno helped arrange for them to come to Jersey as an associate of Berner’s.
While the location seemed random, it was a large 711 with a parking lot off a highway. The Vibes team said 711 picked it since it’s one of their prime locations.
In recent months, Berner has been doing a tour of 711s promoting Vibes Papers across the country.
Many noted influencers were on the scene along with Heady NJ including Dirty Dank (who will be giving out free dabs at our Craft Cannabis Celebration on May 3rd), the NJ Dispensary Guy, NJ Dispensary Reviews, along with several ambassadors and ancillary brands like Rui of NJ Garden State of Mind enjoying the celebration.
Cookies Flower in Jersey
Like many serial entrepreneurs, Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr. has many hustles.
Berner is Hispanic and from San Francisco, California, and is an underground legacy to legal operator with his company Cookies. So many like them as an underground progress versus other companies and owners.
They got a brand deal with the Multi-State Operator (MSO) TerrAscend to launch their products in New Jersey. They insisted it was not typical MSO mids. Instead, they brought their own seeds and baby plants or clones known as genetics to produce cannabis flower.
A lot of white label deals slap a famous label on a jar. Some are more like production deals where genetics and recipes are provided, and production is closely supervised.
Nick D’Amelio of TerrAscend explains he is the Director of Cultivation for NJ, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. So he oversaw the growing of Cookies flower sold in Jersey. It dropped in soon after the legal NJ adult-use cannabis market opened in spring 2022.
ND said they have grown several different strains with colorful names for Cookies.
One of their strains was competing for Best Indica Flower at the 420 Expo Cannabis Cup last year 2024.
The Real CPR content creator and review Chris CPR said their flower is better than in California, where they are based.
Cookies Dispensary of Jersey
Their dispensary tabled at the 420 Expo in 2023.
They then opened a dispensary in Harrison in North Jersey, in August 2023. The NJCRC renewed their annual license last June 2024.
Cookies won a conversion to the annual legal dispensaries license needed to open in July 2023 from the NJCRC after winning a conditional license in October 2022.
Hispanic Owned MSO Cookies
Berner’s cannabis company Cookies is a global corporate Multi-State Operator (MSO) operating across the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Thailand, run by many parties along with Berner.
Cookies have a lot of ambition and hype around them. They opened a clothing store in Herald Square in New York City across from Macy’s, where the Thanksgiving Day parade dance acts perform.
The overall company Cookies gets complicated Some of those parts sued the other unfortunately. Cookies was also sued in 2023 and 2024, and accused of theft of seeds and strains by a company it had a joint venture with.
Cookies cannabis products are both in the legal and underground legacy smoke shops.* They also have intoxicating hemp products.
They’re doing it either themselves, a third party, or terrible copycats are ruining their reputation.
They may not be the only company playing both sides.
It’s hard to grow as big without earning the hostility of some.
Celebrity Cannabis Brand
As a celebrity, Berner is popular with many people.
Celebrity cannabis brands are like superheroes on beach towels. It’s a clever gimmick to get free press and ideally increase sales. They often make deals with MSOs to get their products on as many shelves as possible.
Jersey has about 4 or 5 celebrity product brands and dispensaries so far in the cannabis market.
