The Founder Story
Behind Cannadreams
Cannadreams was built by Jerry Lin, a first-generation Chinese American who grew up in Brooklyn and turned a justice-involved past into a licensed New York cannabis business. Real experience, real accountability, and years of hands-on retail work behind every product on our shelves.
Founded by Jerry Lin
Jerry Lin is a first-generation Chinese American, born to immigrant parents and raised in Brooklyn. Watching his family build a life from nothing in a new country shaped how he thinks about work: earn everything, cut no corners, and take care of the people around you. That upbringing is the real starting point of the Cannadreams story, years before any storefront existed.
Founded by Jerry Lin, Cannadreams is the result of years of hands on work across vape, CBD, and now licensed cannabis retail in one of the most competitive markets in the country.
Jerry Lin's journey began in 2016 with the launch of King Kong Vape in White Plains, New York. At a time when the vape industry was still developing, he focused on building a compliant, customer focused retail environment centered around safe and legally approved products. As demand grew, he expanded into Queens, New York in 2017, strengthening his footprint and learning how to scale operations in a fast moving industry.
In 2018, Jerry Lin made a strategic shift into the CBD space, opening a dedicated hemp and CBD store on the Upper East Side under the name Natural Releaf. Positioned in one of the busiest parts of New York City, Natural Releaf quickly became a trusted CBD store in Manhattan known for carrying compliant hemp products and educating customers on quality and usage. This move placed him directly in the center of New York City's evolving cannabis and hemp market. By December 2019, he expanded Natural Releaf again, opening a second location in Murray Hill and further establishing its presence as a go to hemp store in NYC just before the pandemic changed the retail environment overnight. While many businesses struggled to survive, Jerry kept his locations open through discipline, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to his customers.
That resilience is now embedded into Cannadreams.
Built on Real Cannabis
Knowledge and Experience
What separates Cannadreams from other dispensaries is not just location or product selection, it is real industry knowledge.
Jerry Lin has spent years understanding cannabis from both a product and customer perspective. From troubleshooting vape cartridges and all in one devices to understanding proper voltage settings for oil consistency, his technical knowledge translates directly into better recommendations for customers.
He also has a strong understanding of the endocannabinoid system, which plays a key role in how cannabis interacts with the body. From how cannabinoids bind to receptors to how different terpene profiles can influence mood and experience, this knowledge allows the Cannadreams team to guide customers with clarity. Whether someone is new to cannabis or experienced, the goal is always to provide informed and responsible recommendations.
From Justice-Involved to
Licensed Operator in New York
Jerry's path to becoming a licensed operator started somewhere most dispensary owners never talk about. Before cannabis was legal in New York, he was justice-involved under the same prohibition laws that, for decades, hit communities like the one he grew up in the hardest. It cost him time and opportunity most people never have to think twice about.
New York created the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license specifically to change that story, giving people with cannabis-related justice involvement, and their families, a real, licensed path into the industry they once faced criminal penalties for. Jerry became one of the earliest CAURD licensees in the state, awarded directly by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
That is not a footnote to the Cannadreams story. It is the entire reason this license category exists: to turn people who paid a real price under the old cannabis laws into the licensed operators of the new, legal one. You can confirm this directly on the New York State Office of Cannabis Management's own public dispensary verification registry, where Cannadreams is listed by name and address.
This positioned Cannadreams among the first wave of legally operating dispensaries in New York State, reinforcing its foundation as a compliant, licensed, and community rooted business.
Today, Cannadreams stands as a fully licensed cannabis dispensary in Manhattan, serving both local customers and visitors looking for a trusted and compliant place to buy cannabis near Times Square, Columbus Circle, Midtown West, and the Upper West Side.
"Succeeding here requires more than just opening a store. It requires understanding people, adapting quickly, and maintaining high standards every day."
A Manhattan Dispensary
Built for Customers
Cannadreams is designed around convenience, quality, and trust.
Customers can shop a full range of products including premium flower, pre rolls, edibles, vapes, concentrates, and accessories. Every product is sourced from licensed New York brands and meets strict regulatory standards.
The business also focuses heavily on accessibility, offering fast in store pickup and same day weed delivery in Manhattan through our dedicated delivery service. Whether you are looking for quick pickup or reliable cannabis delivery, Cannadreams makes the process simple and efficient.
A Brand with Purpose and Long Term Vision
Cannadreams is more than a storefront. It represents a long term vision to build a trusted cannabis brand in New York.
As a first-generation Chinese American who grew up in Brooklyn, Jerry Lin takes pride in representing immigrant and minority ownership in a highly competitive and regulated industry. Before Cannadreams, he built and ran multiple retail businesses across New York, vape retail in White Plains, an expansion into Queens, and a CBD store in Manhattan, long before cannabis was ever legal for him to sell. His goal is not just to operate a dispensary, but to create a brand that stands for consistency, knowledge, and customer experience.
New York City is one of the most competitive markets in the world. Succeeding here requires more than just opening a store. It requires understanding people, adapting quickly, and maintaining high standards every day.
Cannadreams was built with that mindset.
Customers choose Cannadreams because they want
more than just a transaction.
They want:
The Goal Is Simple
The goal is simple. Continue building one of the most trusted cannabis dispensary brands in New York City while expanding access, improving customer experience, and staying at the forefront of the legal cannabis industry.
Cannadreams is here for the long term.
"And this is only the beginning."
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862 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan • Blocks from Times Square
