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Village Brands is a multi-state cannabis operator founded by industry pioneers, Al Harrington, and Dan Pettigrew. It's officially opening its first East Coast location in Hoboken.
Harrington is an Orange, NJ native who played for the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and more.
After helping his grandmother find treatment for her glaucoma with cannabis, Harrington teamed up with Pettigrew to start Viola to help others in her honor. The duo then founded Village Brands in an effort to expand their footprint and open dispensaries nationwide.
“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to bring my love of and experience in the cannabis industry over the last 13 years to Jersey,” said Harrington. “It’s a full circle moment to open a dispensary in the state where I was stopped and frisked as a kid who had never even touched flower.”
In addition to expanding access to the medicinal benefits of cannabis, Harrington also works to ensure that the history of prohibition and its disproportionate impact on communities of color is centered by continuously advocating for expanded access and opportunity for people of color in the cannabis space. Harrington and Pettigrew were proud supporters of the NJ CAN 2020 campaign to end prohibition in New Jersey.
Harrington has long been an advocate for the legalization of cannabis, beginning back in 2016 in California.
In 2018, he wrote "9 Reasons to End the War on Marijuana" in The Players Tribute. In 2021, he spoke with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about ending the federal prohibition on marijuana and advancing criminal justice reform.
Click here for more on Village Brands or stop by at 516 Washington St., in Hoboken.
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