Garcia Hand Picked, the cannabis brand founded by the family of legendary Grateful Dead lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, entered its fifth legal cannabis state today with an expansion into Colorado’s competitive recreational weed market. The Garcia Hand Picked line, which includes merchandise and cannabis products from both Colorado and Holistic Industries in multistate operation, was developed with Veritas Fine Cannabinoids and Colorado craft cultivationator Veritas.

“It’s an honor to finally have a presence in Colorado, one of our nation’s most discerning cannabis markets,” Trixie Garcia, one of Jerry’s daughters and spokesperson for the Garcia family, said in a statement. “Garcia Hand Picked works with an exclusive network [of] local growers in each market we’re in that have become part of the Garcia Hand Picked family, and we’re excited to bring only the highest quality, curated cannabis to our fans and friends in Colorado.”

Garcia Hand Picked launched in California in 2020. The product is available now in over 300 dispensaries throughout California, Colorado Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon and Massachusetts. There are plans to add Michigan to the list soon. The collaboration is currently the most popular celebrity-owned cannabis brand in America, according to market researcher BDSA. The three strains that will be available in Colorado for the launch are named after Jerry Garcia songs and can be used at any hour of the day.

In California, Garcia Hand Picked recently launched a program called Hand Picked Farms to support independent and legacy farmers, offering flower that is “Sun and Earth Certified,” meaning that it is sungrown in the ground without chemicals by farmers who are paid fairly for their work. Consumers can look for the “Sun and Earth Certified” Hand Picked Farms sticker on packs of Garcia Hand Picked flower sold in California dispensaries.

Garcia Hand Picked also offers a carefully curated collection of high-quality indoor cannabis flowers in collectible or re-usable glass containers. Each product is paired with a specially selected playlist of Jerry Garcia’s music that corresponds with the strains to create a unique brand experience. Fans can go to the “Music Never Stopped” section of GarciaHandPicked.com to listen to the musical selections.

Holistic Industries notes in a statement from the company that Jerry Garcia rarely smoked weed by himself, instead preferring a shared joint, which “became a bridge between him and those around him.” To honor that spirit, the Hand Picked Garcia line has emphasized pre-rolled joints featuring a custom glass tip with Jerry’s handprint, offered in eco-friendly packaging made from recycled paper. Other products in the collection include Jerry’s Picks, cannabis gummies shaped like Jerry’s actual guitar picks, which will be coming to the Colorado market soon. You can also find merchandise, such as apparel and accessories featuring original artwork from Jerry Garcia.

Jerry Garcia: A groundbreaking artist and weed icon

Jerry Garcia, the founder, singer, guitarist and lead songwriter of the anti-rock band, the Grateful Dead was born from the San Francisco Bay Area’s 1960s scene for drugs, music and social reform. Garcia is a groundbreaking musician with more than 30 year experience. He was also inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame together with the Grateful Dead just one year prior to his death from heart failure at a California drug rehabilitation facility.

To celebrate the upcoming 80th anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s birth on August 1, the Colorado launch of Hand Picked Garcia will feature Bertha, a custom Airstream trailer that tours the country filled with music and merchandise, at The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Experience at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado on June 29. Bertha will visit select Colorado dispensaries during the Fourth of Jul holiday weekend, to celebrate the Colorado launch of Hand Picked Garcia.

“Playing music in Colorado was always a high point for Jerry, he dug the closeness of the audience and the energy that flowed more freely in the mountain air,” said Jerry’s daughter Annabelle Garcia, a spokesperson for the Garcia family. “The hidden stories in the rocks were a source of cosmic speculation and inspiration on the long drives to and from the shows. For Jerry, every ridge held a secret treasure, or an alien spacecraft, or a Bigfoot listening to the shows.”

“Red Rocks is the perfect venue to celebrate our Father’s 80th birthday! Where the sky and mountains meet, we will make a joyful noise and spread some good lovin’,” added Trixie Garcia. “The symphonic interpretation of these cherished tunes elevates them to an otherworldly place, and when ‘Terrapin Station’ erupts, and the big instruments start to resonate, it’s going to be very powerful!”