NYC-Based Cannabis Brand Silly Nice Beats Chinese Tariffs With American-Made Packaging

[PRESS RELEASE] – NEW YORK, April 15, 2025 – As rising tariffs and supply chain disruptions continue to squeeze cannabis businesses across the country, one independently owned brand based in Harlem, N.Y., is making moves that could reshape how the industry approaches production and packaging. Silly Nice, a Black- and veteran-owned company, has partnered with Sana Packaging—a Colorado-based leader in sustainable, circular packaging—to protect profits and the planet.

With tariff hikes on imported packaging components making headlines and inflating operational costs, many cannabis brands are finding themselves stuck between shrinking margins and unreliable foreign suppliers. For Silly Nice, the answer wasn’t overseas. It was about finding a like-minded domestic partner who is focused on sustainability, efficiency and transparency.

Founded in March 2024, Silly Nice set out to provide New Yorkers with high-quality cannabis while staying true to its core values: environmental responsibility, transparency and community-driven growth. Within its first year in New York’s adult-use market, the brand sold more than 40,000 units, and now, it’s using that momentum to push for change in how cannabis brands package their products.

Partnering with Sana Packaging, Silly Nice shifted away from international suppliers and toward reclaimed ocean plastic lids, 100% recycled glass jars and renewable hemp-based boxes. The impact is real: More than 694 pounds of ocean-bound plastic have already been recovered and repurposed into Silly Nice packaging.

“Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a responsibility,” Silly Nice co-founder LeVar Thomas said. “We knew we had to find a solution that didn’t just respond to the tariffs but moved us forward in a better direction. Ron and the Sana team have been instrumental in making that possible.”

Ron Basak-Smith, founder of Sana Packaging, built his company around the idea that regenerative design and closed-loop systems can—and should—define the cannabis industry’s future. By offering American-made, waste-reducing materials, Sana Packaging helps brands like Silly Nice sidestep international shipping delays and volatile import fees.

The shift has proven not just sustainable, but strategic. With shorter lead times, predictable costs and no freight containers stuck in customs, Silly Nice has improved fulfillment, reduced inventory stress and reclaimed pricing power. That means customers get better value without sacrificing the premium, small-batch quality the brand is known for.

This collaboration comes at a time when most of the cannabis industry is facing difficult choices. From oversaturation, price compression and increasingly burdensome costs, few brands have managed to maintain both quality and profitability. Silly Nice’s strategy offers a blueprint for how independent operators can compete—and even thrive—by investing in domestic infrastructure and environmentally conscious design.

Beyond economics, the partnership sends a message to consumers. Every Silly Nice product tells a story: one of thoughtful sourcing, environmental care and resilience in a crowded market. Whether it’s the Diamond Powder, Diamond-Frosted & Live Resin Infused Flower, Frosted Hash Ball, Bubble Hash, 510 Vape Cartridges or 2G All-In-One Vapes, every item is sealed in packaging that mirrors the brand’s dedication to quality without compromise.

And in an industry where corner-cutting often becomes the default, that commitment matters.

“Silly Nice didn’t just pivot to survive—they leveled up,” Basak-Smith said. “They saw tariffs as a trigger to do something smarter. What we’ve built together is a model that proves sustainability and profitability can go hand-in-hand.”

As more companies in cannabis consider reevaluating their supply chains, Silly Nice is already proving that buying American can offer long-term value. It’s not just good optics—it’s smart business. And for consumers who care how their cannabis is packaged, it’s another reason to support brands that walk the talk.