Independent, family-owned cannabis company highlights veteran entrepreneurship, cultural authenticity and small-batch products as New York’s legal market continues to evolve
Meet the Founders Behind Silly Nice
Brooklyn, New York, Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silly Nice, an independent New York cannabis brand founded by U.S. Army veteran Shane Breen and LeVar Thomas, is calling for greater recognition of veteran entrepreneurs helping shape the future of legal cannabis.
Founded in 2024, Silly Nice has grown from a small independent startup into a New York cannabis brand available at licensed dispensaries across the state, while remaining family-owned and operated.
The company is Disabled Veteran-owned and Black-owned, but its founders say those identities are not intended to function simply as marketing labels.
They represent the people behind the company and the communities Silly Nice wants to see represented in the legal cannabis economy.
“Veterans are often discussed in conversations about cannabis, but not nearly enough when we talk about ownership, entrepreneurship and who gets to build the industry,” said Silly Nice co-founder Shane Breen. “We want veterans to see that there is space for us here too. We can build companies, create products, employ people and help shape what legal cannabis becomes.”
Breen served in the U.S. Army before entering publishing, marketing and entrepreneurship. He later co-founded Silly Nice with Thomas as a family-run cannabis company focused on potent, small-batch products and traditional cannabis culture.
From Military Service to Cannabis Entrepreneurship
The relationship between veterans and cannabis has historically been complicated.
For decades, cannabis remained federally prohibited while many veterans became part of growing national conversations surrounding cannabis policy, wellness, access and legalization.
Silly Nice believes the next stage of that conversation should include greater focus on veterans as business owners and participants in the legal cannabis economy.
“Military service teaches you how to adapt, solve problems and keep moving even when things are difficult,” Breen said. “Those lessons never really leave you. Building Silly Nice has required that same kind of persistence.”
The founders say the company has been built largely through direct relationships with dispensaries, budtenders and consumers rather than through the resources available to large multistate cannabis operators.
Silly Nice remains independently operated and New York-focused.
Building a New York Cannabis Brand From the Ground Up
Since launching, Silly Nice has expanded its presence across licensed New York dispensaries while developing a product portfolio centered around high-potency cannabis, concentrates, hash and infused products.
The brand’s lineup includes Frosted Hash Ball, Bubble Hash, Diamond Powder, infused flower and cannabis vapes.
Several products draw inspiration from traditional cannabis formats while incorporating modern processing techniques.
The company’s Frosted Hash Ball, for example, is inspired by traditional temple-style hash while incorporating Silly Nice Diamond Powder. Its infused flower combines cannabis flower with live resin and Diamond Powder.
That combination of traditional cannabis culture and modern production has become central to the company’s identity.
“We love new technology and innovation, but we also have a lot of respect for where cannabis culture came from,” said Breen. “Hash, flower, sharing knowledge and discovering products through other cannabis enthusiasts were part of the culture long before legal dispensaries existed. We do not want that history to disappear as cannabis becomes more commercial.”
Why Ownership Matters in Legal Cannabis
As New York’s cannabis market continues to expand, consumers have access to an increasingly large number of brands and products.
Silly Nice believes ownership should become part of how consumers evaluate those choices.
Price, potency, flavor and product quality remain critical, but the company says consumers can also consider who built the businesses they support.
“People already think about ownership when they choose restaurants, clothing brands, coffee shops and other businesses,” Thomas said. “Cannabis consumers can do the same thing. Supporting an independent brand can help determine what kind of cannabis industry we ultimately end up with.”
For Silly Nice, that means encouraging consumers to learn more about the companies behind the products on dispensary shelves.
The founders believe supporting Veteran-owned, Black-owned, LGBTQ-owned, family-owned and independent New York businesses can help preserve diversity in a market that may eventually become more consolidated.
A Veteran-Owned Cannabis Company With a New York Identity
Rather than immediately pursuing nationwide expansion, Silly Nice has focused heavily on strengthening its presence throughout New York.
The founders regularly work directly with dispensaries, attend retail activations, provide product education and develop relationships with budtenders and consumers.
That grassroots approach is intentional.
“We are not trying to pretend we are some giant corporation,” Breen said. “We are two people building something we believe in. We answer the calls. We visit the stores. We meet the budtenders. We talk to customers. We are personally invested in whether people enjoy what we make.”
The founders say maintaining that connection is increasingly important as cannabis evolves from an emerging industry into a mature consumer market.
Veterans Can Help Shape the Future of Cannabis
Silly Nice hopes its growth encourages other veterans to consider entrepreneurship within industries they may not have previously imagined entering.
For Breen, military service was one part of a much larger professional journey that eventually included publishing, media, marketing and cannabis.
That evolution is part of the message the company wants to share.
“A uniform can be one chapter of your life,” Breen said. “It does not have to be the final chapter. Veterans have an incredible range of skills, experiences and perspectives that translate into entrepreneurship. Cannabis should be one of the industries where those skills are welcomed.”
The company also emphasizes that ownership alone is not enough.
Products still need to earn consumer loyalty.
“Being Veteran-owned does not automatically mean someone should buy our product,” Breen said. “We still have to make something worth buying. The goal is to create great products first and then give people another reason to feel good about who they are supporting.”
Consumers Have a Voice in Which Cannabis Brands Survive
Silly Nice believes consumers have more influence over the future of legal cannabis than they may realize.
Each product purchase, retailer request and repeat sale sends a signal about which brands deserve additional shelf space.
That creates an opportunity for consumers to actively support independent companies.
“If you find a brand you believe in, ask for it,” Thomas said. “Tell your dispensary. Tell your budtender. Those conversations matter more than people realize.”
The founders hope that message resonates particularly strongly with veterans, military families and consumers interested in supporting independently owned New York businesses.
For Silly Nice, the broader mission is not simply about selling cannabis.
It is about showing that veterans, independent entrepreneurs and historically underrepresented founders can build brands capable of competing in one of the country’s most dynamic cannabis markets.
“We want Silly Nice to prove that you do not need to lose your identity to grow,” Breen said. “You can remain independent, stay connected to cannabis culture, support your community and still build something significant.”
Adults 21 and older can learn more about Silly Nice, its products and where to find the brand at SillyNice.com.
About Silly Nice
Silly Nice is an independent, family-owned New York cannabis brand founded in 2024 by Shane Breen and LeVar Thomas. The company is Disabled Veteran-owned and Black-owned and specializes in small-batch, high-potency cannabis products inspired by traditional cannabis culture and modern processing techniques.
The Silly Nice portfolio includes concentrates, hash, infused flower and cannabis vapes available through licensed dispensaries throughout New York State.
The company emphasizes independent ownership, retailer relationships, consumer education, sustainability-minded packaging and a New York-first approach to cannabis.
For more information, visit SillyNice.com.
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- Meet the Founders Behind Silly Nice
CONTACT: Connie Bryant Silly Nice 929-375-6940 [email protected]
