Mike Flynn's foray into the legal marijuana business in central New York has been more successful than expected.
Now he wants to spread that success across the state.
He said his retail business, Flinstoned Cannabis Co., located in Syracuse's Armory Square, generated $30 million in gross sales in its first year, from June 2023 to June 2024. He said he expected annual sales to be about $7 million or $8 million.
He is currently working on opening two more FlynnStoned shops. One will be located at the former Popes Grove Golf Course on State Fair Boulevard in Lakeland, with a temporary location during the 2023 New York State Fair. We are currently opening our second store in Manhattan.
The state's cannabis laws generally prohibit a single owner from operating more than two stores, but Flynn has come up with another way to expand his brand.
That includes sharing his success with other entrepreneurs.
Flynn is currently consulting with up to 30 existing or soon-to-open retail pharmacies in the state. He helps navigate the difficult issues of arranging suppliers, sourcing financing, and navigating often-murky state cannabis laws.
In return, he receives consulting fees and offers brand licensing opportunities. Each will operate under the name FlynnStoned. But Mr. Flynn has no direct investment in these stores, nor are they operated as franchises.
The plan could put Flynn's business name on retail stores across much of New York state. The first facility is expected to open soon in North Syracuse.
Stores scheduled to open later this year include stores in Rochester, Oswego and Binghamton, as well as some in New York City. Another store near Buffalo will soon be rebranded as FlynnStoned.
“It's a dream come true,” Flynn said. “My dream now is to help other people realize their dreams. It's a special feeling.”
Flinstoned isn't the only brand looking to expand in the state, but Flinn's efforts have caught the attention of the state's cannabis industry, according to cannabis at Syracuse-based statewide lobbying firm Park Strategies. says practice group leader Joe Rossi.
“Brand name marketing is as old as retail itself,” Rossi said. “Mike is a savvy operator and knows how to make money. He saw an opportunity to expand his brand by helping others grow.”
“Connect the dots”
There are currently more than 200 licensed stores or dispensaries selling recreational marijuana operating in the state, according to a recent report from the state's Office of Cannabis Control. However, there are still more than 1,000 stores that have not yet opened even after receiving preliminary approval.
Flynn said he's particularly interested in helping people like himself who were in the early stages of potential retailers after the state legalized marijuana in 2021.
That group, Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees, were those who had been previously convicted of a marijuana offense, or had a close family member who had been convicted.
However, the transition from these licenses to actual open business has been delayed by several lawsuits and other delays. One hurdle was that the state did not provide promised funding to help get the business started.
Flynn, who has a past marijuana conviction, said he was “more fortunate” than many people trying to open a retail store.
Before starting his cannabis business, Flynn was already a successful business owner as owner of The Roofing Guys, a contracting business in central New York.
This gave him enough start-up capital and business experience to open Flinstoned Pharmacy at 219 Walton Street in June 2023. At the time, it was the first legal retail store in Onondaga County and only the 10th in the entire state.
“I've been fortunate in my life to gain some good business experience working with a roofing company that I grew up here in central New York,” Flynn said. “But a lot of them didn't have that business experience, so when the state funding didn't arrive, that combined with the lack of experience, they kind of got stuck.”
Flynn decided she could help by “connecting the dots.”
“I bring together a person with a CAURD license and a businessman and investor. The deal for me is that I connect the dots and they make their business part of FlynnStoned. ” he said.
Robert Grannis, who earned his first CAURD license in 2022, hopes to open a Flinstoned store in Binghamton by Christmas. He said none of this would have happened without Flynn's help.
Grannis said he was interested in selling marijuana, but had little knowledge about finding suppliers, setting up a store or dealing with regulations. Moreover, he did not have much money.
“I couldn't afford it,” said Grannis, who has a business background selling produce at farm markets. “It's been a long journey since I got my license, but because of the delay, I'm living off my savings. It's frustrating.”
Then he visited Flynn Stoned in Syracuse.
“I saw that and thought, 'I have to emulate this,'” he said. “What Mike is doing is phenomenal.”
He got in touch and quickly signed Flynn.
“Mike basically runs the most powerful store in upstate New York,” Grannis said. “Now he's helping me with all the things I didn't know about. He literally took all the stress off me. And the best part is that he's helping me with all the things I didn't know about. I can use the name Flinstoned.”
Mr. Flynn also has contracts in place with some store owners who applied after their CAURD licenses were approved. Among them is Darrell Pfiffner, who hopes to open Flinstoned Pharmacy at 143 George St. in Oswego by Thanksgiving.
“We've been following Mike and we've seen what he's done with his brand. All he's done for us is streamline everything. And we've seen what he's done with his brand. “It's a huge deal to get him,” said Pfiffner, who got in touch with Flynn through a friend.
Flynn acknowledged that the rollout of New York's legal retail cannabis industry has been more difficult than expected. However, he believes the situation can get even better in the future.
“There's still a lot of opportunity,” he said. “This is a great industry. I'm not saying I'm perfect at it, but I'm managing. Now I have the opportunity to grow the brand as much as possible.”
Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com, and The Post-Standard. Contact us at dcazentre@nyup.com or follow us at NYup.com. Twitter Or Facebook.
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Flinstoned Cannabis Company Grand Opening
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