All Images courtesy of NAR New York
When Nargis Hakimi set out to build her cannabis brand, she wasn’t chasing hype—she was chasing healing. A mother of two who came to the plant later in life, Hakimi turned to cannabis in the wake of divorce, depression, and anxiety. What started as a personal tool for survival and self-love eventually became something bigger: a brand built for real life—for growth, resilience, and everyday moments of presence.
Today, that brand is NAR, a women-owned, New York City-based cannabis company currently offering thoughtfully designed half-gram pre-rolls. But behind the clean aesthetic and carefully curated product drops is a founder whose journey from breakdown to breakthrough is just as essential as the products she’s putting on dispensary shelves.
From Breakdown to Breakthrough
“I come from a very strict Middle Eastern Muslim household,” Hakimi told The Emerald. “I didn’t grow up smoking weed. I didn’t grow up selling weed. I didn’t grow up buying it at the bodegas or the street culture aspect of it.”
That background made her path to plant medicine even more unexpected. “I didn’t have cannabis in my life growing up,” she explained, “so when I started exploring it, it was part of a bigger process of questioning everything I thought I knew about myself and the world.”
In the wake of divorce, postpartum depression, and what she describes as a “broken moment” in her life, Hakimi began reevaluating everything. “I started realizing that mindset’s everything, you know? That we’re so involved in the matrix. We’re all living a life designed by community, culture, the government, society, friends, and family […] Are we living for ourselves? Are we living for moments that make us feel whole inside?”
That spiritual questioning led her to cannabis. “Cannabis helped me face myself,” she says. “It allowed me to pause for a moment and see through what I was going through. I wasn’t trying to brush it under the rug. I wasn’t trying to escape from it. I was trying to heal.”
Designed for Real Life
NAR officially launched just five months ago with a simple, but highly intentional offering: a two-pack of half-gram pre-rolls. Hakimi designed the products for busy people who want to take a breath, not lose a whole afternoon.
“I wanted to create something that really spoke to the go-getters, the travelers, the parents, the people that don’t have so much time on their hands, but that need that quick reset,” she said. “Half grams really spoke to my heart […] I want it to be like a moment of medicine, a moment of breath, a moment of presence.”
Each month, NAR drops a fresh set of limited-release indica, sativa, or hybrid strains. All are sourced from indoor-grown flower and selected with care. Current offerings include Jack Herer, Mimosa OG, and White Grape Gas.
“We’ll go through the menu, see what’s attractive, what’s in season, what’s the freshest,” she explained. “We want our consumers to follow us along this journey of experiencing different strains and different moods.”
Building Real Relationships
While many cannabis brands focus on aesthetics or shelf appeal, NAR stands out for its emphasis on emotional connection and real community presence. Hakimi takes a hands-on approach, making it a priority to build relationships with the people who bring her products to life.
“The success of any brand comes down to the budtenders and the community you build behind the scenes—the people who are really rooting for you, believing in you, and loving the experience your brand makes them feel,” Hakimi shared. “When I get into a store, the first thing I do is set up a training and show up myself.”
She’s also navigating that community as a solo founder. She personally handles everything from distribution to brand education, all while balancing the demands of motherhood.
“I’m a one-woman show,” she said. “I do it all on my own.”
Despite being new to the industry, NAR is now carried in over 70 dispensaries across New York and New Jersey. And Hakimi says that number continues to grow. “Our Instagram is filled with consumers telling us their stories and experiences,” she said. “But then also dispensary individuals—budtenders and managers and owners that reach out to us and either ask for the brand or say, ‘Hey, we’re out of stock, we need more.’”
The Lessons in the Hustle
Reflecting on the journey, Hakimi said, “Now I am so happy with NAR and the message and what we’re trying to build, and what we’re trying to create for the consumers out there. And I had to go through all of that to build this, and I would do it again. You learn a lot about yourself along the way.”
Being an entrepreneur is no small feat, especially in the cannabis industry. “I get more no’s than anyone I know,” she said. “On the manufacturing side, I get people trying to give me crazy numbers. Unless you’re sharp and really focused, it’s not easy. But I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes. I’ve made so many mistakes, and as an entrepreneur, it’s great to make the mistakes and continue making mistakes because the quicker the mistakes you make, the quicker you learn, and the quicker you pivot and adapt.”
More Than a Brand: A Mission
The next chapter of NAR is already taking shape, with plans to expand into edibles, flower jars, and wellness tools built around emotional well-being.
The goal is to connect with consumers beyond the point of purchase. “Cannabis isn’t just about getting high anymore,” she said. “People want to accomplish something, get through a moment, reset anxiety. There are moods that go with it now. We want to build a deeper connection with people.”
Hakimi’s focus on healing runs deep. “The whole point of healing is to manifest your craziest dreams,” she said. “The more you heal inside, the more you elevate, and the more you align with bigger and bolder visions for yourself.”
This mission is what makes NAR more than just a cannabis brand. Hakimi shared a note she includes with every store that stocks NAR: “NAR is a love letter to your soul. A moment of peace in a chaotic world. A movement that asks you to show up—not for us, but for you. Care just a little, and something magical happens. You’ll fall in love. With our flower. With our mission. But most importantly, with yourself.”
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