Lily Extracts is a concentrate brand that blends innovation and tradition, bringing New Jersey’s cannabis consumers the state’s first adult-use solventless extracts. The brand’s live rosin first made its debut on dispensary shelves in December 2023, the culmination of a four-month-long journey. The story behind Lily Extracts is not just about the launch of a new brand; it’s a narrative of passion, expertise, and a pursuit of excellence. We sat down with the Lily Extracts leadership team to learn more about the story behind the brand and what makes their concentrates so unique.
The visionaries behind the brand
At the helm of Lily Extracts are Richard Giglio and Angel Cruz, two industry veterans with a shared passion for quality and creativity. Giglio, driven by personal frustration with the lack of quality extracts on the market in New Jersey, sought to develop his own brand dedicated to unadulterated purity. He teamed up with Cruz, a master cultivator with over two decades of experience, to develop a company with high-quality cannabis and superior craftsmanship at its core.
Hailing from the vibrant cannabis markets of California and Colorado, Cruz began his journey as a cultivator and grower. Over the years, he honed his skills in breeding projects and extraction techniques, becoming a master in the art of solventless extraction long before it gained widespread recognition. With that knowledge, Cruz produces a wide range of hash rosin with big flavors and significant potency.
Together, the pair have a shared history that spans over six years. For this dynamic duo, Lily Extracts serves as more than just a business venture; it’s a moral obligation to deliver the highest-quality products possible to consumers.
Crafting cannabis concentrates: the solventless difference
Lily Extracts focuses on solventless extraction, a process that eschews chemical solvents in favor of a natural approach that results in a purer concentrate. Unlike traditional methods such as hydrocarbon extraction, which relies on solvents like butane and propane, Lily Extracts harnesses the power of ice water extraction to produce peerless bubble hash from meticulously selected and fresh-frozen flower.
“With solventless extraction, our flower is frozen, and we use water and ice to extract our oil,” Giglio said. “We knock the trichomes off the plant, and we collect those to make a hash. We take that hash and make it into whatever we want.
“You’re going to get the same high, the same flavor, the same effect as you would with the flower,” he added. “No chemicals; no flavorings; no additives.”
This commitment to purity and consumer experience is what sets Lily Extracts apart as the first company to present live rosin in a market saturated with chemically extracted options.
Cruz elaborated on the process, explaining, “With our ice water extraction, we keep our temperature ranges well below the point where we would be killing off trace cannabinoids or terpenes.” Because of that, Cruz says, “We never have to introduce any botanically derived terpenes or flavors. You’re never going to get a cherry cotton candy cartridge from us because we don’t need to mask the flavor of the concentrate or lack thereof.”
This approach ensures consumers receive a concentrate that mimics the exact plant profile they want. “We’ve all opened a bag of weed that was grown beautifully, smelled it, and enjoyed the aromas,” Cruz explained. “Our goal was to capture that and maintain that true plant experience. If somebody loves Pink Gushers flower, they’re going to love our carts because it tastes just like that flower.”
Want to learn more about what makes cannabis tick? Check out our guide to cannabinoids vs. terpenes for more information on how these compounds differ.
Innovative offerings and a philosophy of quality
Lily Extracts’ commitment to quality extends beyond its extraction process and into every facet of its business. From partnering with experienced cultivators to providing comprehensive training on harvesting practices, Lily Extracts ensures every step of the process adheres to stringent standards.
“We want to offer the cleanest product we can to the public,” Giglio said.
“Our goal is to offer rosin to everyone throughout the state of NJ and convert people who are afraid to try it or don’t know what it is,” Cruz explained. “It’s a matter of just trying.”
What sets Lily Extracts’ live rosin apart from competitors is how closely their final product resembles the original cannabis strain in flavor and experience. For example, their Triangle Skunk Live Rosin retains the earthy, skunky flavor profile with hints of pine that Triangle OG, the strain it’s made from, is known for.
In addition to concentrates and cartridges, Lily Extracts recently launched its vegan rosin chews, making them the only solventless edible available in the NJ adult-use cannabis market.
And, rather than just full-spectrum or strain-specific edibles, Cruz said the brand is focusing on what they call “mass spectrum”, an approach to breeding that focuses on boosting the levels of not just THC and CBD, but also minor cannabinoids like CBG or CBN.
“The endocannabinoid system will use everything that we put into our bloodstream, cannabinoid-wise, without us needing to interfere,” he explained. “With our hybridization, we’re picking strains that peak a bunch of different cannabinoids that don’t come about in one strain specifically. We’re gonna overload the system with cannabinoids, and your body will adapt and take what it needs to enhance that moment of life.”
Shop Lily Extracts at Queen City
By demystifying solventless extraction and offering accessible, high-quality products to Garden State cannabis consumers, Lily Extracts is elevating the industry by converting skeptics into advocates. As they continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in extraction, one thing is certain: the future is bright for this pioneering brand. Follow Lily Extracts on Instagram to stay updated on their latest releases and developments, or visit us at Queen City in Plainfield, NJ to see what we have in store for you.
