At a glance
93 Boyz is a Chicago cannabis brand founded by musician and activist Vic Mensa and launched in Illinois in 2022. The company identifies itself as Chicago’s first Black-owned cannabis brand and connects its commercial catalog to community programs focused on people and neighborhoods affected by criminalization.
Founder and launch
Mensa grew up in Chicago and has described cannabis as part of his life long before legal retail. When Illinois opened adult-use sales, he entered a market whose social-equity promises had not yet translated into broad Black ownership. Early reporting from WBEZ, Axios and other Chicago outlets documented 93 Boyz’s 2022 launch and its significance as a Black-owned local brand.
The brand entered stores through licensed production partnerships rather than waiting to build a cultivation complex from scratch. That is a common route in state-regulated cannabis: the brand, formulation and product direction belong to one company, while licensed cultivation and manufacturing may be handled by an in-state operator.
Current products
The official catalog currently lists 3.5-gram flower, 0.75-gram pre-rolls, 1.5-gram infused blunts, 0.5-gram and one-gram 510 vape cartridges, and 100-milligram edible packs divided into five 20-milligram gummies. The strain library rotates and includes both named cultivars and curated blends; current examples on the brand site include Jet Fuel, Super Donutz, Rainbow Belts, Gelonade and others.
Those product specifications replace older secondary descriptions that no longer matched the current catalog. Availability and genetics move week to week, so the official menu and the package at a licensed retailer are the current source of truth.
Community work
Books Before Bars is the best-documented early initiative connected to 93 Boyz. The program worked to supply books to underserved prison libraries in Illinois, and Mensa discussed the project with WBEZ shortly after the company launched. The brand has also participated in care-package and neighborhood relief efforts reported by Chicago media.
In 2026, 93 Boyz added the Free Smoke Medical Program with Soul & Wellness, an assistance initiative for qualifying Illinois adults facing health and financial hardship. That program is separate from the product claims: it is a documented access project, not evidence that any 93 Boyz product treats a condition.
Where to find it
93 Boyz products are sold through licensed Illinois dispensaries. The official site links to a live retail menu rather than presenting a fixed store count, which is the more honest way to track a rotating wholesale footprint. The company also operates a separate merchandise store.
The High Rise read
The strongest part of 93 Boyz is the alignment between a distinct Chicago identity, a clear founder and community programs that have independent local reporting behind them. The catalog has also expanded substantially from its initial pre-roll launch into flower, infused products, vapes and edibles.
The check for shoppers is the same as with any partnership-produced brand: look at the licensed producer, batch date, strain and lab label on the specific package. Culture and mission explain why the company exists; the package tells you what you are buying. Find more Illinois and equity-led companies in the High Rise brand directory. 21+.
Availability and licensing
Availability changes by market and date. Use the official site or store locator for current inventory, and for regulated cannabis products confirm the licensed seller and manufacturer in the jurisdiction where the item is sold.
Awards and recognition
Awards mentioned in this profile are historical snapshots tied to a particular year, category and entry. They do not certify every current product, and the reviewed source list should not be treated as an exhaustive award ledger.
What to verify before buying
Check the exact package or model for current specifications, ingredients or materials, potency or test data where relevant, warnings, warranty terms and local legal restrictions. Retail listings can outlive discontinued or reformulated products.