At a glance
Leafly is a Seattle-based cannabis information, media and retail marketplace founded in 2010 by Cy Scott, Brian Wansolich and Scott Vickers. It combines a large strain database, consumer reviews and original journalism with dispensary menus, product discovery and online order reservations. Leafly does not fulfill regulated cannabis orders itself; licensed retailers control inventory, payment and delivery or pickup.
Founders and the original side project
Scott, Wansolich and Vickers were technology coworkers who built Leafly on nights and weekends in Southern California. They launched with roughly 50 strain pages and a discreet tile interface that looked professional in an office. Community reviews and strain submissions expanded the database rapidly.
Privateer Holdings acquired Leafly in 2011. The founders later left and created cannabis-data company Headset, making their role distinct from current leadership.
From strain guide to media platform
Leafly began as a way to organize strain information and experience reports when legitimate public resources were scarce. It grew into an editorial operation covering news, cultivation, products, science, policy and culture alongside educational guides.
Current figures claim more than 5,000 strains, 11,000 articles and resources, and 1.3 million product reviews. These platform-published counts can change.
How shopping and ordering work
Consumers search by location, category, strain, brand, price, deal, dispensary and other filters. An online order is generally a reservation transmitted to a retailer; that retailer remains responsible for fulfillment, payment and compliance.
Menu accuracy depends on retailer and point-of-sale feeds.
Retailer and brand business model
Leafly sells subscription marketplace listings and technology to retailers and brands. Businesses use digital storefronts, menus, ordering tools, advertising, imagery and performance insights. Brand listings entered the platform in 2021 as a searchable product-data layer.
That commercial model coexists with journalism. Sponsored listings, brand-provided data, consumer reviews and independent reporting are different source types.
Scale and current leadership
Leafly’s about page reports more than 100 million annual visitors, over four million yearly orders, 4,600 participating retailers and more than 7,800 brands. It lists Peter Lee as chief executive and Suresh Krishnaswamy as chief financial officer.
These figures replace older investor-page claims of 125 million visitors and may drift again.
Public-company chapter
Leafly completed a business combination with Merida Merger Corp. in February 2022 and became publicly traded. Filings describe revenue from retail and brand subscriptions, advertising and marketplace services across legal U.S. markets and Canada.
Nasdaq delisting and OTC transition
Nasdaq suspended trading on January 17, 2025 after Leafly failed to meet continued-listing financial requirements. The company moved to OTC Pink trading. A 2025 proxy proposed reducing record shareholders below 300 so it could deregister and reduce public-reporting costs.
This is material company history, not evidence that the consumer site stopped. Leafly remains live.