A New York marijuana business, The Travel Agency, conducted an elaborate marketing stunt called "Project Pigeon," leading many media outlets to believe carrier pigeons would deliver cannabis in NYC. The company later confirmed the program was a hoax, intended to draw attention to the normalization of the adult-use marijuana market in New York. The article also touches on other cannabis-related news in New York, including extended deadlines for business licenses, a zoning issue impacting dispensaries, proposed tax return extensions, grants for justice-involved retail businesses, and efforts to combat illicit marijuana sales.

Sorry, New York: Those Weed-Delivery Pigeons Were Just a High-Flying Prank

Oct 8, 2025

Source:

Kyle Jaeger

Marijuana Moment

New York’s cannabis scene just got a little weirder thanks to a viral marketing stunt that had everyone looking at the sky. A local retailer, The Travel Agency, recently launched "Project Pigeon," claiming they’d trained a fleet of birds to deliver grams across Manhattan and Brooklyn. While several major media outlets fell for the feathered ruse, the company eventually admitted it was all a hoax designed to spark conversation about the industry’s growth. Beyond the pranks, the state is actually making some serious moves, including extending license deadlines, offering grants to justice-involved entrepreneurs, and even considering cannabis sales in movie theaters.

This matters for the average toker because it highlights the massive cultural shift happening in New York. While the pigeon delivery was a joke, the $2 billion in sales and new efforts to support small, local businesses are very real. It shows that the state is finally getting serious about making the legal market more accessible and community-focused, ensuring your favorite flower is backed by a regulated, sustainable system rather than a "wild west" gray market.