Impact Farms: Elevating Pre-Roll Production in New Mexico
The Founder’s Vision and Company Origins
Ari Greenwald, a father of four, stood at a crossroads in his life. After years of climbing the corporate ladder in traditional manufacturing at General Motors and Campbell’s, Ari realized he wanted to do something with deeper meaning. The pursuit of success in manufacturing had provided him with stability, but it hadn’t given him the sense of fulfillment he was craving.
“Ari used to work so hard for other people,” Ari’s wife, Liz Greenwald, said. “He was so different, just a different person. He even looked different, without his beard!”
A medical issue led Ari to explore cannabis for his own healing, and that’s when his passion for the plant truly blossomed.
“Finding this industry kind of changed our lives—it changed his life for sure, being a medical patient. So, a move into cannabis felt like the natural thing to do,”
Liz Greenwald
-What began as a personal remedy soon evolved into a profound calling, which was a desire to be part of an industry that had the potential to make a real impact.
It began with Ari running the Cresco Labs facility in the early Ohio medical market. “I did that for about two years. I got that operation running from almost nothing to over a million dollars a month, so it was basically a startup environment, and that really excited me,” he said.
With Liz by his side and a shared vision for the future, Ari then founded IMPACT FARMS. However, this new enterprise came with a major transition: moving the entire family to New Mexico. Ari and Liz felt like New Mexico’s cannabis market was much closer to a free market than most, and since large MSOs had stayed away, they believed it provided a rare opportunity for smaller, highly motivated cannabis entrepreneurs to thrive. Their initial plan was to focus on cultivation, but that idea didn’t last long.
While visiting MJBizCon, Ari came across the RollPros Blackbird pre-roll machine. This wasn’t just any machine;, it was the key to transforming his entrepreneurial vision into a reality for both him and his family. “I remember looking at the Blackbird and thinking, this is it. This is how we make our splash in the industry. This is what we need to build our business,” Ari recalled. At that moment, he realized that pre-roll manufacturing with the Blackbird offered him a way to differentiate his products from those already on the market: quality.
“Most pre-rolls on the market in New Mexico were low-quality cones. But this gave me a way to make joints that were not only visually different, but also much higher quality than anything else in the market. It was the missing piece to build Impact Farms,” Ari added.
Navigating the New Mexico Cannabis Landscape
The cannabis market in New Mexico presented numerous hurdles right from the start. The state was rife with challenges, and Ari wasn’t blind to the competitive landscape. Oversaturation meant that consumers were already inundated with low-cost, low-quality pre-rolls, damaging the reputation and value of the category. To complicate matters, New Mexico’s regulatory environment was constantly shifting, creating a delicate dance between state and federal laws. Border patrol seizures and supply chain disruptions made it even more difficult to maintain consistent production and distribution.
To provide stability while building their brand, Ari and Liz decided to enter the market as a white-label, mobile pre-roll service. That’s when Impact Farms became a true family business.
“We had the trailer in our driveway when we were building it out. I helped with that process, and even our kids got involved, too,” Liz said. “Teaching our kids about business and how to adapt when things don’t go according to plan has been a great lesson.”
The mobile business helped Impact establish relationships with small cannabis operators all over New Mexico. Their own business was, essentially, supporting other small businesses. And, they still managed to stick to their goal of consistently producing high-quality products. “It would have been easy just to follow the status quo, but I wasn’t willing to put out a product I wouldn’t personally smoke,” Ari explained.
The Blackbird’s unique capabilities allowed Impact Farms to consistently produce joints with precise weight and airflow, regardless of the batch. “Every joint should hit the same way, every time. That’s what the Blackbird allows us to do,” he emphasized.
Consistency is essential for any cannabis brand, but even more so for the many microbusinesses that Impact Farms was rolling for. With fewer stockists than more prominent market-wide brands, they might only get one shot with a customer. If that first joint is a good experience, the customer will remember and hopefully seek it out again. But, if it’s forgettable, they might never even see that brand again, let alone try to find it on their own. “If a consumer buys our product once and loves it, they should be able to come back six months later and have the exact same experience,”
“We’re not just rolling joints; we’re crafting an experience that the consumer will hopefully want to include as a regular part of their lives.”
Ari Greenwald
-Impact Goes Retail
Through the mobile processing business model, Impact gained recognition throughout New Mexico. But their growing success meant it was time for the next phase of development.
Ari knew that to continue to expand in a crowded market, he needed to foster a strong connection with consumers. With this in mind, Impact Farms opened a vertically integrated facility in November 2024. The Blackbird would now run within the new facility rather than the mobile trailer. Ari and Liz now had enough standing in the industry to let customers come to them. Beyond processing, the new facility also had a retail license and storefront. This added another revenue stream to the business, but it wasn’t just about selling products.
The store quickly became a place to educate and engage with consumers, offering them a deeper understanding of the brand and the products they were purchasing. Ari placed the Blackbird at the front and center of the store, so consumers could see firsthand the craftsmanship that went into every pre- roll. This transparency helped build trust and loyalty, turning one-time buyers into repeat customers. “When people see how much care goes into our products, they understand why we do what we do,” Ari said.
Commitment to Community and Collaboration
For Ari, success isn’t just about producing great products;, it’s about building a community. “I think our brand is catching on in the state and region. Not only are people looking for quality pre-rolls—because that’s definitely a niche we have—but they like that our focus is on small businesses,” Liz said. That’s why Impact Farms began collaborating with other cannabis brands to create co-branded products. These partnerships helped expand their reach and introduced their products to new audiences while reinforcing their emphasis on quality. By working together with like-minded companies, Impact Farms was able to create unique offerings that stood out and expanded the footprint of both co-branding partners. “Collaboration is the future of cannabis. When we lift each other up, we all win,” Ari noted. “Now that we have the dispensary, we’re able to showcase more of those small farms, many of whom we still white-label for.
Industry Impact and Expansion
To date, Impact Farms has worked with over 40 brands and helped produce over 100 unique SKUs. Since enabling their business with the Blackbird, they have rolled 340,636 joints at the time of this writing. But Ari, Liz, and their family are just getting started.
Looking ahead, Ari’s vision for Impact Farms extends far beyond the borders of New Mexico. Ari is preparing to scale the business and establish a network of processing centers across the U.S. These centers will support cannabis businesses by offering them the resources and expertise they need to be competitive in rapidly evolving markets. Ari envisions a future where Impact Farms plays a key role in shaping the national cannabis landscape, ensuring there is a place for like-minded operators that choose to focus on quality over quantity.
As the cannabis industry continues to develop, Ari remains dedicated to helping people through the products he creates. “This is my life’s work,” Ari often says. His passion for cannabis and its potential to improve lives is what fuels him every day. From cultivating a new vision in an emerging market to navigating complex regulations and producing premium products, the story of Impact Farms is one of perseverance, innovation, and a belief that cannabis can make a difference in the lives of others.
“I’m glad we did it. After going through all of it, you learn things. I probably would have done some things a little differently had I known what I know now, but I wouldn’t change it. I would definitely still do it,” Liz said, as she balances a sleeping baby on her shoulder. As they continue to build their business, Ari and Liz remain unwavering in their belief that this is just the beginning of a journey that will ultimately change the cannabis industry for the better.
