NEW ORLEANS – Crescent Canna, the New Orleans company whose THC beverages have grown from a local launch to being sold in more than 8,500 retail locations across 20 states, debuted at No. 407 on the 2026 Inc. 5000, the highest ranking of any Greater New Orleans company.
The company was also the third-highest-ranked Louisiana business on the annual list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Twenty-six companies from the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region and 53 statewide made this year’s ranking.
Founded in 2019 and led by CEO Joe Gerrity, Crescent Canna has grown into a national hemp-derived THC beverage and edibles business. The company says it has sold more than 18.5 million cans to date, including 10 million in 2025.
“Being named the fastest growing company in the best city in the world means a lot to me personally,” said Gerrity. “Our employees are phenomenal examples of the best this city offers, and I’m so proud that they choose to work with me every single day. None of this would be possible without them.”
Crescent Canna: Growth Extends Beyond Louisiana
Crescent Canna’s expansion has been driven in part by a growing retail footprint that has taken its products into mainstream grocery, liquor and convenience stores across the country. The company’s products are now sold through more than 48 retail chains, including Rouses Markets, Total Wine & More, Winn-Dixie, Circle K, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Lowes Foods and The Fresh Market.
The company says it is now the No. 1-selling THC beverage brand by both volume and dollar sales in grocery, liquor and convenience stores tracked by NielsenIQ.
Louisiana remains a significant market for the company. Crescent Canna has sold more than 230,000 cases, or 5.5 million cans, in the state to date, including 84,000 cases in 2025. The company said it is on pace to surpass its 2025 Louisiana sales this year.
From New Orleans to a National Brand
Crescent Canna remains headquartered on Magazine Street in New Orleans, where it first launched its beverages. Gerrity credits relationships with local retailers, distributors and other businesses with helping the company establish its early presence before expanding into markets across the country.
“Our corporate office is on Magazine Street and we have always considered New Orleans our home,” Gerrity said. “We conceived and launched the entire company at a table at Haiku Sushi. New Orleans was the first place we launched our drinks, and we wouldn’t be where we are without so many of the local partners we’ve found: Crescent Crown, Rouses, Martin’s Wine Cellar, Zuppardo’s, Breaux Mart, Tipitina’s, Ra Shop, and so many others. They’ve all been such stellar locally owned companies to work with, and we feel so fortunate that they have trusted our brand and allowed us to flourish.”
Gerrity’s connection to the city began before Crescent Canna. He arrived in New Orleans shortly before Hurricane Katrina and said contributing to the community has been important to him since then.
“The people of New Orleans and Louisiana are why we are where we are,” Gerrity said. “Without their support we are nothing, and I’m so grateful that they have supported us throughout our journey. We’re just getting started, and I hope that we can make the people of New Orleans proud going forward.”
Federal Restrictions Cloud Growth Outlook
Crescent Canna’s Inc. 5000 recognition comes as the company and the broader hemp industry face federal restrictions that could remove many currently legal hemp-derived THC products from the market.
The restrictions, enacted in November 2025 and currently scheduled to take effect Nov. 12, would change the federal definition of legal hemp and limit final hemp-derived cannabinoid products to no more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC and certain similar-effect cannabinoids per container. That threshold is far below the amount contained in hemp-derived THC beverages currently sold legally in Louisiana and could effectively remove many of those products from the market.
Congress is considering several proposals that could delay or replace the restrictions with a federal regulatory framework. Louisiana already regulates hemp beverages through product registration, testing, retailer permitting, age restrictions and a 5 mg potency limit.
Gerrity said Crescent Canna’s growth and its Inc. 5000 ranking demonstrate the potential he sees for the company and the broader industry if hemp-derived products remain legally available under a regulated system.
“We hope to one day be not just one of the fastest-growing companies in the state, but also one of the biggest,” Gerrity said. “The Inc. 5000 acknowledgement should send a message to our senators and congresspeople that the consumers in this state and elsewhere want these products available where they buy the other staples of their lives.”
“We take the responsibility of selling an intoxicating product seriously, and we always have,” he said. “I think that with the proper federal legislation we can achieve the dream of becoming a nationally recognized company that represents New Orleans and Louisiana in the best possible way.”
