It took just three years for Carl Tirella Jr. to turn Budr into Connecticut’s second largest cannabis retailer.
“The biggest milestone of my career has been building Budr into a profitable, multi-state operator while staying true to a patient- and community-first approach,” Tirella says. “More than the business growth itself, the most rewarding part has been seeing the direct impact we can have on people’s lives — whether that’s through helping patients access medical cannabis, building strong community partnerships, or creating opportunities for our team and the neighborhoods we operate in.”
In a full circle moment, Budr announced in June 2025 it would be acquiring three Botanist locations in Connecticut — the same shops Tirella managed for Acreage Holdings before leaving to start his own company.
Budr now operates seven retail locations in Connecticut and one in New York, which is a point of pride for the company’s CEO.
“Coming from a finance background, transitioning into operations and proving that our model could successfully scale beyond Connecticut into markets like New York was a major moment for me personally and professionally,” Tirella says. “Expanding outside of Connecticut has shown us that the core of what we’ve built — strong customer relationships, operational discipline and adaptability — can succeed in different environments.”
The company expects to open a cultivation facility in Connecticut in Q1 2027.
In addition to its success in multiple states, the company operates its Budr Fam program to promote social equity and give back to the communities where the business operates. Budr Fam works with homeless shelters, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, advocates for community-driven initiatives and also works with community leaders to “ensure that the tax dollars generated by our business are being reinvested into the hyper-local communities where our stores are located,” Tirella says.
Marijuana Venture’s 2026 40 under 40 feature was sponsored by MoonDust USA
MoonDust USA helps pre-roll brands and operators source custom cones, tubes, blunt wraps, and branded packaging with the consistency and speed needed to scale. As a women-owned direct manufacturer, MoonDust focuses on transparent pricing, dependable quality, and repeatable production, giving cannabis teams a supply partner they can count on as volumes grow.