Flying High: Inside NYC’s New Cannabis Carrier Pigeon Project

New York’s got to be one of the most iconic cities on the planet, with countless symbols associated with its identity. The Big Apple this, the Empire State that, Lady Liberty waving from the harbor… But beyond its skyline, NYC also has a rather special relationship with its wildlife: even the city’s rats and pigeons have become iconic.

And now, a cannabis delivery company has decided to take that symbol to a whole new level; one that feels straight out of fiction. We’re talking about The Travel Agency, which has recently announced its wild new project: using carrier pigeons to deliver cannabis in the city.

What We Know About NYC’s New Cannabis Carrier Pigeon Project

The pilot program had a successful first test flight in the New York neighborhood of Astoria. The company hired two professional trainers with a fleet of 20 birds, each equipped with a tiny backpack that can carry up to a gram of pot.

According to the company’s press release, the concept seeks to tap into one of the city’s most abundant resources (that is, pigeons) and offer a smart delivery service “to outfly traffic, cut through congestion, and get orders where they need to go.”

Our new delivery is taking flight. Carrier pigeons coming 2026.

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📸 documented by Everett Ravens (https://t.co/zia8yHwJuY) pic.twitter.com/JhrOkDKxmk

— The Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store (@travelagencyco) October 1, 2025

The program will officially launch in 2026 and aims to be “the fastest and most environmentally friendly delivery service the city has ever seen.” But is this really the case?

First things first: Are the pigeons safe?

As cute as the project may seem at a first glance, it’s important to remember that we don’t live in a Disney movie, and animals have rights we must respect. So yeah, fair question: is this actually ethical?

Sure, humans have been using carrier pigeons for thousands of years, not only in the absence of more sophisticated technologies, but also more recently, in situations of war and espionage. In fact, this isn’t even the first time they’ve been used to transport drugs: we already have cases of “dealer pigeons” in prisons. On the other hand, just because a practice has been going on for a long time doesn’t mean it’s right.

The Travel Agency claims that the test flights were supervised by animal safety personnel and that they obtained “an official humane treatment certification”. Furthermore, the company stated that “the backpacks went through multiple prototypes before the team landed on a design that prioritized comfort, and according to trainers, the birds adapted in just a few days.”

However, this has failed to convince everyone. The heated debate in the comments section of the official Instagram post ranges from the most whimsical admiration to the deepest condemnation. Several outraged voices strongly criticized the program, accusing the company of animal exploitation, abuse, and cruelty. Animal rights group Voters For Animal Rights (VFAR) says it’s planning to push for legislation to shut the project down.

So far, the company has neither responded to the accusations nor shown any sign of changing course.

So if you spot a pigeon with an orange backpack soaring over Manhattan, someone’s day is about to get a lot brighter. Then again, maybe it’s still a gig better suited for humans.

Cover image created with AI.

This article was first published on El Planteo.