4/20 in the 416: Toronto’s Unique Cannabis Stores
It’s a joke that writes itself says Samantha Israel in her special report to the Toronto Star on the city’s unique cannabis stores. A rabbi, a lawyer, and a millennial who own three different stores talk about what brought them to the business.
Jacob Stevens, aka “the rabbi”, is not actually a rabbi but a Chassid, an Orthodox Jewish sub-sect. Owner of Purple Moose Cannabis, Stevens won a cannabis retail licence in the first round of 25 licences offered by the Ontario government. He was sure he was going to win from the start.
“The Aibishter (God) wanted me to do something special,” Stevens said. “And He gave me so many brachas (blessings) along the way.”
Previously, he operated Tripsetter, a bus tour company offering cross-border trips. When cannabis was legalized in 2018, he saw an opportunity – though he did have reservations.
“As a religious person, is this really something I should be doing?” he asked himself – and his rabbi. After getting the go-ahead, he opened his unique cannabis store in Oshawa, east of Toronto. Since then, there are three Purple Moose Cannabis locations including on Lawrence Avenue and in North York in Toronto.
Unique Cannabis Stores a Natural in Toronto – LPC
Nobody would say that connecting cannabis with psychedelia is inherently distinctive, but David Ellison certainly created a unique cannabis store based on the sixties vibe.
“I wanted to create a place where cannabis, music, magic and psychedelia merged,” Ellison said of his Scarlet Fire Cannabis Co. Consider it a success. Part of the décor includes pink panels with holes cut out to peer through. Even the name harkens back to a groovier time. The name “Scarlet Fire” is a combination of titles from two Grateful Dead songs: “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain”.
The former Bay St. lawyer jumped out of the rat race he’d been in for 25 years to give more back to society.
“I wanted to make a better contribution to the world than just making rich people richer,” Ellison said. “My new mission is to improve the quality of people’s lives with cannabis.”
Then there is the millennial. Zain Jaffery opened CanaCulture Cannabis Store right next door to his parents Cafe on the Hill when he was just 23 years old. After graduating from Western University, he applied for a retail cannabis licence the day the Ontario government eliminated its cap.
What makes this unique cannabis store special is its highly curated menu. Craft cannabis makes up 85 per cent of CanaCulture’s menu, shying away from the bigger brands. Jaffery takes his whole approach from his father.
“My dad has been a huge mentor to me,” Jaffery said. “The experience I’ve learned from him, showing me the ropes and teaching me about the real world, trumps any business school.”
Three unique cannabis stores of the many in Toronto.
Read the full article at the Toronto Star
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