Cannabis Retailer is delighted to announce that we have been rated as #1 Canadian Cannabis Magazines & Publications by FeedSpot. We also rated #15 in FeedSpot’s Best 40 Canadian Business Magazines in Canada. Cannabis Retailer was selected from thousands of magazines on the web. The publication was also awarded Most Informative Cannabis Business Magazine 2023 – Canada by Media Innovator Awards 2023. Joyce Hayne, publisher at EMC Publications, says, “We pride ourselves on the high quality of editorial content that we put in our magazines and on our sites, and it’s great to see that recognize ..read more

Surrey, which is predicted to become the largest city in British Columbia by 2029, has voted to allow 12 cannabis stores, two in each of the city’s town centres. The proposed framework for cannabis retail was developed in February and recommended two stores in each of City Centre, Guildford, Fleetwood, Newton, Cloverdale, and Semiahmoo At the moment, residents of Surrey need to go to neighbouring cities Delta, White Rock, or the Township of Langley to access a legal cannabis store. The city plans to start accepting applications in the second quarter of 2024. Surrey should see more stores open ..read more

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) fined CANNABIS XPRESS $200,000 for allegedly violating the province’s anti-inducement law imposed on cannabis stores. CANNABIS XPRESS has 14 locations in Ontario and two in New Brunswick. The company opened the first private cannabis store in New Brunswick. Chris Jones, founder and CEO told Cannabis Retailer that he targets small communities where there are no other stores. The AGCO’s rules “prohibit Ontario cannabis retailers from asking for or accepting inducements from cannabis producers as a condition of selling or giving preferentia ..read more

The majority of Canadians prefer to purchase cannabis at a store they regularly frequent, and fewer consumers are purchasing sublinguals or tinctures, according to new consumer data. Cannabis Retailer commissioned Caddle to survey 8,544 Canadians on their cannabis purchasing habits and preferences in March 2024. Shopping Preferences Close to 50% of respondents prefer shopping at a store they regularly frequent when purchasing cannabis, while 35% go to one of a few stores they shop at, and 19% shop at a new store. Male respondents were more likely to shop at a new store at 22.8% while only 14.3 ..read more

Decibel Cannabis sold its brick-and-mortar retail cannabis operations, operating under the brand of Prairie Records, to Fire and Flower Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of FIKA, for approximately $3 million. Prairie Records has three cannabis stores in Alberta and three in Saskatchewan. “Decibel remains committed to our core mission of delivering exceptional cannabis brands and products in Canada and around the world,” says Adam Coates, Chief Revenue Officer. “The sale of Prairie Records marks a strategic decision in our growth journey, enabling us to focus resources and drive innovation in our ..read more

Ashley Newman, known as the Queen of Bud, has sold her brand and all its assets to High Tide for $1,000,000. Of this amount, $100,000 will be paid in cash and the remaining will be paid in common shares of High Tide. Queen of Bud sells products across Canada both direct to consumer and through third-party licensed cannabis stores. Newman, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Queen of Bud, will take the role of global brand ambassador. She says, “As one of the first female founders in the Canadian cannabis industry, it’s been an incredible journey building this brand to where it is today. Thi ..read more

Chris Jones took a different tact than others when opening cannabis retail stores—and his success has so far proven the business model works. With CANNABIS XPRESS, Jones targets small communities where there are no other stores. He keeps his buildout costs low (often doing much of the work himself opening stores) and curating a limited inventory of products. Targeting Smaller Towns “I live in Toronto and knew that the market here would be saturated, and I decided to open up stores in smaller towns that were underserved,” says Jones, founder and CEO of the company, which currently has 14 stores ..read more

Jazz Samra is a successful real estate agent turned cannabis industry trailblazer and small business advocate. Samra started off as a real estate agent and with the support of a mentor quickly developed a team and had 15 agents working with him. “I got talked into the cannabis industry by some people when it was first starting,” he says. “They took their companies public and told me about the great future CBD was going to have, it caught my attention.” Samra originally planned on running a business of CBD extractions and products, but COVID came and destroyed his plans. Opening Sativa Bliss Ca ..read more

After years of travelling and self-discovery, Budtender Liv Adams was searching for the ideal career path that aligned with her core values. It was within the cannabis space that Adams found her perfect fit, and soon she began her journey working behind the counter at her local cannabis retailer, FOUR20. The Thrill Behind the Till Adams finds joy in the fast-paced environment of the cannabis industry. She enjoys meeting passionate people and being a critical part of a welcoming, educational movement at FOUR20 in Calgary, Alberta. The team is a group of avid learners, caring community members ..read more

Family-owned and -operated Tower Cannabis is driven by community, focused on the customer, and is rapidly expanding. The company opened its flagship store in Carrington, in the north end of Calgary, Alberta, in February 2023. The second location opened in Country Hills this past fall, and a third location opened in November in Okotoks. “We are driving quickly to build beautiful stores that are customer focused and customer engaging,” says Di Spencer, Okotoks Store Manager. Speakeasy Themed Stores The tower theme is prevalent throughout the stores. The branding and store colours are black, whit ..read more