With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1159085
two stores in Saskatchewan earlier this year. A third—a 3,000-square-foot operation at Kingsway and Knight Street in Vancouver—opened in early August. We're curating it right now," Gordon says over the phone from a Gastown coffee shop. "We're getting all of our suppliers in line so we can mer- chandise them right to add value to the consumer experience." Gordon, who uses cannabis for post-traumatic stress disorder, is a firm believer in the product, especially as an alternative to alcohol. "When you look at the research, the main drivers behind both alcohol and cannabis drinks are very similar —they reduce stress and anxiety, help you have fun with friends, improve your mood," he says. "But the nice thing about cannabis drinks is they're a heck of a lot more beneficial for you from a health perspective than alcohol is. [Alcohol] has an impact on our health system to the tune of over $10 billion a year." Mitigating that is part of Gordon's mission, and he thinks the public will get on-board. "Studies have shown that one in three Canadians are look- ing at engaging with cannabis beverages as an alternative to alcohol," he says. "Getting people comfortable with the idea of making a switch, at least for part of the week, is key." Of course, assertions like that are bound to ruffle some feathers in the alcohol trade. Vancou- ver Mayor Stewart isn't among those players, but he's determined to protect one of his city's busi- est sectors. "We're the mecca for craft breweries in Canada, and I just want to help this industry as much as possible," he says. "I wouldn't want to see [the breweries] negatively impacted." Although not every B.C. cannabis retailer might want to take on the liquor business, there could be a battle on the horizon. Stewart agrees with that assessment: "I feel like the consumables coming on in December could lead to conflict between the two sectors rather than cooperation." Tantalus Labs' Sutton is a bit more undecided. "There will be many people in Canada who have not experienced a product like this and have not experienced what it can elicit, that will take to it, and some people that don't, and that's totally fine," he says. "You just create an awesome product and let people experience it on their own. But person- ally, I'm very excited to crack the first one." Says Kiaro's Gordon with a chuckle: "The mar- ket is thirsty for it." n 24%/35% Share of current and likely Canadian users who see cannabis- infused drinks as an alternative to alcohol 37% Likely Canadian cannabis users who plan to try it in beverage form 59% Likely users who plan to try it in edibles PARKSVILLE NANAIMO VICTORIA VANCOUVER FAIRWINDS The Westerly is beautifully situated overlooking the Strait of Georgia, nestled within Vancouver Island's natural landscape of forested hills and rocky terrain yet only 20 minutes north of Nanaimo and easily accessible from both Victoria and Vancouver. Designed and built to exacting standards, residences at the Westerly offer an active lifestyle just steps away from the water, marina and Fairwinds Landing, the community's new oceanfront residential/retail/dining hub. U N C O M P R O M I S I N G O C E A N F R O N T L I V I N G I N T H E H E A R T O F T H E F A I R W I N D S C O M M U N I T Y