Inside the colourful new office space of Lift & Co., a cannabis education company

What: Cannabis events, reviews and awards company Lift & Co. Where: Peter and Adelaide Size: 15,000 square feet for 60 employees

Lift & Co. started as an educational blog for medicinal cannabis users six years ago. Now that recreational weed is legal, the scope of the company’s operations has expanded, and it has grown from 30 employees to 60 in less than a year. It runs two of the largest cannabis events in the country, a business conference for execs and a trade show for consumers, and has started operating something called CannSell, a mandatory SmartServe-like program for anyone who’s going to be selling cannabis in Ontario.

Until recently, Lift & Co.‘s employees were packed into a cramped residential townhouse. Last year, with legalization looming, the company decided to secure a real office space—somewhere that would seem grown-up and sophisticated to clients, and where employees would feel comfortable and motivated. They eventually moved into the former Church of Scientology offices on Peter Street. Design firm Lebel and Bouliane helped transform the interior into a playful, multifunctional space that would reflect Lift and Co.‘s new branding. There are a number of curved elements inspired by the company’s ampersand logo, and the designers splashed beachy colours all over sofas, walls and floors.

The office is spread over three floors. The reception area is on the first floor:

A giant weed-covered ampersand logo welcomes visitors:

These sage bunches are leftovers from a welcome bash the office had recently:

The company hosts the Canadian Cannabis Awards, where they celebrate the industry and honour major players. Here’s an award from last season:

On the second floor, this sherbet-hued lounge is used for lunches, town halls, monthly fireside chats and, of course, parties. There was a DJ on the elevated platform at the most recent shindig. Lebel and Bouliane painted most of the exposed brick white, to help brighten up the space:

Here’s another view:

There are puzzles for people to play when they need a break:

Bleacher-inspired benches provide a casual place to brainstorm:

When it came to naming the conference rooms, management asked staff to share where they were the first time they tried cannabis. Some results, like this one, were predictable. But they also have a room named “Back of a U-Haul”:

This room is called the Bathtub, and is accessorized appropriately:

Balzac’s coffee is on hand in the kitchen. There’s no beer cart, but Nick Pateras, Lift & Co.‘s VP of strategy, says most people who work there enjoy cannabis. It’s considered acceptable for staff to bring their own from home and light up during social events:

The place is dog-friendly. This is Moose:

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