Designer boutiques are the future of cannabis retail

Spiritleaf

The backstory: Spiritleaf, founded by Darren Bondar in 2017, has 26 locations across Alberta and Saskatchewan, with a view to opening 40 Ontario locations. The vibe: An eco-chic clubhouse for the cannabis community, with lots of bamboo furniture and customer lounges that play the Tragically Hip and other chill-friendly favourites. The Goods: Ethically sourced trucker hats, 100 per cent unbleached hemp rolling papers and Spiritleaf-branded rolling machines.

MedMen

The backstory: American entrepreneurs Adam Bierman and Andrew Modlin launched California’s first cannabis store in 2015. They’re planning to open a Toronto location as soon as possible, with their eyes on Queen West. The vibe: They’ve been called “the Apple Stores of weed,” with a sleek, wood-heavy design and an iPad-enabled ordering system. Some outposts even offer sparkling wine and valet service. The goods: It’s a cannabis candy store, with pot-laced chocolate bars, gummies and soda. They also sell vape pens for five moods, each with its own balance of THC and CBD.

Fire and Flower

The backstory: Trevor Fencott, a corporate lawyer who sold his previous venture, Mettrum Health, to Canopy for $430 million, started Fire and Flower in 2017. They’re opening a store on the Mink Mile, directly across from Holt Renfrew. The vibe: It looks more like a Club Monaco than a cannabis shop, with white walls, stonework and decorative plants. The goods: Leather pre-roll holders, electric grinders and organic lip balms.

The New Gold Rush

Part 1: Pot-Luck Dinner The city is teeming with fancy, secret summer clubs serving THC-laced cuisine. We sent our restaurant critic to sample the goods

Part 2: The Pot Pilgrims These five newcomers packed up their lives and moved to Toronto—all for the chance to work in weed

Part 3: Hot Boxes Luxurious designer boutiques are the future of cannabis retail

Part 4: Professors of Pot It’s a stoner’s dream come true: you can finally major in marijuana

Part 5: Plant Managers The favourite strains of the horticulturally gifted growers at the city’s top cannabis companies

Part 6: Baked Goods Wellness gurus are spiking their artisanal lotions and salves with a not-so-secret ingredient. We tested out some of the more intriguing products

Part 7: Buzz Food Cannabis cooking classes—for those who want to cause and cure the munchies in one fell swoop

Part 8: High Rollers We quizzed the city’s most powerful cannabis CEOs on their favourite strains, weed slang and what they eat when they get the munchies

Part 9: Joint Ventures Five of Toronto’s hottest burgeoning canna-companies

Part 10: Who You Gonna Call? The accountants, lawyers and ad agencies carving out a niche in the buzz biz