Hydrolife Canada February/March 2017

live
“Ultimately, the Trees
team say their dream is
to offer the whole country
access to the kind of quality
and variety of medical
cannabis products that are
found on Vancouver Island.”
“The underlying problem arises from
almost a hundred years of prohibition
and stigma. I don't begrudge law
enforcement because I understand
the complexity of the situation where
they must enforce a non-local government's
prohibition of a life-sustaining
medication,” says Robb. “The only way
to overcome this constant struggle is
for municipal and provincial governments
to create rational regulations and
enforcement methods that address this
issue. Only then will law enforcement no
longer be forced to take action in what
is currently a lose-lose situation in most
cities across Canada.”
Each location Trees operates comes
with its own history and challenges that
have been overcome.
They were evicted from their first storefront
on North Park Avenue, which began
at the suggestion of their landlord—an
acquaintance of Shannon's—who kicked
them out with the intention of opening his
own dispensary, once he heard the City
of Victoria intended to license cannabis
sales. Serendipity intervened, however,
and this led them to a much better location
three doors down on the same street.
Their Nanaimo-based store was started
in partnership with a local activist and
is one of their strongest locations. Their
flagship Victoria location on lower Yates
was their first venture into the downtown
area and was chosen to both establish
a presence in downtown and become
intertwined with other local businesses
prior to the advance of municipal licensing.
Their branch on Alpha Street was
first opened by another dispensary chain
based out of Vancouver and Toronto, but
as a company that was not local, they
experienced difficulty finding traction in
an increasingly competitive market. Once
Trees struck a deal to take over the store
and operate it from a local perspective,
they have seen progressive growth in
membership ever since.
Robb feels that the real value of cannabis
dispensaries lies in the diversity of
useful products they provide that cannot
be found elsewhere. Most patients come
in to their dispensaries looking for a
specific outcome or effect rather than a
specific strain. From there, their customer
service reps then make recommendations
from their wide menu of strains
or alternative products, which include a
regular supply of edibles, oils, tinctures,
capsules, balms, and salves. “We strive
to stock products that are more difficult
to acquire elsewhere, such as suppositories,
CBD concentrates, or even bath
bombs and cosmetic products made with
cannabis. Our strain menu is always
changing according to the harvest schedule
of our suppliers, and often we source
special offers for our members. We
operate on a ‘hub-and-spoke’ distribution
model that allows us to offer as many
products as possible at each location. We
purchase new product all the time and
often stock the most in-demand strains
of the season,” says Robb. Trees has also
begun to retail cannabis accessory products
like vaporizers, pens, and e-nails for
dabbing—often at prices that are better
than online retail or in typical bong
shops or vape shops—with the desire
to be a one-stop shop for medical users
where they can obtain everything needed
for their self-treatment with cannabis.
Ultimately, the Trees team sais their
dream is to offer the whole country access
to the kind of quality and variety
of medical cannabis products that are
found on Vancouver Island. They are
looking to other Island jurisdictions like
Cumberland and Port Alberni that have
passed municipal bylaws to provide for
business licensing for cannabis retail,
and hope to open storefronts there with
local community partners, with an eye
towards expansion into the mainland of
BC and western Canada.
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grow. heal. live. enjoy.
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