If you’ve seen vintage-looking signs on and around Queen Street West, you’re not seeing sings for the baked goods. You’re being directed to Toronto’s newest cannabis dispensary.
Cookies, a popular American cannabis brand, opened its first Canadian location on the west end at the end of January. The brightly decorated store carries its own line of products as well as items from a few other brands, and each strain is hand-selected by the company‘s founders. Cookies is already so popular that there’s lineups outside the store.
Their popularity is likely helped by the giveaways and festivities they held to commemorate the January 29 opening, generating attention and buzz on West Queen West. The brand sells more than just marijuana, too, expanding into a full-on merch and lifestyle brand.
As for the name cookies? It pays homage to one of the founders, rapper Berner, who can also be credited with inventing the marijuana strain called Girl Scout Cookies. Its creation turned him into a cannabis industry legend.
Berner and partner/grow expert Jai operate a “seed to sale” model, which sees them cultivate their product in-house and control every bit of the process until the sale. It’s a unique, revolutionary concept in the marijuana industry, one that definitely sets them apart.
Cookies joins a huge list of dispensaries that have opened in Toronto, including Superette, who popped onto the scene and, like Cookies, expanded into merchandise and social enterprise ventures. Cookies will also expand into Alberta soon, continuing entry into a Canadian market, complete with nationwide marijuana legalization.
“Some of my favourite strains growing up originated from Canada–the Nade and champagne Aka Pelli were staples,” Berner said in a statement.
Cookies’ flagship Canadian store is located at 278A Queen Street West.