After the Liberal government lifted the ban to legalize the sale of cannabis throughout Canada in 2018, several Ontario townships, municipalities and cities remained unwilling to opt in. The City of Mississauga and the Town of Oakville were included.
As of April of this year, Mississauga, Canada's sixth largest city, voted to lift the ban, and applications from potential merchants to set up shop began flooding in.
On June 30, partners Rachel Illman and Daniel Barnes opened the doors to Buzzed Buds at 1375 Southdown Rd #6 in Mississauga, on the border of Mississauga and Oakville.
"Accessibility is the most important thing. If you are elderly or a new user, it was difficult to gain access. In the west end, consumers had to go to Etobicoke, Hamilton, Milton, or Brampton. We chose this Clarkson location specifically to be able to service both the Mississauga and Oakville community," shares Illman.
While the ban on selling legalized cannabis in Oakville exists, the two partners have created a legal delivery system for Oakville customers, not offered by local competitors. Delivery is free, on a minimum $80 order requirement, to Oakville residents in an effort to make regulated cannabis accessible.
While working in California as an engineering intern at Tesla in 2018, Rachel watched their recreational cannabis market there thrive. When partner Daniel Barnes joined Rachel in California to train for his Mixed Martial Arts career, the two thought about how amazing it would be to start an independent shop back home. However, the original lottery system put in place by Ontario made it very challenging to open up a shop without significant financial backing.
Rachel and Daniel were set to return to California, but Rachel's internship and Daniel's fights were both halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then that the Canadian government made licensing for cannabis shops affordable by eliminating the lottery system.
The couple made the decision in 2020 to create a brand and business model, jumped into the market, and organically scaled from one to seven locations of Buzzed Buds from Ottawa to Mississauga in two years.
Speaking on the decision to enter the Mississauga market, Illman shared, "We were so eager to get into the market quickly because we understood that the population has been forced to go elsewhere to get it."
Illman also urges consumers in Oakville to be careful consuming cannabis products from non-regulated sources.
Adding, "To ensure the safety of the products that we sell, we are compliant with government regulations and must source our products from Health Canada-approved licensed producers of cannabis. The growers have a separate set of standards and testing to comply with in order to be approved.
"This is how we know and can feel confident that all of the products that come into our stores are clean, tested, quality products."
Labelling requirements ensure products are tracked from seed to sale, including package number, THC, CBD, ingredients, etc., with some producers providing even more transparency on what goes into their products. Everything is pre-packaged and is presented with a childproof seal.
While the quality of the product is standardized, Barnes and Illman go above and beyond to not only provide more selection than their competitors but also curate a menu based on who they believe is producing first-rate products to pass on to their customers.
"If and when Oakville should lift the ban, we would look at setting up a brick-and-mortar location there. There is added value to being able to go into a store to speak with an educated budtender to find the product that best suits their needs. Right now, most of our deliveries are to Oakville. Mississauga residents have demonstrated that they prefer to shop in person," adds Illman.
Illman and Barnes are working diligently at the Mississauga location to ensure that there are great quality products at every price point so that everyone can have access to a high calibre of cannabis at competitive prices, from affordable to premium craft.