When it came to cannabis regulations, the people hoped for something sensible, inclusive of the craft market. Instead, BC made the transition process so difficult, complicated and expensive that few small businesses could manage it. Still, we all held out hope that at least some of the good guys would be able to make it and thankfully, some of them did.
On April 20, 2020, ARCannabis will open their doors and there are some key reasons to take notice.
Where they came from
Their name stands for ‘All Recreational Cannabis’ and that’s what their focus is. Led by two of the original founders of MMJ Canada, Tony Dinh and Joe Le are bringing the legacy experience to the Provincial market. Their stores will operate out of the former MMJ Canada locations and the community can look forward to a familiar location to access their cannabis. While it won’t be MMJ Canada, ARCannabis is proud to cater to the recreational market.
For Tony Dinh, it all started by helping a friend, “It was because of one of my really good friends’ arthritis diagnosis. We were seeking some medical therapy that would help and the Cannabis was relieving his pain. So we kind of stared down the path of federal regulations for growing and that’s really where it took off, once I saw the medical side. Then MMJ started so we could provide access to more of the patients who need it. Becoming licensed was always part of the business venture.”
This experience dealing with cannabis regulations would prove to be invaluable in the future, especially when it came to foresight.
More than a bunch of pot dealers…
As a company, MMJ Canada was exemplary, providing community support, fundraising and encouraging others in the industry to do the same. The ‘Patients Over Profits’ fundraising events were highly anticipated in multiple cities, attracting companies and guests from as far as Washington. The fun was legendary.
During one of these events, a medical patient won a monthly supply of cannabis and cannabis products, replenishable for the entire year.
Plans for the future?
MMJ Canada had a great standing within the cannabis community. While ARCannabis maybe a different model, the spirit of their organization is similar to their predecessor.
At the moment, their focus is on opening up and getting a strong foothold. In the future, ARCannabis hoping to give back globally and provide community support to small communities in Southeast Asia. Currently, Provincial regulations prevent them from that kind of philanthropy.
When asked what regulations were the most challenging to endure, Tony Dinh had a surprising reply. “It’s not being able to sell cannabis at less than cost. The idea behind ARCannabis is to appeal to anyone, 19 plus. Once we are making money, we could take those dollars and put them into all sorts of non-profit organizations.”
Adapting to the situation
But the biggest challenge recently hasn’t been because of regulations, it’s been the pandemic. With so many people having to stay at home, the cannabis licensing process slowed down even more. After waiting a year and a half, they got the green light and plans to open are moving along.
With employees in personal protective equipment, social distancing and cough screens, they are moving ahead.
Looking forward to getting back to selling buds, April 20th, 2020, ARCannabis opens its doors.
ARCannabis locations include 1290 East 12th Ave and 225 South East Marine Drive, in Vancouver B.C.