Tokyo Smoke
Tokyo Smoke is a Canadian lifestyle brand owned by Canopy Growth that focuses on the legal recreational cannabis industry. The company was co-founded by father and son Lorne and Alan Gertner in 2015.[1]
Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Cannabis |
Founded | 2015 |
Founder | Lorne and Alan Gertner |
Headquarters | , Canada |
Products | Cannabis, lifestyle products, Third wave coffee |
Parent | Canopy Growth Corporation |
History
Tokyo Smoke was co-founded by Lorne and Alan Gertner in 2015. Lorne Gertner had founded Canada’s first legal medical marijuana grower, Cannasat Therapeutics, in 2004.[2] Alan quit his job at Google in order to establish the business.[3] The brand’s first location, Tokyo Smoke Found, opened in April 2015 in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood. The store was listed as one of the Top 4 designed coffee shops in the world by Interior Design magazine.[4] In early 2017, the company acquired another cannabis company, Van der Pop, based in Seattle and targeted towards women.[5]
On December 21, 2017, the company announced that it would merge with DOJA Cannabis and form a new company called Hiku Brands Company Ltd.[6] On July 10, 2018, Canopy Growth acquired Hiku brands and absorbed its portfolio of brands.[7]
On August 14, 2019, Acreage announced their intention to open cannabis stores under the Tokyo Smoke brand in the United States.[8]
Awards and recognition
At the 2017 Canadian Cannabis awards, Tokyo Smoke won the award for "Brand of the Year."[9]
Retail Stores
Tokyo Smoke currently operates 6 cannabis dispensaries in Manitoba[10] and 7 in Ontario.[11] The company also operates 3 coffee shops: 2 in Toronto, and 1 in Calgary.[12] These coffee shops do not sell cannabis, instead, they sell coffee, cafe food, and cannabis accessories. In September 2018, Tokyo Smoke announced that they have received approval to build up to 10 cannabis stores in Manitoba.[13] In Ontario, where licensed producers are restricted from owning more than 9.9 per cent of a cannabis store, Canopy Growth has entered into branding agreements with retail license owners to open stores under the Tokyo Smoke name.[14]
References
- Lang, Cady (2016-06-13). "Justin Trudeau Makes a Surprising Case for Legalizing Marijuana". Time. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- Dias, David (2008-10-07). "Just don't call it pot". Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- Gertner, Alan (2016-02-22). "Why I quit my dream job at Google to launch a marijuana business". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- "Best of Year 2015: Project Winners". Interior Design Magazine. 2015-12-04. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- "Tokyo Smoke acquires Van der Pop, Seattle's preeminent female-focused cannabis lifestyle brand". MarketWired. 2017-02-08. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- "DOJA Cannabis and Tokyo Smoke Merge to Become Hiku Brands". New Cannabis Ventures. 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- Corporation, Canopy Growth. "Canopy Growth to Acquire Hiku Brands to Strengthen Retail and Brand Portfolio". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- News, Bloomberg (2019-08-14). "Acreage aims to bring Canopy's Tweed pot stores to California - Article". BNN. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- "Canadian Cannabis Awards 2017 Winners - Canadian Cannabis Awards". Canadian Cannabis Awards. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- "Buying Cannabis in Manitoba". Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- "Store Locator– Tokyo Smoke". ca.tokyosmoke.com. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
- "Store Locator– Tokyo Smoke". ca.tokyosmoke.com. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- Ltd, Hiku Brands Company. "Tokyo Smoke cannabis retail stores are Coming to Manitoba". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
- "Canopy Growth lands a cannabis store in Toronto opening under its Tokyo Smoke brand name". Ottawa Citizen. 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-09-08.