Originally started as a medical dispensary in 2015, Evergreen Cannabis Society became Vancouver’s first legal cannabis retailer when it officially re-opened its doors in January.
Sitting at the heart of the city’s Kitsilano neighbourhood, there’s something apt about the locale of Vancouver’s first legal retailer. After all this is an area that was famed during the hippy heyday of the 1960s, and went on to become ground zero for the movement to legalize cannabis in Canada.
Today the area might have changed, but the ethos that co-founders Mike Babins and Maria Petrucci have brought to Evergreen Cannabis Society has stayed true to the movement’s roots. As Babins says, “the fact that the store ended up here is a great thing.”
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Quick Hit
If you’re looking for a welcoming experience where knowledgeable staff can guide you to the best bud, then this is the store for you.
Vibe
Customers can expect a laidback vibe and a warm welcome from Evergreen’s knowledgeable team of staff. This isn’t a sleek and stylized space that’s been branded to within an inch of its life. Instead, the stripped back interior ensures that the product is the star attraction.
Photos by Lindsay Elliott for Leafly Canada
Indeed Evergreen lets the weed speak for itself, with the lineup of carefully selected cannabis products accompanied only by the chatter of knowledgeable staff and the crackle of a lovingly selected vinyl soundtrack.
“We are not just going to sell you the most expensive thing, we’re going to figure out what it is you’re looking for then we’ll come up with a few recommendations…”
Co-founder Mike Babins says that their goal is to offer the highest quality product alongside stigma-free shopping. “That’s been our goal since the start, even when we were medical marijuana,” he says. “I’m in my 40s so I don’t want to walk into a place with a neon pot leaf in the window. But I’ve also been smoking pot since I was a teenager and I don’t want to buy my weed in an Apple store.”
Evergreen succeeds by finding the sweet spot between these two camps. Overall there’s a homely feel to the compact space, a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere designed to make customers feel at ease whether they’re budding enthusiasts or first-time smokers taking their first steps into the legalized landscape.
Customer Service
This is where Evergreen really shines. The expert team know their products inside and out and are on hand to help whether you’re after advice, recommendations, or guidance on what best suits your needs. What’s really striking is the amount of time they spend with each individual customer to understand exactly what it is they are looking for and help them find the product that is best suited to their needs.
Photos by Lindsay Elliott for Leafly Canada
“If they’re a ‘chronniseur’ as we call it, then you’ll have the chance to speak with someone who can really talk with you,” Babins says. “If you don’t know what you’re talking about—if this is your first time or you haven’t smoked pot since high school—then we’ll walk you through it. We are not just going to sell you the most expensive thing, we’re going to figure out what it is you’re looking for then we’ll come up with a few recommendations that you can go away and try for yourself.”
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Products & Pricing
Evergreen changes their products regularly, to ensure that they only offer the very best to their customers. They also work hard when it comes to price point, and try to keep everything as close to pre-legalization prices as they possibly can.
Outside of the bud itself Evergreen also serves up a smattering of ancillary items that are specifically geared towards the kind of people they have coming into store. From grinders and pipes to rolling papers and tips, they have everything you need to get the most out of your experience. They’re also pro-vapourizer, stocking entry level and advanced devices for prices you’ll find difficult to beat anywhere online.
Photos by Lindsay Elliott for Leafly Canada
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What You Should Know
The trade-off for personalized customer service is that line-ups are to be expected. Don’t forget to bring two pieces of ID.
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