Ryan Porter, Leafly
Can’t beat them? Join them. In Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, pop. 35,000, the two licensed cannabis stores–Prairie Cannabis and Canaba–are down the street from one another. But rather than face off, the independent retailers have joined forces.
During a meeting held in late October, both business owners accepted leadership roles in the emerging Weed Pool Cannabis Co-operative: Prairie Cannabis’s Jim Southam was named president and Canada’s David Batten was named member at large of the co-op. “It’s nice that we can work together,” Southam, a former cannabis glassware and accessories store operator, says. “We’re here to educate the public and bring cannabis back to the people after 100 years. We have to work together.”