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Investing in a Burgeoning Cannabis Industry

BCBusiness + Higharchy Brand Group With the legalization of cannabis has come an unprecedented opportunity: the development of a retail industry unlike anything North America has ever seen before, the birth of something entirely new. At the forefront of this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon is Higharchy Brands Group. The purpose-driven group provides strategic capital...

 

BCBusiness Higharchy Brands Group

Higharchy is positioned to act in both advisory and capital roles

With the legalization of cannabis has come an unprecedented opportunity: the development of a retail industry unlike anything North America has ever seen before, the birth of something entirely new.

At the forefront of this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon is Higharchy Brands Group.

The purpose-driven group provides strategic capital and advisory services to companies within the Canadian cannabis space.

Its in-house retail brand, West Coast Cannabis Store (WCCS), is a name you’ll be hearing a lot in the future: they plan to open 16 retail cannabis lifestyle stores across Western Canada, with the first one launching this summer.

And that’s just the beginning.

“Higharchy not only invests in and supports their own brands, but, from a capital and advisory perspective, we’re also positioned to invest in other emerging iconic retail and consumer brands in Canada and the U.S.,” CEO and cofounder Matt Christopherson says. An example is a recent investment in Superette, one of 25 initial licence holders in Ontario and arguably the most unique iconic retail cannabis brand in Eastern Canada, with its curated, customer-first experience for cannabis users.

“We’re a brand company with a foundation of highly original retail brands in Canada and an emphasis on investing and developing legacy cannabis brands in the U.S.,” Christopherson says. “We will be securing licensing agreements and meaningful early-stage positions in iconic cannabis brands in all major markets. The emphasis in the next while will be expanding the portfolio in the U.S. with strong emerging retail and consumer brands and multistate operators, then looking further into Europe and other markets.”

West Coast Cannabis Stores will be unlike anything Western Canada has ever seen with respect to the retail experience for cannabis users. Empowerment and education will be at the heart of the customer experience, driving ongoing discovery of the plant itself and aiding customers with navigating the multitude of cannabis brands and retail products currently available.

The stores’ locations are intentional, situated in smaller coastal and mountainous places like Tofino, Jasper, Fernie, Squamish, Powell River, and Trail, places where human connection is just as valued as the beauty of nature.

“Smaller communities in B.C. are very special places with long, established connections to cannabis,” Christopherson says. “We want to include these local communities in the design of our retail business. We want them to have a say.

“Whether it’s a local artist or business down the street, we are bringing the community together to help create our retail business,” he says.  “All connections start with a local spark. That’s West Coast.”

Higharchy is not only creating a new business from the ground up but a distinct culture as well— one of authentic, transparent, and inclusive communication and collaboration among employees and partners. Whether in the boardroom or at the retail counter, the structure is genuinely Higharchy, not hierarchy: everyone is equal and victory is only achieved from the bottom up.

Higharchy has a strong and experienced team to execute its ambitious plans. Its leadership has more than 30 years of involvement in the cannabis sector combined, and the group’s finance team is equally solid, possessing the insight and skills to make sound financial decisions.

Formerly the vice president of business development and a partner at Keirton Inc., Christopherson was involved in the growth of the globally renowned Twister Trimmer brand, the world’s fastest and most widely used cannabis harvesting machine. This provided him the platform to grow alongside the elite of the industry and work with the largest cannabis production facilities across Canadian, U.S. and international markets.

Cofounder of Higharchy and strategic advisor Josh Ginsberg is a long-time entrepreneur with extensive experience in the U.S. cannabis industry, having cofounded the retail giant Native Roots, which has more than 750 employees across 22 locations.

Higharchy is creating the future of cannabis. Combining good people and good values with great investments providing high-growth brands and companies with boundless potential.

“We help people and brands think bigger than they ever thought possible,” Christopherson says.

To find out more, visit www.higharchy.com/.

Created by BCBusiness in partnership with Higharchy Brands Group