When it comes to cannabis consumption, Canada without doubt boasts the planet’s most forward regulations. Following the legalisation for medical purposes in 2001, consumption for private use has been allowed since last year, and also the cultivation of cannabis is no longer a felony. This groundbreaking shift has obviously trickled down to retail, but few have taken the shopping-for-cannabis-experience as next level as Aurora Cannabis. The Edmonton-based company ranks among the planet’s largest and leading cannabis companies and is vertically integrated and horizontally diversified across every key segment of the value chain, from facility engineering and design to cannabis breeding and genetics research, cannabis and hemp production, derivatives, high value-add product development, home cultivation, wholesale and retail distribution. The company has just inaugurated an Aurora Cannabis flagship store on home turf which offers clients an immersive and educational shopping experience.

Situated at West Edmonton Mall, known to be the largest in all of North America, the retail space measures approx. 11,000 sq.ft. (1,022 sqm.) and is the first of its kind on the shopping centre’s premises. The interior design, a collaboration between Toronto-based practice Bruce Mau Design and GMC Architects, is a well-executed demonstration of understatement, featuring a linear design with modular fixtures and furnishings. Blended into the aesthetic are subtle nods to nature, captured by materials such as oak and quartz, lighting and digital experiences. As said, the Aurora Cannabis store also offers an educational experience, and does so by hosting a programme of top researchers, creators and culture makers who’ll lead sessions with artists, chefs, local innovators and experts in the emerging world of cannabis to deliver inspirational experiences. The Aurora Cannabis store carries over 42 different cannabis products from the Aurora family of brands, in addition to apparel, books, home products and other branded merchandise.