The Story

Introducing Rosebud Cannabis, Camrose AB’s only locally owned and operated ‘combustible flower shop’, created in 2018. Cannabis actually became legal during the time we were building out the store, and the retail landscape was still totally unknown. There was still a lot of black-market stigma surrounding retail cannabis, so most early retail spaces were bland, sterile, and nonthreatening. 

We had no plans to expand Rosebud, so we decided to take the opposite approach. We made the store a love letter to Camrose, and pulled design inspiration from local hardware stores, the old Woolworth’s lunch counter, and my own memories of growing up there in the 1980’s. The idea was to create an approachable, comfortable space that spoke directly to local residents. 

Having full control of a brand also means you can make whatever you want, and in this case we went a little wild. We created a whole ecosystem of Rosebud Branded Goods, covering all the usual bases like lighters and ashtrays. Alberta forbade selling ‘non-cannabis related’ accessories until well after the store was open, so we created a bong cleaning cloth that is totally not just a bandana. We also created a line of Rosebud Apparel that was displayed in-store, but only available to purchase online (because I couldn’t think of a way to claim that a shirt was a cannabis accessory, no matter how hard I tried).

Up above, you can see me behind the counter on opening day. Once the store was open, it was my job to keep the shelves stocked, and I worked as the head of procurement until 2021. Fun fact, I was also concurrently working for cannabis brands at Webb Creative, which meant that often I’d be sent sales & POS materials that I’d actually designed (like the Broken Coast logo over my shoulder). 

Eventually I moved on from Rosebud, but the store is still happily operating back in Camrose. If you’re ever passing through, stop by and say high!