At TOKE, we realize that we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the culture, advocacy, lobbying, and people of the early cannabis movement in Canada.
Canada has been legal in Canada in some form since 2001 with medical cannabis, with the country having to wait until 2018 to experience what legal cannabis was. Canada was the first G7 country to legalize cannabis, and the second country in the world next to Uruguay to have legalization at the federal level.
Although the “official” cannabis movement has been underway for a while, with new freedoms being offered since 2018, the cannabis community has been around for decades upon decades. There is a certain camaraderie that happens between folks who use cannabis, and with that camaraderie is a culture that is developed.
What is culture? Oxford Languages defines culture as “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group”. When this definition is applied to the cannabis community as a social group, it’s easy to know what aspects of this group stand out.
Here are 5 aspects of cannabis culture that TOKE will be sure to honour in our legal licensed cannabis retail store: Music
From Bob Marley, to Sublime, Willy Nelson, Snoop Dogg, and Cypress Hill, a certain culture has formed around cannabis and its connection to cannabis. Hip hop giants like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Eminem all have some of the most notable cannabis anthems known to the community. Cypress Hill is music for stoners, made for stoners. Willy Nelson will always have his space in cannabis culture, and Bob Marley will forever be known as the Godfather, Grandfather, and Father of Cannabis Culture.
Music that has been connected to cannabis culture connects the people within this community, and we want to be sure that those who have been in this culture for a while feel right at home with the music we play in the shop at TOKE. You’ll always find the smooth sounds of Bob Marley and our other revered artists in our shop while you search for some of Ontario’s finest cannabis. Advocacy
From Denis Peron to Steve DeAngelo to Tracy Curley to Jodie Emery, to just scratch the surface, cannabis has a long history and background of advocacy for the plant and the people who consume it. We wouldn’t have recreational cannabis in North America if it wasn’t for the efforts of Denis Peron who fought for the rights of HIV/AIDS patients to access legal cannabis, and thus, medical cannabis first became legalized in California in 1996.
We honour the pioneers of cannabis by always paying homage to these cannabis heroes at TOKE. We will continue to talk about their work, while helping to carry on their spirit of advocacy through ours. The Smoke Session
Cannabis is meant to be shared, which is why you may see or hear references to a smoke session or a “sesh” in regards to consuming cannabis in groups. While the COVID pandemic put smoke sessions on hold for a while, the smoke sesh will forever be one of the most enjoyable parts of being a cannabis consumer. At TOKE, we offer a variety of sizes of pre-rolls from 0.35g to 0.5g, to 1g joints that are perfect for passing around.
Remember that the common etiquette during a smoke session is “puff, puff, pass!” Peace, Love & Harmony
Those who were labeled as “hippies” in the 1960s really had it right in their messages of spreading peace, love, and harmony, and they usually spread their messages with a joint in one hand and a flower in another. As we mentioned while describing the smoke session, cannabis is about community and harmony. The act of sharing cannabis, rolling one for the circle to enjoy, and passing around a joint is some of the most peaceful, loving, and harmonious things you can engage in.
Similarly, the fight for cannabis amnesty is all about replacing the harm that cannabis has done by wrapping legal and community support around those who have been incarcerated or who have criminal records. In addition, since we have medical cannabis to thank for opening the door for recreational cannabis in Canada, cannabis has been promoted as a healing plant. Whatever healing means in the recreational context, we are happy to lead people to that through the cannabis experience at TOKE. Agriculture/Growing
Many of us, including Katy Perry, the owner of TOKE, originated from cannabis growing. We have an inherent passion for the plant due to the fact that we have held and nurtured the cannabis plant from seed to bud to toke. We are passionate about passing on what we know about cannabis growing, especially since Ontarians and Canadians in most provinces are entitled to grow 4 plants per household. If you have a growing question at TOKE, chances are one of our staff will be able to answer it with ease, and you may even find some trade secrets that you won’t hear in standard growing magazines and guides. Keeping Cannabis Culture Alive at TOKE
We are proud of our legacy and free market roots, while we honour and abide by what is expected by us by being a licensed cannabis retailer. We are equally proud of the cannabis culture we come from, and don’t see burning out anytime soon. Come into TOKE to experience the best of cannabis culture’s past, present, and future.