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M E E T T H E M OV E R S , S H A K E R S A N D B U S I N E SS M A K E R S W O R K L I F E | R E TA I L
“We really want to spark conversations. We want to empower our customers and we want to blaze new trails here.”
WOMEN WEED
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STORY AND PHOTOS BY BRITTON LEDINGHAM
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ince cannabis became legal in 2018, Airdrie was inundated with applications for cannabis and cannabis related shops. As of our press date Airdrie is home to 11 such shops. Three of them are featured here; the common factor? Women are at the helm. In her words, Ami Ballman, co-founder of Rare Cannabis Co., is blazing her own trail. A fan of the cartoon Bob’s Burgers, she loves a good pun, but also brings her retail marketing background, along with a public relations degree (2012) from Mount Royal University (MRU), to make a strong business case for Rare. She’s taken her experience of helping “small retail businesses connect the dots between lead generation, customer experience and their bottom lines” into her own business. “Cannabis has been such a game changer in my life, and I really want to share that with others,” says Ballman. “We have done something really unique and special with Rare. We’ve cultivated it, and we’re very passionate. We really want to spark conversations. We want to empower our customers and we want to blaze new trails here.” Her goals are to break down the stigmas associated with cannabis by informing and educating the public. She would love to see Rare Cannabis expand into other communities, as well. The journey to opening Rare Cannabis in July 2019 began when she met her husband and
S P R I N G 2020
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