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Together We Grow: Why Collaboration Is Key in Craft Cannabis

In a landscape designed for giants, collaboration is how the little guys survive — and win.
Picture of Victoria Cannabis Company

Victoria Cannabis Company

May 30, 2025

At Victoria Cannabis Company (VCC), we’ve never bought into the myth of the lone genius grower or the isolated brand hero. Cannabis culture, especially in British Columbia, has always thrived on community. From the early days of whispered tips and seed swaps to today’s carefully crafted supply chains, this plant has a long memory. And what it remembers most is how we show up for each other.

What Craft Cannabis Is Up Against

It’s no secret that the legal landscape is a maze. Between licensing costs, excise taxes, distribution bottlenecks, and a marketing environment where shouting is illegal and whispering barely gets heard — it’s a grind. For small growers, processors, and independent retailers, survival means finding allies who can help carry the load.

The truth is, most legacy operators didn’t get into this for margins. They got into it for love — of the plant, of the process, of what cannabis meant in their community. That’s still true. But love alone doesn’t keep the lights on. That’s where collaboration comes in. Not as a buzzword, but as a lifeline.

How Collaboration Happens in the Craft World

Collaboration in craft cannabis isn’t a corporate partnership sealed with NDAs and product launches. It’s more human, more grounded — and, often, more creative.
Here’s what it actually looks like in the real world:

  • Shared processing and packaging facilities: Because building your own is financially out of reach for most. There’s plenty of room for collaborations, in fact a lot of the best BC cannabis is being crafted this way.
  • Content collabs: Like this very blog series, where growers and brands tell their stories side by side. When we show up on each other’s website’s, more consumers will learn about our brands. A helpful backlink raises all boats.
  • Retail features: Multiple brands working together on drops or educational campaigns to help consumers understand what real craft looks, smells, and tastes like.

Every time we work together, we protect the thing we all care about: the integrity of BC craft cannabis.

How VCC Practices What We Preach

At VCC, we don’t just talk collaboration. We build it into everything we do.
From day one, our partnerships have been built on mutual respect, clear communication, and shared values — not extractive transactions. We seek out growers and processors who love the plant as much as we do, and who are committed to the long haul, even when it gets hard.

We show up to the farms. We walk the rooms. We swap notes on genetics and packaging and distribution headaches. If we don’t know the person behind the product, we’re not interested.

As our General Manager Graeme Holfeld puts it:

“Collective knowledge and altruism are what drives the cannabis industry forward, and it’s critical to remember that solutions and growth are often community driven. We strive every day to build strong, lasting relationships with those that share our philosophy, which has given us the opportunity to work with some of the smartest, most driven people in the space.“

Collaboration in Action: The Retailers Who Get It

Craft doesn’t move without retail. And in today’s climate, retailers who make space for craft — who educate their staff, highlight growers, and connect customers to the stories behind the flower — are essential.
We’re proud to work with some incredible partners who do just that:

  • Fire & Flower
  • Pops Cannabis
  • FIKA
  • Friendly Stranger
  • The Original Farm
  • Discounted Cannabis
  • And of course, our own retail home — the VCC Farmgate Store — where you can walk in, ask questions, and see what collaboration looks like up close.

These aren’t just stores that sell craft. They’re co-conspirators in keeping real cannabis culture alive.

A Culture Built on Collaboration

Look — this was never just about great cannabis.

It’s also about how we build systems that work for people. Systems where knowledge is shared, risks are distributed, and success isn’t hoarded at the top.
When we collaborate in this industry, we’re doing more than making business sense. We’re honouring the roots of cannabis culture in BC: legacy growers, compassion clubs, collectives, and backyard mentors who made it through the hard years by sticking together.

We don’t compete with our partners. We grow with them. And that’s the only way forward.

Support the Ones Who Work Together

If you believe in better cannabis — cannabis with a face, a place, and a purpose — support the people who make it happen together.

Ask questions. Learn the stories. Choose products with a real backstory.

And next time you’re near Victoria, come visit the VCC Farmgate Store. Meet the team. Smell the flower. See the future we’re building — together. Collaboration is the backbone of true craft cannabis.

Come see what it looks like in action.

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