The creation of North American brand Papa’s Herb began not with external voices and investors, but a foundation rooted in family values drawing from the heritage of Moroccan immigrant, Papa, who came first to Miami in 1965, and later settled in Toronto. Papa used to sell cannabis and hash out of his boardwalk ice cream shop when he needed the extra cash, treating everyone like family and delivering the best possible product at the best price.
From two 20-year-old cousins traversing the west coast – meeting with growers and discussing business development – to growing into the No. 1 vape brand in the Alberta marketplace and capitalizing off exclusive partnerships with events in the province, the brand that started within the four walls of the home is an example of one on its way to becoming a household name.
GO: What was one of the most important business decisions you made early on?
MB: One of the smartest moves we made early on was negotiating favourable terms with suppliers. Financial prudence is the cornerstone of any successful business, and as co-founders, my cousin and I managed to secure inventory on terms that allowed us to sell product first without a massive upfront investment. This approach not only conserved the initial capital coming from familial investments, but also enabled the flexibility for growth.
GO: How did travel within Canada and the United States help get your name out there?
MB: Cannabis is not an industry that stays idle – travel is an expansive necessity in the pursuit of product and business development. Meeting new people and forging strong relationships is at the heart of every successful business, especially in the nascent, culturally driven cannabis industry. The road trips taken early on were not just about the business, they were about understanding the very culture we were trying to break into.
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GO: Describe what you love about the cannabis culture.
MB: The cannabis industry is built on a rich culture that values authenticity, so understanding and participating in that is an essential business tactic. Participating in events like the Calgary Stampede’s Badlands EDM show and the Great Outdoor Comedy Festival in Edmonton this summer enabled us to integrate into the community. These events, where we were fortunate to secure exclusive vape partnership rights, provided exposure and allowed us to engage directly with users where our products were already well received, while meeting new consumers and building brand affinity.
GO: How else are you marketing your products?
MB: When it comes to marketing, there’s a lot of starting and stopping in the industry where social media accounts are at risk of being taken down (like ours were at 60 and 100,000 followers, respectively). That’s why we take any opportunity we get to do more traditional marketing similar to the access provided to beverage alcohol and tobacco companies at festivals.
It’s a fine line between pushing your brand forward and facing punitive consequences. All you can really do is orient yourself towards authenticity, while leveraging activity wherever possible. The difference between the U.S. and Canadian markets is that one comes with overt rules and regulations, however in Canada, bills are being paid, whereas in America, the cannabis industry is still entrenched in a sort of lawlessness. For us, it balances out.
Every market is its own beast; it’s not for the faint of heart. But you’ve got to keep rolling the dice in order to stay in the game. With the plant’s rich culture and our family’s own heritage bolstered with the principles of hard work, integrity and community, we’re very fortunate to have been well received in North America, and we believe these principles have been instrumental in shaping our company’s ethos and success thus far.
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Max Benitah is the COO & co-founder of North American cannabis brand, Papa’s Herb.
