After the Canadian government legalized cannabis in 2018, it announced that it would provide licensing for brick-and-mortar cannabis stores in 25 locations. THC Canada, a retail store owned by entrepreneur Spensir Sangara was the fourth store to receive a provincial license for marijuana in British Columbia. But, this was not Sangara’s first time in the cannabis business.
Earlier in 2016, Sangara owned a dispensary that was licensed to operate in the Vancouver grey market. With his knowledge and experience, Sangara knew his customers at THC Canada would need a quick stop to buy snacks when they had the munchies. He branched out next door and opened Dank Mart, an assorted snack and candy store.
A Thriving Brand
In 2020, the young entrepreneur was featured in Forbes magazine, and two years later, he has continued to advance his businesses. This year, THC Canada bagged the retail brand of the year award. Spensir Sangara has also grown Dank Mart into the most popular snack shop in the country and has earned many features in popular blogs and local magazines such as the Vancouver Sun, Narcity, 604Now, Daily Hive, and Vancouver Foodster.
During Dank Mart’s opening, hundreds of customers lined the street waiting for a chance to get into the store. Today, the snack store attracts a huge following on its Instagram page and hosts an e-commerce platform with Shopify, where it provides buyers with unique offers and merchandise.
THC Canada has also been popular since its opening. When the store was new, it was not unusual to find buyers lined up outside waiting for their turn to get into the store. Presently, the store stocks the largest selection of cannabis products and has a large online and offline community.
Business Challenges
According to Sangara, the biggest challenge he encountered when setting up his stores was bringing in the customers. He says, “Due to our location in South Vancouver, we didn’t have much traffic. But, by giving people a unique experience, we changed things very quickly.”
What Next for THC Canada and Dank Mart
Sangara dreams of having THC Canada and Dank Mart store branches nationwide and eventually going international. He would especially like to have THC Canada and Dank Mart stores in LA.
Setting the Standard for Young Entrepreneurs
Spensir Sanagar is among the young millennial entrepreneurs making huge strides in business. He hopes that he will inspire more people to go out and start businesses through his passion and determination. “Life is so short. We gotta find something that we enjoy doing,” Sangara declares.
With his passion and commitment to setting high standards, we have no doubt that Spensir will see to his dream of expanding his stores. Follow this young entrepreneur’s journey on his Instagram page for more inspiration.
