Oceanic Releaf, led by CEO Taylor Giovannini, is a cannabis brand based in Newfoundland that is dedicated to embracing cannabis as medicine in all aspects of their business. The brand has transformed a former fast-food factory into a thriving cultivation facility, staffed by members of the local rural Burin community. This journey is a testament to the brand’s resilience, transformation, and innovation, proving that sticking to one’s beliefs can lead to success.
Just a few years ago, cannabis was not yet federally legal for recreational adult use in Canada. It was only allowed for medical purposes with a prescription, and was surrounded by stigma and misconceptions. However, in a coastal town in eastern Canada, Giovannini had an epiphany. “I didn’t consume or understand cannabis before Oceanic,” she says. “But I witnessed the transformative power of cannabis as medicine for my husband’s grandfather and needed to understand it.”
The journey began with the discovery of an aging McDonald’s filet-o-fish factory and a grand vision: to turn a place associated with fast food consumption into a state-of-the-art cultivation facility. “My partner Colin and I quit our jobs and bought a fish plant with a two-year-old. Crazy? Yes. Colin stripped that building out and rebuilt it,” Giovannini says. “We ask ourselves how we did it all the time. We just did. Blood, sweat, and tears.” The factory was transformed from a space for one form of consumption to another, from fast food to holistic wellness. The factory that once churned out fish patties could now potentially house rows of flourishing cannabis plants. The name of the operation was an easy choice: Oceanic Releaf, combining the calming and healing properties of the ocean with the word “relief” changed to “releaf” (a clever pun) to represent the cannabis plant.
But Oceanic Releaf didn’t stop at cultivation. The brand expanded into brick-and-mortar retail and created its own products, all with names inspired by the ocean. The decision to go consumer-facing was driven by the realization that the brand had the opportunity to change lives. “Revitalizing a community on top of healing and employing people was the cherry on top,” Giovannini says. The brand quickly scaled to nine retail stores across the region, transforming them into more than just places to buy cannabis. Each store became an educational hub for locals, a judgment-free space where customers could learn about cannabis and make informed decisions about their health and wellness. Oceanic Releaf has truly become a household name in the community, thanks to its dedication to cannabis as medicine and its commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of its customers and employees.
