A new edibles company has launched with a team of seasoned chefs and hospitality professionals.
Olli Brands is a company focused on bringing high-quality cannabis-infused products to Canada in a variety of edible products. Co-founder and CEO Sarah Gillin says that the company’s vision was to merge the culinary and cannabis lifestyle to create absolutely delicious edible products with quality ingredients at the forefront.
To achieve this, Gillin says they’ve hired the best people to bring the project to life. The company launched back in 2017, and have since partnered up with respected Toronto chef Adrian Niman of the Food Dudes to oversee recipe development and a world-renowned tea sommelier in Richard Guzauskas to govern the tea production.
“We wanted to put our best foot forward,” says Gillin, a Toronto native and expert in luxury goods marketing.
The company currently has two products available for sale with more on the way. Both items are fruit chews––one strawberry flavoured that is infused with a higher CBD content, and a dragon fruit flavour infused with a higher THC content.
The difference between the two is simply the contents––CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive component of cannabis while THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, has psychoactive components most commonly associated with cannabis use. Olli offers a guide on their website that breaks down the differences of the two more in depth that can help their customers better enjoy their experience.
The two gummies are available for sale through the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), as well as select licensed retailers across the province.
Gillin says that they are looking to bring more edible options this year and are excited where their industry is headed.
The company currently innovates and manufactures all their products at their licensed facility in Etobicoke, Ont. While they’ve launched with just two gummies, Gillin is excited to bring their other products in the upcoming year, including a series of baked goods and infused teas.
“We have a variety of different products in the pipeline,” she says. “Our ultimate goal is to create products that are delicious and that are consistent and that people enjoy and that makes them feel good.”
The company first started before the official legalization of marijuana in October 2018, when casual cannabis use was legally prohibited unless used for medical purposes. Though cannabis can now be enjoyed leisurely, Gillin states that Olli is also focused on maintaining the natural health and wellness benefits that cannabis offers.
“Right now, most of our products are relatively low dose. Our highest THC level right now is 5 milligrams,” says Gillin. “We wanted to create something that was a bit more approachable.”
Olli is looking to build a trusted brand that can help customers introduce cannabis into their life either for the first time or for the first time in a while. They’re also looking to help others who are curious about edibles––who may have been smokers and want to try edible products.
Olli is currently available through OCS for online orders, as well as a handful of local retailers across the city, including all four Hunny Pot locations in Toronto, Tokyo Smoke on Bloor Street and Alchemy Canna to name a few.
