Virtue Cannabis
Meet Virtue Cannabis
How it Started...
Scott and Travis met in 2013 through their memberships in the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at the University of Alberta. In 2015, the two were discussing their prospective future careers and dreaming up business plans when the idea for Hybrid Infusions was born. Ultimately, the two took swift action and incorporated their business Hybrid Infusions in 2018. Their Willy Wonka inspired weed factory dreams only accelerated from there, quickly leading to the development of their first brand Virtue Cannabis.
Their vision was simple: to be a cultural space where cannabis is celebrated and respected, where decisions are informed by science without imposing the company’s desires, and where the status quo is challenged in the interest of progress and innovation. They dreamed of making a workplace culture and balance bar none; where people work to support their lives instead of people living to support their work.
Figure 1. The COO Scott Young (left) and CEO Travis Reed (right) when they started construction of the facility.
...How it’s Going
Today, their dream has started to crystallize into reality! With a team of around 30 cannabis nerds, formed of almost 70% of female-identifying staff, and around 30% openly LGBTQ+ community members, Hybrid Infusions truly has fought to break the status quo of what a workplace looks like in Alberta. With a diverse team of exceptionally multi-faceted backgrounds, the Virtue team has brought premium flower offerings to the provinces of Alberta, Northwest Territories, and are soon to be found in the province of Saskatchewan. It has taken years, real blood, sweat, and tears, as the CEO and COO themselves built the facility from the bottom up to retrofit an old heavy equipment maintenance building into the place we call our work home. The Virtue team of cannabis nerds is now happily growing gorgeous cannabis and creating uniquely positioned products that they themselves would seek out to enjoy. With the premium blunts, infused pre-rolls, and delicious edibles on the horizon, Virtue has its heart set on being an employer and a brand that is unlike any other. Their story is a testament to how a dream can become reality with intention and action.
Figure 2. Some of the female-identifying staff gathered in the mother room for an International Women's Day celebratory photo
What 420 means to us
Before legalization, the idea of having a workplace like Hybrid Infusions was only a twinkle of a dream in sleepy stoned eyes. To openly discuss your cannabis love and enthusiasm was often met with stigma or genuine fear during the legacy market days. 420 became more than a date in the calendar, more than a stoner holiday. 420 became a symbol of the welcoming cannabis community that transcends gathering on just one day of the year. Any time you saw someone wearing a 420 on their clothing, the number functioned like a bat signal of sorts, shining a light on a person of openness, kindness, and down-to-earth nature ever so archetypal to the cannabis enthusiast community.
Today, in the post-prohibition world, the spirit of 420’s fun, acceptance, and gathering pervades and inspires us every day at Hybrid Infusions. In fact, every week we gather for socializing and comradery on our Social Thursday where we get to play foosball with Travis and Scott, maybe have a skate in the homemade ice rink out back in our yard and roll up some blunts and talk our weekly troubles away. In the spirit of 420, we wanted to share with your readers two of our team members' 420 inspired Spotify playlists to bring extra good vibes through cannabis-loving tunes to your next smoke session. Just open your Spotify app and use the search bar to scan our codes, light one up, and have a listen. And of course, we want to be friends, so come follow our journey on social media!
Written by:
Marian Wagner
Community Manager
Hybrid Infusions
