Welcome to Daikoku

Located in Edmonton, Alberta is a completely unique cannabis boutique. Welcome to Daikoku! Owned and operated by the talented Mireille. Her determination and desire to curate a better life led her out west to join the cannabis industry. Learn her story below.

Who is she?

Mireille is the owner of Daikoku, a cannabis boutique. She has experience in tech startups as well as a past life as a candy maker and café owner. Intense, driven and nerdy, she loves demystifying cannabis and debunking the myths surrounding a very misunderstood plant.

(She/Her)

LinkedIn Profile bio.

If we were to get more personal, I’d probably end up talking about my son and spouse. I’d tell you that our family took everything we owned in Montreal and sold it just to be able to move to Edmonton and open Daikoku.

Why you need to visit her store.

Hidden throughout Daikoku you can find 5 miniature displays integrated into the store. These cute & quirky displays are one of Mirelle's many hidden talents.

At some point in the conversation, probably when you asked me what hobby I picked up during the pandemic, I’d show you the dozen or so miniatures I’ve made in the past year. The ones I display at daikoku all have a minimum of 5 “Reefer-ences.” It’s my way of having only “small” problems.

What inspired Daikoku? How do we properly pronounce it?

Daikoku stands out from other cannabis retailers in a very obvious way: the store’s official name makes no reference to cannabis. In point of fact, when you look at your statements if you paid with credit card at the store, it will only display as “Daikoku.”

Daikokuten is a Japanese hearth god. Specifically, he’s one of the seven lucky gods and is associated with wheat. Since my family and I were relocating to the Prairies, it was a way to pay homage to Alberta.

Of course, there’s more to it than that. An archaeological dig in the Oki Islands near Japan found cannabis achenes from about 8000 BCE. It’s the oldest cannabis found to date. So the name is thus also a tribute to how far this humble herb has travelled.

It’s pronounced “Da-EE-Koh-koo” - when people get it right, there’s laughter and even a mini celebration.

What inspired you to get into the cannabis industry? What is your driving factor to be in this industry?

A little over 5 years ago, my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. By the time she got the diagnosis, it was already deemed terminal.

At this juncture, the doctors were only giving her medication to help with quality of life. Thing is, when you’re diagnosed with cancer, the first thing you’re prescribed are narcotics. She was allergic to them. Her body rejected the opioids and we had to call an ambulance to get her to the hospital.

I remember hearing the nurse trying to ask me about resuscitation if her reaction got worse. And all I had to answer was “She’s seeking medical aid to die. Do not resuscitate.”

That was not the night I would say goodbye to her. However, on her follow up appointment with her oncologist, I asked if we could consider cannabis to treat her symptoms.

His reply was: “Why would we give someone who has lung cancer something she would have to smoke?”

And then he prescribed fentanyl.

That was the tipping point for me. I wasn’t thinking about rolling j’s for my mom. I was thinking about smoothies and oils. Primarily edibles.But because of the stigma around cannabis, the doctor refused to consider cannabis as medication. Because of fear from a plant, my mother chose fentanyl patches.

I wanted to be a force that would change perspectives on cannabis. Where I can address the fear and the ignorance with kind hearts and open minds. Weed isn’t for everyone, but opioids shouldn’t be the only choice for quality of life

The way I went about it (opening Daikoku) was inspired by the story of Charlotte’s Web (the weed company, not the book).

What are your favourite brands?

My heart goes to craft. Good Buds is a long-time staple at the store (and on my shelf at home). Organicraft and Msiku are my 2021 discoveries – we didn’t have them in Alberta until recently. Anything grown by the team at Candre (which includes brands like RGB, Tommy’s Craft Cannabis, Violet Tourist and some of Queen of Bud cannabis) is almost certainly fire.

There’s 314 Pure (which have 314 pure and Poolboy brands) as well as Palm Gardens, which have consistently brought amazing flowers to market. I maintain that the best Black Cherry Punch was Violet Tourist’s, while my favourite hybrid was Palm Garden’s Golden Sand Castle (a GSC cultivar).

How is it being a woman in the cannabis industry? What factors have hindered you and how did you overcome these factors?

I was a woman in tech, and before that, I was on a career path to be a chef. I was always headed to more traditionally male industries. I was raised by a Mexican woman who was the black sheep of the family: she was fiercely independent and unapologetic.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

So what I did was create a store I would like to shop at. Weed is central here, obviously, but it’s not the everything: center stage is for education. I try to maintain high energy and positive welcoming vibes to help get people comfortable. It seems to resonate with people. A large portion of our clientele identifies as female. People drive out to see us when they want to know detailed information about products, or they have a million questions about where to start.

It does feel more challenging to speak to long-time consumers. The image most people have of a consumer is male, and so that’s what they expect the boss to be. Until I showcase that I know my stuff, people would be likely to defer to my manager or another, more junior male employee.

So it goes.

What are the positives of this industry? How have you grown?

I have never, ever, been in an industry that is so willing to share knowledge. When customers come into my store, there’s an immediate connection. We have something in common.

We share stories, we exchange anecdotes, we find fellow misfits. We find our people: we build our community.

From coast to coast, I have connections and friends in the industry that help make this crazy whirlwind of a ride fun, if not restful.

What’s your advice for people looking to pursue a career in this industry?

The industry is budding (pun intended). This is a product that people have tattooed on themselves because they love it, and where some of the heads of the larger corporations don’t even consume greens. There’s a LOT of duplicity, a lot of questionable decisions, a lot of muck.

If you’re passionate about the plant, don’t settle for a company that isn’t as passionate about it as you are. Find a company that aligns with your values.

Bring an open mind and empathy: a lot more people consume cannabis as a medicine than you’d think. Or even than they realize. While we can’t answer medical questions, it’s important to understand that weed isn’t just for people who just “want to get high.” There’s so much more to weed than that.

Lastly, be willing to learn. We’re getting so much more information and scientific studies to help us understand cannabis, but it’s far from over.

Like I said, this is all just getting started.

Find them here.

Website- https://daikoku.ca/welcome-to-daikoku

WeedMaps- https://daikoku.wm.store/

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/daikoku_ca/

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