TORONTO — The Toronto Craft Beer Festival has announced plans to include cannabis in the event through a collaboration with HotBox Cafe — marking the first time a legal cannabis-consumption patio is offered at a provincial event.
“We want to offer people a place to come down from the beer. You don’t have to consume cannabis to experience our creative, chill and vibrant ‘pot-io,’” says Abi Roach, founder of HotBox Holdings and owner/operator of HotBox Cafe. “We want to educate people on what cannabis is and how to consume it safely, especially around alcohol.”
Billed as a comfortable break from the beer and noise during the festival, the Canadian National Exhibition’s current smokers lounge will get a weekend facelift to accommodate the crowd and ensure proper safety and health codes are followed while attendees of legal age enjoy an alcohol- and tobacco-free experience.
In addition to a HotBox customer-service team, there will be experienced sales representatives working the pot-io ensuring attendees are educated on the various ways to safely consume cannabis.
“Being at the forefront of something new is a big social undertaking and we are excited but also fully cognizant of our responsibility to be compliant with all federal and provincial laws for the safety of all attendees,” adds Roach.
