Smoking Local | Joi Botanicals

Joi Botanicals joined the Alberta cannabis industry in 2018 when they took possession of their 14,000-square-foot facility in Wheatland County. Founded by president Jeff Karren and his father, Joi is 100 per cent Alberta owned and operated with the ultimate goal of bringing high quality cannabis products to the province at a reasonable price.

“It all started at a Sunday dinner with my family back in 2015,” says Karren, whose background is in the oil and gas industry. “I mentioned it in passing to my dad, and from there it turned into a real discussion and we decided to do it. At the time there were only about 14 LPs in Alberta.”

The Joi facility is home to several single strain rooms that allow each strain to be grown in an isolated environment tailored to meet the exact needs of each plant. Cultivating high quality flower in small batches is a science requiring the utmost care, particularly in Alberta where the climate is notoriously dry. “Humidity is a part of everything we do,” says Karren. “Every single grow room and drying room has its own humidifier. Anyone growing near the coast would find that crazy.”

Once the product is packaged and sealed – with it’s own humidity pack, of course – the goal is simply to get it out the door as soon as possible, ensuring a constant supply of fresh flower for Joi enthusiasts.

At Joi, the “passion for all things green” extends beyond cannabis to the health of the environment itself. In the interest of remaining as sustainable as possible, Joi opted for Ozone and UV Water Treatment methods over the industry-standard reverse-osmosis procedure.

According to Karren, while very common, reverse-osmosis is exceptionally wasteful, with upwards of 50 per cent of the water that comes into the facility going straight down the drain. Ozone and UV treatment uses electricity and light to eliminate unwanted inorganic, organic and microbial contaminants from the water on a molecular level without any residual chemical byproducts and without wasting water.

The commitment to quality and sustainability at Joi Botanicals is made possible by an experienced, hard working team of cannabis enthusiasts who just want to spread the Joi. “It’s not a massive corporation,” says Karren. “We live in the same community as you, we care about each individual customer.”

Joi grows a range of coveted customer favourites, including Purple Punch Mints #11, Cake Crasher #2 and Electric Ave, as well as Platinum Scout, OG Kush and ChemPOG available in prerolls. Their products can be purchased across Alberta, as well as in Manitoba, the Yukon and Ontario.

To learn more about Joi Botanicals and supporting local growers in Alberta, visit joibotanicals.com.