We had the chance to catch up with Shauna about Madge and Mercer, the first brand of its kind focusing on the female demographic for beauty and wellness with cannabis products. The brand was created to solve a plethora of issues women face, and yet no cannabis brand was focusing on this demographic.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Madge and Mercer Modern Apothecary is a premium women’s wellness brand. It was created to address the wellness needs of women, particularly as they age. Containing high CBD with a micro-dose of THC, our products are designed to seamlessly integrate into a women’s wellness regimen and self-care toolkit. With a less is more approach, all of our ingredients are purposefully selected, plant-forward and clean; as well as hardworking and functional. With an emphasis on natural aromas and flavours, the taste and odour of cannabis is masked. To date, our products include: La Calma (a lemongrass ginger CBD ingestible oil), El Alevio Menta (a CBD dominant menthol-eucalyptol disposable vape pen) and Émollient (a rich plant-based CBD meadowfoam seed facial serum and the first cannabis-infused facial serum in the legal market in Ontario, if not the rest of the country).
What made you want to do this work?
For many years I personally struggled with chronic pain and anxiety and, like many women, was reluctant to use cannabis. However, after trying it, I discovered that it was the only thing that truly helped with my pain and anxiety, without side effects. Now, I want to share this knowledge and expose other women to the wellness benefits of cannabis.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
Women’s wellness issues, especially those related to perimenopause and menopause, are often overlooked at best, and misdiagnosed at worst. I wanted to provide a friendly platform where these issues could be shared, and cannabis de-stigmatized and of course, create a line of purposefully formulated products to address them.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Specifically women in their 40s through 60s. However, other ages (over 19) and genders will enjoy these products too!
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We’re a brand. Our products are designed and formulated by us, then manufactured and sold by a third party to the provincial boards who in turn retail it online and wholesale it to select authorized cannabis retailers.
Where in Toronto can we find your business?
Our products are only sold through the legal cannabis retail stream, which ensures that the product you’re buying has been vetted and approved by Health Canada. In Ontario, you can purchase Madge and Mercer Modern Apothecary products via the Ontario Cannabis Store and in select legal retailers across the province. You can also find our limited-edition line of everyday essential provisions on our website.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
What makes Madge and Mercer Modern Apothecary products different from other cannabis products on the
market?
– Our products are purposefully formulated for women.
– We only use all-natural, plant-forward and hard-working ingredients.
– The taste and odour of cannabis is masked in all of our products.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
I’m working on something that I’m incredibly passionate about. As life becomes increasingly demanding, coupled with the biological evolution of the female body as we age, the benefits of cannabis (specifically high CBD with a micro-dose of THC) will become an increasingly important part of a women’s self-care toolkit.
There remains, however so much more work to be done in terms of de-stigmatizing.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and our blog and newsletter.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Toronto business that you love?
Xenia Taler (@xeniataler) creates home and lifestyle goods with a signature aesthetic that is at once casual and refined and stems from the idea that what’s beautiful and chic is always accessible. She’s a woman who worked exceptionally hard to get her business to where it is; and has an incredible handle on her demographic which I believe is a big key to success.
