BRAND OF THE YEAR: Carmel Cannabis

Carmel Cannabis comes from the underground and, in going mainstream and legal, has created a pathway not only for good weed, but good values. With rare breeds and limited grows, the Carmel team, based in Oro-Medante, Ontario, says they stop at no end to the pursuit of top-shelf flower. With strains like Peanut Butter Breath, Mac 1, Animal Face and Dark Helmet, the group, led by Drew, their master grower who’s provided AAA buds to aficionados for two decades, has helped the legal market cross a threshold: the Carmel Cannabis is routinely the best flower available in Canada, full stop. Meanwhile, as the company grows and becomes ever more well-known by informed consumers, we can’t wait to smoke what the future holds for Carmel: it’s a way forward, no doubt, for the industry at large.