On this special Creator Spotlight, we feature our Co-Founder Nico Sto Tomas! Nico has worked in the legacy cannabis space prior to legalization and has spent the last 4 years as the Chief Marketing Officer of West Blvd Cannabis. Before venturing in the cannabis space, Nico spent the last 13 years working in the Event Planning and Nightlife industry as the Co-Founder of Hyphy Events. He’s had the privilege to work with major acts such as Drake, Wu-Tang, Miguel, and many more. His passion for cannabis runs deep and we’re excited to feature him today! Enjoy.
Introduce yourself and what do you do?
My name is Nico Sto Tomas, and I am the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of West Blvd Cannabis. I was one of the 4 founding partners back in 2018, where we conceptualized the idea in a small board room office. Back then, Brad, Connor and Myself were operating one of the first municipally licensed dispensaries on 10th and Sasamat prior to legalization. Once cannabis was federally legal in 2018, we noticed a shift in the retail industry so we decided to pivot into manufacturing and secured our existing location in Mount Pleasant. Today, we currently have our Micro-Processing License, Dried Flower Sales License, R&D license, and are waiting for our Edibles Sales License. My main responsibilities, at a high level, as CMO of West Blvd Cannabis is to oversee all of the marketing strategy and activities for all of our subsidiary brands (Choklit Park, Gladstone and Farm & Florist) while ensuring our Marketing team is aligned with our company goals.
Can you share any turning points in your career or particular moments of success?
My journey in the cannabis industry has been interesting to say the least. I thought this industry was an extremely exciting opportunity when the federal government first announced its plan to legalize the plant back in 2014. I knew right away that i wanted to put my stake in this industry, but it’s been nothing but hurdles and obstacles. Needless to say, I’ve had some exciting milestones in my career. The most notable was when we first received our Micro-Processing license for our facility. After waiting 9 months for our build and development permits, 6 months for our build out, and waiting another 8 months for Health Canada response, it was most definitely the biggest milestone in my Cannabis career thus far. The second notable moment is when we made our first Choklit Park sale to the BCLDB this past November.
Describe your cannabis use in 3 words.
Pass the blunt.
Describe the impact Cannabis has had on your life?
“Personally, consuming cannabis is an amazing tool to help ground myself from external problems.”
Where and when were you introduced to cannabis for the first time?
I have vague memories of my dad and uncles smoking weed at the family BBQs when i was in elementary school. My fam was pretty liberal lol. However, the first time I smoked weed was with my cousins at a park when i was grade 9. I believe it was straight out of an apple (bong.)
What’s your favourite post-smoke activity? Workout? Food?
I’d call myself a ‘functional stoner’. One of my favourite post-smoke activities is to workout. I feel like I’m more aware of my technique/form and can actually push myself to get a better pump while high.
What music do you vibe to when using Cannabis?
I was born and raised listening to R&B and Hip Hop, so naturally this is the type of music I play when i’m stoned. However, I also love to bang the Jazz Vibes playlist to get into a flow state.
“There’s nothing like analyzing bud structures, terpene profiles, trichomes and the stickiness of the buds before you stick it into the buster. “
If you could sesh with one person dead or alive, who would it be?
I’d love to smoke with Rick Rubin. I’m a huge fan of some of the artists he’s worked with. His outlook on life and ability to manage energy is also next level.
What are your favourite ways to consume cannabis (joints, vapes, edibles, beverages etc.) and why?
I’ve always loved the ritual of rolling a joint or blunt. There’s nothing like analyzing bud structures, terpene profiles, trichomes and the stickiness of the buds before you stick it into the buster. I also take pride in the joints that I roll and consider it a civic duty to roll a proper joint for the friends I’m sharing it with.
Is there anything interesting that you’d like to share with the Choklit Park community? (feel free to share any important projects or exciting news you’d like our community to know!)
We’ve been approved for a couple new strains for Choklit Park which we’ll be announcing very soon. We’re also launching our culinary cannabis, called Farm & Florist, over the next couple months. Lastly, we are planning an epic 4/20 party that will feature some of the biggest Hip Hop names today so definitely stay tuned for that <3.
