A BC cannabis retailer is partnering with a Vancouver-based Web3 company to develop a virtual cannabis store experience. 

ARCannabis, a retail cannabis chain in BC with seven locations, has teamed up with Vancouver’s Metasphere Labs Inc., which recently announced its plans to create an “online cannabis shopping experience with the use of advanced virtual reality (VR) technology.” 

The plan is still in the early stages, as the two companies just signed an agreement on June 21. The goal is to develop a platform for consumers to visit a virtual, 3D version of an ARCannabis store, guided by a virtual budtender, to make actual purchases that can be delivered or picked up. 

The new VR virtual store will integrate with ARCannabis’ existing backend shopping cart system, powered by another Vancouver tech company, Cova Software. The virtual experience will build on ARCannabis’ current online shopping platform, and provide a chance to interact with that platform in a fully immersive way. 

In a press release, Metasphere says the store is also being designed to be embeddable in open metaverse environments and gaming platforms like Fortnite, subject to their terms of service, and presumably with age-gating in place. 

“We are thrilled to partner with ARCannabis to bring their vision of a VR virtual store to life,” said Natasha Ingram, CEO of Metasphere Labs. “Our expertise in developing immersive metaverse environments aligns perfectly with AR Cannabis’ innovative approach to retail. This collaboration will set a new standard for the online shopping experience in the cannabis industry.”

Metasphere says it expects the platform to be completed by September 2024.

“We are excited to work with Metasphere Labs to enhance our customers’ shopping experience,” said Joe Le, Co-Founder of ARCannabis. “This VR virtual store will not only showcase our products in a unique and engaging way but also reinforce our commitment to leveraging technology to improve customer satisfaction.”