New Episode
Short Summary
Hosts Tom Ritchie and Wesley Bowles explore creative storytelling, media representation, and cannabinoid wellness. The hosts organize a brand giveaway for Ross’ Gold Cannabis and invite listeners to submit budtender clips for future show highlights. They first connect with Ryan Lindsay, the Creator, Writer, and Executive Producer of the new Crave TV comedy series “The Trades.” Ryan shares his motivation for writing the show, noting that the global blue-collar skilled trades demographic represents over a third of the population yet remains severely underserved in media representation. He discusses the development of the scripted comedy series, which stars Robb Wells, and the positive feedback received from actual tradespeople for its authentic portrayal of refinery environments.
Next, the hosts welcome Shauna Levy, Co-Founder and CEO of Madge and Mercer. Drawing on her 20-year career in design leadership (including serving as President of the Design Exchange in Toronto), Shauna explains how she applied human-centered design principles to the cannabis wellness sector. Shauna details her personal struggle with a severe, stress-exacerbated chronic pain condition that was unresponsive to conventional pharmaceutical narcotics. Turning to medical cannabis on a recommendation, she experienced complete physical relief, which motivated her to launch Madge and Mercer in 2020.
Finally, Shauna outlines the brand philosophy behind Madge and Mercer. The brand focuses on micro-dosed cannabinoid wellness products designed specifically for women over forty, combining CBD, low-dose THC, and minor cannabinoids (CBN/CBG) into oils, topicals, and oral sprays. Shauna advocates for destigmatizing cannabis by positioning it as a natural, functional health supplement—proposing it as a healthy alternative to nightly alcohol or pharmaceutical sleep aids, and integrating it directly into daily wellness routines alongside supplements like collagen and ashwagandha.
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s going on, everyone? Welcome to Episode 10 of Legacies! Wes, can you believe it? Double digits, baby! Double digits!
Wes Bowles Says: Double digits! If you don’t know already, I’m executive producer and co-host Mr. Wesley Bowles, alongside your host, Tom Ritchie.
Tom Ritchie Says: Wes, this is a packed show, so we need to keep our chitter-chatter to a minimum today. We’ve got Ryan Lindsay, creator and executive producer of the hit TV show The Trades on Crave, joining us. And also Shauna Levy from Madge and Mercer to share the story behind her legacy.
Wes Bowles Says: Diving into wellness products and the modern apothecary branding—it’s so clean! We should expect nothing less from her with her extensive design background.
Tom Ritchie Says: Before we dive in, my wife Tanya got me onto Dr. Squatch all-natural deodorant. I’m usually resistant to change, but it’s natural, aluminum-free, and has a great earthy scent. No synthetic chemicals like the big commercial sprays.
Wes Bowles Says: I’m completely with you on sticking to natural products. A lot of those standard commercial deodorants and antiperspirants with synthetic gels or heavy powdery formulas completely irritate my skin.
Tom Ritchie Says: This Saturday, we’re joining Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati at 6ix / Canndoc for the screening of Nagano Till Now. We’ve got his brand collection live on thehighflyer.ca—Ross’s Gold!
Wes Bowles Says: We’re doing a giveaway this week for Ross’s Gold! We’re giving away the premium t-shirt with the vertical signature logo on the back and the gold flower on the front. Wherever you see this—like, comment, follow @LegaciesPodcast, @TheHighFlyer, and @RossGoldCannabis, and we’ll enter you in the draw.
Wes Bowles Says: Just a reminder, we have another contest going on. If you play an instrument—shredding a solo on guitar, ripping keys, lay down a heavy drum groove, or even DJing like Gavin Delainey—send your video clips in! We’re running it for a couple of weeks with an incredible High Flyer prize pack.
Tom Ritchie Says: I broke out my acoustic guitar and was playing Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Life by the Drop’ and Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Hey Joe’ this week. We know there are so many talented musicians in the cannabis community, so send those clips in!
Tom Ritchie Says: It’s almost t-shirt season! Head over to thehighflyer.ca and check out licensed cannabis brand swag from Odo, Victoria Cannabis Company, Smoker Farms, and Royal Harvest. Suns out, guns out!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We’re joined by Ryan Lindsay, creator and executive producer of the hit Crave TV series The Trades. Ryan, how are you doing today?
Ryan Lindsay Says: Fantastic, boys! Like I said, I’m above average. It’s been a good couple of months.
Tom Ritchie Says: You’re born and raised in Sarnia, Ontario. In your own words, explain to our audience: what is The Trades?
Ryan Lindsay Says: The Trades is a scripted workplace comedy set in an industrial refinery. Small-town refinery workers offset a hazardous, high-stress work environment with humor, pranks, and workplace antics. But to me, it’s more than a logline—it’s where I’m from. Sarnia is an industrial hub, and right downriver is Chemical Valley.
Tom Ritchie Says: Right around Petrolia, which has huge historical ties to early petroleum drilling in Canada.
Ryan Lindsay Says: Exactly. My dad was a process operator—a real-life Homer Simpson. Growing up, while other families went to look at Christmas lights, we’d drive down River Road at night to watch the refinery flare stacks light up the sky. It’s very surreal.
Wes Bowles Says: If you drive through Petrolia on a warm summer day with the windows down, you can definitely smell that sulfur and industrial earthiness in the air.
Tom Ritchie Says: Having worked with teams of 60-plus tradespeople in the steel industry at ArcelorMittal, you nailed the authentic dynamic. They work in high-grit environments, but their humor and pranks are childlike and hilarious.
Ryan Lindsay Says: My brothers are in the trades, and whenever we had family dinners, they had the absolute best stories, nicknames, and pranks. My brother always said, ‘If you haven’t heard a good rumor by lunchtime, start one!’ I was working in film in Toronto with Guillermo del Toro and David Cronenberg, but nothing matched the humor of what was happening downriver.
Ryan Lindsay Says: Beyond the laughs, my main driver was identifying a massive, underserved audience. The blue-collar demographic makes up a third of our population globally, yet gets almost no representation in scripted entertainment.
Tom Ritchie Says: And the statistics on trades retirements are staggering—over 700,000 skilled tradespeople are projected to retire in Canada by 2030, with very few entering the pipeline.
Ryan Lindsay Says: Without skilled trades, society doesn’t function. High school guidance counselors push everyone toward computer programming or universities, but you can build incredible wealth in the skilled trades—owning rental properties and businesses. If our show helps spotlight the trades as a respected, viable career path, that’s a huge win.
Wes Bowles Says: Ryan, I love that you brought up the fear of automation in the show, especially with the robotic welding machine. Were those real conversations and concerns you had with tradespeople? Everyone focuses on AI automating white-collar desk jobs, but automation is hitting blue-collar work as well.
Ryan Lindsay Says: It depends on who you speak with. Entry-level guys on the tools say, ‘No machine can match human touch and finesse.’ Foremen see it as a looming reality. But older tradespeople are so versatile across multiple disciplines that no single robotic arm can replicate their problem-solving ability. Being a jack-of-all-trades is actually your greatest asset.
Tom Ritchie Says: In the steel plants, we had veteran tradesmen who started as teenagers in the 1970s. When older machinery broke down, they were literally the only humans on earth who knew how to repair it without incurring massive downtime.
Tom Ritchie Says: How did you get Robb Wells and Tom Green on board?
Ryan Lindsay Says: In the early days, my high school buddy Andrew McMichael and I packaged a pitch deck styled with handwritten Sharpie graffiti. Robb Wells saw the two-minute demo and immediately recognized the massive audience demand. Robb has that genuine big-brother warmth on set, and he hits real dramatic notes in addition to the comedy.
Tom Ritchie Says: And having Tom Green as Bennett is absolute perfection!
Ryan Lindsay Says: The Trailer Park Boys crew knew Tom, and we made the scheduling work. Tom’s deadpan delivery and facial expressions made Bennett this wonderfully unlikable trainwreck. We also brought on Tough Duck workwear as an authentic partner, and Gavin, the owner, has been an incredible supporter.
Tom Ritchie Says: You obviously couldn’t film inside an active, running petroleum refinery. How did you solve the location challenge?
I approached the big four downriver—Imperial Oil, Suncor, Shell, Nova. But the moment corporate PR and legal hear ‘cameras,’ they shut it down. A multi-million-dollar TV show isn’t worth risking multi-billion-dollar refinery operations or safety liability.
Our locations team discovered the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Dartmouth campus. They had full industrial training modules—welding bays, control rooms, massive test pipes, and empty parking lots for production base camp during summer break. It was the perfect, safe environment.
Tom Ritchie Says: From your initial pitch deck to streaming on Crave, how long did the journey take?
Ryan Lindsay Says: Six years! Bell actually passed on the first pitch six years ago before Robb Wells or Gary Howsam were attached. But I don’t give up when someone tells me no—I only stop when I decide to. I knew the market data and audience reach were real.
Tom Ritchie Says: That persistence is an essential lesson for every entrepreneur, especially in cannabis where doors get slammed constantly.
Ryan Lindsay Says: When we were doing the press junket at the CHUM building in Toronto, Robb pointed to the conference room where Bell originally said no. He asked if I wanted a photo, and I said, ‘Hell no!’ [laughs] Out of 1,600 pitches pitched to broadcasters that year, only a handful get greenlit. It’s lightning in a bottle.
Tom Ritchie Says: If you had to pick your favorite episode of Season 1, which one is it?
Ryan Lindsay Says: Episode 3, ‘Sensitivity Training,’ co-written with Derek Schrader. Having a corporate HR facilitator come into an industrial breakroom to instruct veteran tradespeople on how to feel is pure satirical gold. Our art department spent three grueling days with no AC hand-painting all the bathroom graffiti, topped off by an incredible ceiling mural painted by Halifax artist JD Boudreau!
Tom Ritchie Says: That ceiling reveal was brilliant comedy!
Tom Ritchie Says: Who is your personal favorite character across the ensemble?
Ryan Lindsay Says: Raoul Bhaneja as Medhi completely blew away our expectations. He plays that lovable international engineer disaster living in controlled chaos. And Dan Petronijevic as Dewey and Jesse Camacho as Homer are absolute gems. Robb Wells, Anastasia Phillips as Audrey, and Patrick McKenna anchor the emotional core.
Tom Ritchie Says: What everyone wants to know: will there be a Season 2?
Ryan Lindsay Says: I knock on wood every time, but I want Season 2 so badly! I have a spreadsheet with 4,400 rows of jokes, pranks, and character concepts from over 200 interviews with tradespeople. We’re actively working on US syndication so American audiences can watch it too.
Tom Ritchie Says: Ryan, thank you so much for joining us on Legacies. The Trades is an authentic Canadian masterpiece, and we’re rooting for Season 2 and beyond!
Ryan Lindsay Says: Thanks for having me, boys! Let’s do it again soon.
Tom Ritchie Says: It was fantastic having Ryan on. Everyone should stream The Trades on Crave!
Wes Bowles Says: Now we’re turning our attention from industrial trades to shining a spotlight on a crucial, underserved category: cannabis wellness.
Tom Ritchie Says: Dispensaries are overwhelmingly dominated by high-potency THC products, but there’s a huge segment of consumers looking for plant-based wellness to manage chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep without intoxicating side effects. Let’s welcome Shauna Levy from Madge and Mercer!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome, Shauna! Shauna Levy is the founder and CEO of Madge and Mercer Modern Apothecary. Thanks for joining Legacies!
Shauna Levy Says: Thanks so much for having me, Tom and Wes! I’m thrilled to be here.
Tom Ritchie Says: You spent over 20 years in top-tier design, including serving as CEO of the Design Exchange in Toronto and collaborating with Bruce Mau. What brought you into cannabis?
Shauna Levy Says: It began as a deeply personal health crisis. Trying to break the mold and create new cultural institutions was thrilling, but the stress took a heavy physical toll. I developed severe ulcerative colitis and chronic pain, intensely aggravated by stress and anxiety.
Shauna Levy Says: I tried everything—narcotics like hydromorphone, prescription painkillers, even magnet therapy. Nothing worked; I spent days lying on my living room floor with a hot water bottle in agony. During the pandemic, driving across Toronto triggered intense anxiety because all public restrooms were shut down. Someone suggested medical cannabis, and when I tried CBD oil and gelcaps under a doctor’s care, my pain was finally managed! Chronic pain and anxiety feed into each other cyclically; cannabis broke that cycle in my brain.
Tom Ritchie Says: Having managed chronic pain myself after sports injuries, that connection between physical pain and anticipating anxiety is so real. Cannabis isn’t necessarily a silver bullet cure, but it allows your mind to dissociate from the pain so you can function.
Tom Ritchie Says: How did that personal relief lead to founding Madge and Mercer?
Shauna Levy Says: In 2019, Tokyo Smoke co-founder Lorne Gertner invited me to develop an experiential cannabis consumption lounge concept. When COVID lockdowns hit in 2020, on-site consumption hospitality stalled, but I realized my true passion was wellness.
Shauna Levy Says: Every woman my age was dealing with hormonal challenges, perimenopause, insomnia, anxiety, or inflammation. Many were drinking wine every night or taking prescription sleeping pills, yet hesitated to try cannabis because of outdated stigmas around smoking and smell. Applying human-centered design, I created Madge and Mercer as an intentional, beautiful modern apothecary built specifically for women over 40.
Tom Ritchie Says: What were the biggest hurdles you faced launching a niche wellness brand?
Shauna Levy Says: In 2020, there were plenty of opportunistic middlemen trying to sell inflated formulations. Fortunately, I connected with Dr. Shane Morris, who has a PhD in plant science, and Dr. Marnie Brooks of The Cannabis Clinic. Shane was instrumental in cutting through the noise to build outcome-based formulations backed by real science.
Shauna Levy Says: Sourcing compliant, reliable contract manufacturers who will produce smaller batches for niche brands without charging exorbitant minimum order quantities remains an ongoing challenge across the industry.
Tom Ritchie Says: Why is the wellness category so difficult to maintain on retail shelves?
Shauna Levy Says: The wellness category accounts for less than 10% of total cannabis sales, and the average dispensary only carries about 7% of all available provincial SKUs. More importantly, it comes down to inventory turn rates. A consumer buys a high-THC pre-roll every couple of days, but a 30ml bottle of CBD oil or a wellness vape cartridge lasts a month or more. When retailers see slow turns, they drop the SKU, leaving recurring wellness customers stranded when they return to restock.
Tom Ritchie Says: How has the wholesale flow-through model affected your distribution?
Shauna Levy Says: When the OCS shifted slower-turning wellness SKUs to Flow-Through, it meant the OCS central warehouse stopped stocking them, removing them from OCS.ca direct-to-consumer online ordering. Many older women prefer discreet home delivery rather than walking into high-energy recreational stores. Losing OCS.ca online availability hit wellness brands hard.
Shauna Levy Says: Because of that, we pivoted heavily into medical channels—Spectrum Therapeutics (Canopy), Herbal Dispatch, and Mendo Medical. We actually sell more volume through medical channels now than recreational retail, and we recently licensed our 4:1 formulation to Grow Pharma in the UK.
Tom Ritchie Says: Health Canada’s regulatory posture on natural health products has created massive friction across Canada.
Shauna Levy Says: Cannabis wellness products belong in natural health stores, holistic apothecaries, and pharmacies alongside supplements like ashwagandha and collagen. The Cannabis Health Products Coalition has been actively lobbying for dedicated pharmacy pathways. When people are seeking alternatives to heavy prescription pharmaceuticals, plant-based remedies need accessible, regulated distribution.
Tom Ritchie Says: Walk us through the four core products in the Madge and Mercer portfolio!
Shauna Levy Says: We have four outcome-oriented products:
Shauna Levy Says: First is our Élévation / Karma Oil: a chef-formulated lemongrass-ginger CBD oil in pure coconut MCT oil to eliminate raw grassy taste, soothe nausea, and provide daily non-intoxicating support.
Shauna Levy Says: Second is El Alivio Menta: a 4:1 CBD-to-THC disposable vape in a discreet, matte sage green design with peppermint terpenes for rapid daytime relief without cognitive cloudiness.
Shauna Levy Says: Third is La PasiĂłn: a balanced 2:1 CBD/THC vape cartridge formulated to calm racing thoughts and promote evening relaxation.
Shauna Levy Says: And fourth is Hanalei Dreams / Bonne Nuit: an evening 2:1 cartridge enriched with CBN and calming terpenes like nerolidol and myrcene for restorative sleep.
Tom Ritchie Says: Those 4:1 and 2:1 ratios are brilliant. As a professional, I can’t consume high-THC products during the workday, so having a functional 4:1 option is essential for men and women alike.
Shauna Levy Says: Exactly! Many of our medical patients are men using these functional ratios for daytime relief.
Tom Ritchie Says: Last week, Matt Cherkas from Chez Sodas posed an anonymous question for you: ‘If you could change one non-tax regulation in the cannabis industry right now, what would it be and why?’
Shauna Levy Says: Provincial monopoly distributor de-listing policies. In standard consumer packaged goods, if one major retailer drops your SKU, you can still sell in specialty stores, farmers’ markets, or online direct-to-consumer. In cannabis, if the provincial monopoly delists you, you are barred from selling to every retail store in the entire province! That monopoly power creates an existential risk for small, independent craft brands.
Tom Ritchie Says: Now it’s your turn! What is your anonymous question for next week’s guest?
Shauna Levy Says: ‘Where do you see the Canadian cannabis industry three years from now, and who will be the successful players standing?’
Wes Bowles Says: Shauna, are there any wellness resources you’d like to share with our audience?
Shauna Levy Says: We originally hosted a comprehensive library of peer-reviewed research on our website, but a competitor reported us to Health Canada, resulting in an audit where we were forced to remove educational links and only cite Health Canada’s Cannabis Act page. It highlights why our industry needs collaboration rather than predatory infighting.
Tom Ritchie Says: Focus on building your own brand instead of reporting your peers! Shauna, thank you so much for joining us. You are a true pioneer for cannabis wellness in Canada.
Shauna Levy Says: Thank you both so much! This was one of the most thoughtful conversations about cannabis wellness I’ve had. Keep up the amazing work!
Tom Ritchie Says: Well, what do you think, Wes? We’re going to get out there and get some Madge and Mercer products! There’s no reason men can’t use these wellness formulations.
Wes Bowles Says: Absolutely! The 4 to 1 disposable sounds incredible—that’s the one that caught my attention for daytime functionality.
Tom Ritchie Says: Exactly. I’ve never been a huge vape guy, but having a functional 4:1 or 2:1 ratio for daytime without intoxication is huge. And Shauna’s story is so inspiring—with her design pedigree, she could have stayed in corporate design, but she chose to build something meaningful for patient health. We do not want to see authentic wellness brands get squeezed out of this industry!
Tom Ritchie Says: Be sure to check out Madge and Mercer, stream The Trades on Crave, and join us this Saturday with Ross Rebagliati at 6ix / Canndoc for the screening of Nagano Till Now.
Wes Bowles Says: Quick reminder on our music clips contest: send us videos of you shredding guitar, playing keys, laying down drum tracks, or DJing like Gavin Delainey! We’re giving away an awesome High Flyer prize pack.
Tom Ritchie Says: Episode 10 in the books! Power-packed double digits, Wes. Now you get to go edit all this magic in post-production!
Wes Bowles Says: I do love post-production! Here’s to Episode 10 and future Episode 100!
Tom Ritchie Says: Thank you for tuning in, everyone! Check out thehighflyer.ca for licensed brand apparel, subscribe on YouTube and Spotify, and tune in next week for Episode 11. Peace!
Jump to 01:28
Jump to 04:12
Jump to 03:35
Founder
Shuana Levy founded Madge and Mercer to bring cannabis into the wellness product category, producing cannabis-infused personal care products that extend the plant beyond traditional consumption formats.
View Guest Profile ↗
Licensed Brand / Wellness
<div class="brandpage"> <!-- MODULE 0 — breadcrumb --> <nav class="bp-crumbs" aria-label="Breadcrumb"> <a href="/">Home</a><span>›</span><a href="/brands/">Brands</a><span>›</span>Madge and...
Learn More About Partner ↗"The Trades" is a scripted comedy series created by Ryan Lindsay that stars Robb Wells, centering on the workplace dynamics and personal lives of blue-collar refinery workers.
Madge and Mercer specializes in female-focused wellness products, including custom-blended cannabinoid oils, wellness topicals, and oral sprays utilizing micro-dosed CBD, low-THC, and CBN.
Shauna Levy uses human-centered design principles (developed during her time as President of Design Exchange) to curate product formats, dosing, and packaging tailored specifically to the lifestyles of women over forty.
