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Short Summary
In this educational episode of the Legacies Podcast, hosts Tom Ritchie and Wesley Bowles discuss the integration of cannabis branding with sports and leisure events, highlighting the Canada Golf Classic and the Canada Derby. They analyze technological integrations in retail and food service, focusing on the autonomous kiosks launched by Octane Coffee in Milwaukee and discussing the transition to automation. They also review product formulations from contract manufacturer Loosh Brands (Loosh Inc.), highlighting their co-packed offerings such as Steeprock hash rosin hot chocolate pods and Big Pete’s Treats cannabutter-infused cookies.
Later, they are joined by industry guest Grant Caton, co-founder of Lite Label and CEO of the Independent Retail Cannabis Collective (IRCC). Grant discusses his background in the Canadian corporate sector, including his tenure as General Manager for Canopy Growth Corporation directing Tokyo Smoke and Tweed retail expansions. He explains the market need that led to the creation of Lite Label—focusing on low-THC, functional, microdose-friendly pre-rolls and edibles for adult consumers—and details their strategic production partnership with automation producer Galaxie Brands.
Tom Ritchie Says: What’s up, everyone? Welcome to another episode of Legacies! I’m your host, Tom Ritchie, joined by executive producer and co-host, Wesley Bowles. Wes, how’s it going today?
Wesley Bowles Says: Pretty good! I’ve got a bachelor party this weekend—ten guys at a cottage up north. Excited, but slightly terrified for my liver.
Tom Ritchie Says: I remember those wild party days, but now I’m hitting the golf course with Ashton. I suck at golf, but that one perfect drive always tricks you into thinking you’re ready for the PGA Tour!
Tom Ritchie Says: Last weekend I visited Dave Grim at Rebel Records in Courtland, Ontario, to pick up some vinyl. My wife picked up a classic Red Hot Chili Peppers album while I grabbed De La Soul and a fresh Rebel Records t-shirt to rock on the podcast.
Tom Ritchie Says: Speaking of golf, we love seeing lifestyle events that elevate the industry beyond traditional expo sampling, like Canna Derby and CannaGolf Classic happening out in Vancouver on July 6th.
Tom Ritchie Says: Then on July 18th, Jazz Samra and VIP Media Group are hosting the 420 Affair in Etobicoke. Jazz invited me to MC the evening, and we’re debating whether Wes and I should pull up in matching blue and orange Dumb and Dumber tuxedos or Austin Powers velvet suits!
Wesley Bowles Says: It’s completely free for licensed retail budtenders, managers, and store owners, featuring a full banquet spread, networking, and the launch of Astro Boyz.
Tom Ritchie Says: In sports, the Edmonton Oilers fought their hearts out in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, barely falling 2-1 to Florida. Coming back from a 3-0 deficit to force Game 7 was unbelievable.
Wesley Bowles Says: The coolest part of the run was that viral 3-foot Stanley Cup replica built entirely out of 200+ Station House pre-roll tubes being passed around Edmonton watch parties!
Tom Ritchie Says: People are talking about the ‘Curse of Corey Perry’—playing for four different NHL teams over the last five years and reaching the Stanley Cup Finals each time without winning. Regardless, the Oilers played with pure heart.
Tom Ritchie Says: In tech news, an autonomous coffee kiosk called Octane Coffee popped up in Milwaukee. It tracks your GPS location, starts grinding and pulling fresh espresso 60 seconds before you arrive, and dispenses your order via QR code.
Wesley Bowles Says: Whether it’s Amazon Go cashierless stores or automated kiosks, automation is accelerating across retail. In the long run, it frees people up to focus on creativity, but hospitality and personal service will always have immense value.
Tom Ritchie Says: We need to give proper love to Lee Cohen and Alex Revich at Loosh Brands. In a previous segment, packaging restrictions prevented us from sharing breakout clips, so we want to highlight their innovative lineup properly.
Tom Ritchie Says: They sent over Steep Rock hash rosin hot chocolate pods (which you can brew in a Keurig or simply open and stir directly into hot water), Big Pete’s full-spectrum cannabutter chocolate chip cookies, and their freeze-dried 10mg live rosin peach rings (*Sour Kane* cultivar) with an airy, crunchy texture that tastes incredible!
Wesley Bowles Says: Today on the show, we’re joined by Grant Caton, co-founder of Lite Label!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are joined today by Grant Caton, co-founder of Lite Label and longtime cannabis executive. Grant, welcome to Legacies!
Grant Caton Says: Thanks for having me, Tom and Wes! Excited to chat about the journey.
Tom Ritchie Says: You spent nearly two decades in the beverage alcohol space—including launching Miller Lite into Canada—and you’re an active hockey dad hosting a GTHL hockey podcast. How did those worlds inspire Lite Label?
Grant Caton Says: In alcohol, light beer represents nearly 50% of the entire category. When I entered legal cannabis six years ago, every producer was racing toward 30%+ THC potency, leaving a massive void for casual, social, and functional consumption.
Grant Caton Says: Talking to parents, neighbors, and friends who supported legalization but weren’t shopping in dispensaries, they told me products felt intimidating. They didn’t want 17 beers at a hockey tournament or a joint that left them bedridden—they wanted a light, approachable product to unwind socially without losing cognitive function. That is why we built Lite Label.
Tom Ritchie Says: Walk us through how you curate flower for Lite Label and your product formats.
Grant Caton Says: Because wholesale markets are obsessed with 30%+ THC, exceptional craft crops testing under 20% often get overlooked despite having fantastic terpene profiles, smooth burns, and clean white ash. We source top-tier sub-19% craft flower in 10-packs of 0.35g pre-rolls—the perfect ‘parking lot’ or ‘dog walker’ session size.
Grant Caton Says: On the edible side, we launched two micro-dosed options: a 10-pack of 1mg Blue Raspberry gummies and a 20-pack of 0.5mg Tropical Breeze gummies (10mg total THC per package). It gives consumers the ability to snack on multiple gummies during a movie without exceeding comfortable dosage limits.
Tom Ritchie Says: Prior to Lite Label, you joined Canopy Growth in late 2016 at the historic Smiths Falls Hershey factory. What was it like navigating that hyper-growth era?
Grant Caton Says: It was the wild west. Walking through Smiths Falls pre-legalization felt like entering a pharmaceutical sci-fi facility. We launched 80 to 100 SKUs nationwide on day one. Because federal transport guidelines were ambiguous, we literally hired Brink’s armored trucks to move wholesale flower across Smiths Falls!
Grant Caton Says: While Canopy took risks and over-engineered packaging early on, the entire legal supply chain was learning simultaneously—regulators, provincial boards, logistics providers, and licensed producers.
Tom Ritchie Says: You also managed high-profile brand collaborations, including pitching Houseplant alongside Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Grant Caton Says: We brought Seth and Evan into provincial board meetings at the BCLDB and OCS. Seth treated cannabis with extreme dedication—he wanted Houseplant packaging to deliver the premium tactile unboxing experience of opening a pair of fresh Nikes or an Apple iPhone. Houseplant Grapefruit became one of our most successful infused beverages.
Grant Caton Says: We also managed Leafs by Snoop (LBS) and products with Drake. Snoop was a sharp businessman who closely tracked performance metrics, especially navigating Quebec’s unique 30% THC cap and strict retail marketing restrictions.
Tom Ritchie Says: After five and a half years at Canopy, you served as President of Galaxy Brands before focusing 100% on Lite Label. How are you approaching retail distribution?
Grant Caton Says: After Canopy and Galaxy, I knew I didn’t want to raise millions to build a redundant cultivation facility. Lite Label is a lean two-person team partnering with automated processing facilities to focus entirely on brand, product quality, and retail relationships.
Grant Caton Says: We’re currently in over 120 Ontario dispensaries and just expanded to BC. We don’t pay for expensive corporate data deals or slotting fees; we pound the pavement, visit store managers, conduct product knowledge sessions, and let the sessionable value proposition speak for itself.
Wesley Bowles Says: Last week, Amy Anonymous of The Hash Corporation left a question for you: “How do you feel legalization has affected cannabis consumption overall—is it simply existing legacy consumers buying legally, or is it bringing brand new consumers into the market?”
Grant Caton Says: The first five years were primarily about converting 70% to 80% of illicit market consumers into the legal retail network. But now that cannabis has been normalized across society, the next wave of growth will come from bringing completely new, non-traditional consumers into dispensaries through accessible, sessionable formats like Lite Label.
Tom Ritchie Says: What is your question for next week’s incoming guest?
Grant Caton Says: “What is the single best piece of business advice you have ever received, and what is the best piece of personal life advice you have ever received?”
Tom Ritchie Says: Grant, thank you for pioneering the functional, sessionable cannabis category with Lite Label and sharing your incredible journey! Check out Lite Label across Ontario and BC retail, subscribe on YouTube and Spotify, and we’ll see you next week on Legacies. Peace!
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CEO & Co-Founder
Grant Caton is a Canadian cannabis industry executive, co-founder of Lite Label, and Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Retail Cannabis Collective (IRCC).
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Lite Label is a Canadian cannabis brand co-founded by Grant Caton in 2024. The brand focuses on the development and...
Learn More About Partner ↗Lite Label focuses on low-potency, microdose-friendly pre-rolls and edibles, offering consumers seeking functional and social experiences a controlled alternative to high-potency cultivars.
The IRCC is a Canadian collective founded to support independent cannabis retailers through shared operational advocacy, collective bargaining, and resources.
Loosh Brands operates as a contract manufacturer and standard processor in Toronto, co-packing products like Big Pete's Treats cookies and Steeprock hot chocolate pods for brand partners.
