Abi Roach (born 1983 or 1984) is a Canadian cannabis entrepreneur and advocate for the reform of cannabis in Ontario and Canada.
Abi Roach | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Cannabis entrepreneur and advocate |
| Years active | 2003-present |
| Employer | Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation |
| Organization | Cannabis Friendly Business Association |
Early life
Roach was born in Haifa, Israel 1983 or 1984.[1]
Career
Roach is a Canadian cannabis entrepreneur. She has owned the Cannabis retail outlet Roach-o-Rama, and since 2012, a cannabis-tourism business in Saint Ann, Jamaica.[2][3] She was the publisher of the (now defunct) Spliff free cannabis news magazine.[2][4]
Roach was the owner-operator of the Kensington Market, Toronto-based[5] cannabis lounge Hotbox Cafe from 2003[1] until she sold the business to Friendly Stranger Holdings Corp in 2020.[4] The business was North America's longest running Cannabis-consumption business space and opened the day after ownership of cannabis was decriminalised in Ontario.[1]
Roach is an advocate for cannabis law reform, and in 2016 was an organiser for the Cannabis Friendly Business Association.[6] In November 2017, she spoke before a Government of Ontario committee, advocating for a relaxation of laws that govern where cannabis can be consumed.[7] Roach was critical of the Government of Ontario's distribution of Cannabis licences via a lottery system, before taking a job at the government's Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation.[4]
Personal life
In 2019, Roach lives in Kensington Market, Toronto.[3]
