by Piper Courtenay
Vancouver cannabis hub Blyssful Alchemy hosts educational seminars for curious consumers

When you enter Blyssful Alchemy—Siobhan McCarthy’s Vancouver studio—a pot of cannabis infused chai tea simmers on the stove, cloves and anise bobbing on the surface. The whole place is rich with spicy, warm aromas. Along the wall, shelves are brimming with herbs, essential oils, homemade tinctures, muscle rubs, and a rainbow of every holistic ingredient a modern-day alchemists could dream up.

McCarthy, a cannabis educator and advocate, says her homey hub was designed to feel like your friend’s living room—cozy couches, an electric fireplace, finger foods, and floor-sitting.

As a medical patient, mother, and member of the cannabis industry, she has committed herself to changing the dialogue around the highly stigmatized plant. In her studio, she hosts workshops, educational seminars, and expert speakers—all aimed at getting people “hands-on” with weed.

“I intentionally price the workshops so buying the product in the store costs the same as learning how to make one yourself,” she tells the Georgia Straight. “But here you touch the plant, learn the process, take home a product…and have fun!”

After a car accident left McCarthy wheelchair-bound, she turned to the therapeutic properties of cannabis for reducing pain, breaking away from pharmaceuticals, and improving mobility. Now, she credits the plant to her ability to walk, work, and live the active lifestyle demanded of a busy mom. Combining her years of knowledge working in the cannabis industry, as a consultant and broker for CannaLife Botanicals and in sales-and-marketing for the Health Canada certified testing facility Northern Vine Labs, she is now focused on creating safe and fun places to share knowledge.