Ohja, The Walmart of Ganja Opens Doors in Kingston

The Ohja brand is owned by Global Cannalabs, with a farm located in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In keeping with government-issued social-distancing restrictions, there will be no fanfare and no big event for the launch. After checking-off the final requirements from Jamaica’s regulatory body, the Cannabis Licensing Authority or CLA, they are ready to carve out their niche in the Jamaican market. Glavine says the company is positioning itself for both the local and tourist markets by offering more varied pricing on products. “We’ll have products and a price range where we’ll have products for everyone, not just a certain demographic.”

Local Market Focus

The marketplace is developing in Jamaica with some companies such as Kaya Inc, operators of Kaya Herb House, Jamaican’s first, establishing 3 franchises since opening. Ohja Medical Cannabis Dispensary is rolling out two locations in short succession. “The first location we’re opening is in Kingston which is an 85% local and 15% tourism market. Even our Montego Bay location, which is in Fairview, is a more local environment as opposed to tourism. We’re not on Bottom Road* but we’re close enough to all the cruise ships that we’re in a good position.” Fairview is a relatively new commercial development in Montego Bay. It houses numerous businesses, mostly stores and restaurants. “We have a lot of parking and it’s right on the corner so we get a lot of visibility.” 

Their Kingston location is in the heart of upper Kingston at 90 Barbican Rd. Their inventory will be predominantly flower products from their farm and partner producers. “At Ohja we’ll have a lot of products and we have a bunch of new products that are CBD products and things that are allowed to be sold over-the-counter. We’ll have a lot of things that not every dispensary has on display. We’ll have some formulations that have been approved by the Ministry of Health and then we’ll have flower products and we’ll be getting more into vaporizers”. They are also launching a line of concentrate products. “We’re also looking into shatter and live resins, offering smokers optionality. That’s the short term plan. Over the next four months, we’ll be launching those products.”

It’s a Community Affair

“I think the key to a successful retail shop is having consumers choose. Kind of allowing the consumers to develop the brand,” Says Glavine. “A mistake would be limiting your potential consumer base and other niches of the industry by only carrying one brand or type of product. I’d rather have a Walmart approach and sell to the masses… We’ll have a few different brands in there.” Ohja Medical Cannabis Dispensary will allow brands from partner and 3rd party growers, processors and distributors to sell their products in-store. Brands such as HiGradez, IRoots, Livity Naturals and WhodatX, will all find their own piece of publicly accessible retail space. 

Accessories will also be available through distributors, including our own Ganjactivist.com Marketplace, with a selection of vaporizers, grinders, rolling papers and smell proof storage units. Brands such as Vessel, Mig Vapor,  CVault and Boveda will be available for both in-store and online purchases with in-store/ curbside pickup. Ohja is providing an outlet for companies who want to bring their own brands and branded products to local and traveling consumers. Glavine says, “they can have a space in the store and create their own success”. 

His reasons are simply to offer customers choice, he says, “if you don’t give the consumers a choice, how do you know if they really like something”. He asserts this is how to establish brand loyalty. “Brands aren’t built overnight, they’re built over years. So you have to allow consumers to try and test different things until you form a bond”.