Oceanic Releaf Defies the Odds

Led by CEO Taylor Giovannini, Oceanic Releaf embraces cannabis as medicine with all that they do. Based in Newfoundland, the forward-thinking brand transformed a former symbol of fast-food consumption into a thriving cultivation facility staffed by members of the local rural Burin community. With a journey that screams resilience, transformation and innovation, Oceanic Releaf has proven that no matter how bumpy the ride gets, it’s about sticking to what you believe.

Just a few short years ago, cannabis was not yet federally legal for recreational adult use in Canada. It was siloed into the “medically-legal” category and “by prescription only,” a polarizing label with a storm cloud of stigma looming over it. The idea of cannabis as a medicine and not a drug is overshadowed by judgment, misconceptions and legal restrictions—plus, it’s challenging to navigate. However, in a coastal town in one of Canada’s most eastern points, an epiphany occurred.

“I didn’t consume or understand cannabis before Oceanic,” Giovannini says. “I witnessed, first-hand, the transformative power of cannabis as medicine for my husband’s grandfather and needed to understand it.”

The journey started with the discovery of an aging McDonald’s filet-o-fish factory and a grandiose vision: a place synonymous with a different kind of consumption could possibly be a state-of-the-art cultivation facility.

“My partner Colin and I quit both of our jobs and bought a fish plant with a two-year-old. Crazy? Yes. Colin stripped that building out and rebuilt it,” Govannini says. “How? We ask ourselves how we did it all the time. We just did. Blood sweat and tears.”

It was a major facelift of a space from one form of consumption to another; a shift from fast food to holistic wellness. The factory that once churned out fish patties en masse could now, possibly, house rows of flourishing cannabis plants. Naming the operation was quite possibly the easiest part: combining the ocean, a word synonymous with calm and healing, with the word relief changed to releaf (we love puns) to represent the cannabis plant.

Giovannini also realized that Oceanic Releaf could be so much more than cultivation alone: It could become a household name. The decision was then made to expand into brick-and-mortar retail and create its own products with names derived, again, from the ocean. Yep, it was time to go consumer-facing.

“We quickly realized that we had the opportunity to change a lot of lives,” Giovannini says. “Revitalizing a community on top of healing and employing people was the cherry on top.” Feeling incredible love and support from the community, Oceanic Releaf rapidly scaled to nine retail stores across the region, transforming the spaces into more than just points of transaction. Each became an educational hub for locals, a judgment-free place where customers could learn about cannabis and make informed decisions about their own well-being.

But Giovannini’s vision is far from being satisfied. “Getting into cannabis has allowed me to become present and more focused in my own life. Goals, dancing, laughing, intimacy, all of it,” she says. “I now enjoy more and am able to continue to aspire for greatness and leave a legacy behind. Fundamentally, Oceanic’s goal has always been about rewriting the discourse on cannabis and contributing to the well-being of everyone I care for in St. John’s Newfoundland, the province in which I was born and raised.” 

Society as a whole has a strange relationship with cannabis. And it’s no wonder. The plant we were raised to think of as “the worst kind of gateway drug” is now federally legal in Canada and gaining positive momentum in the United States (several states are legal, but federal isn’t). The decades-long marketing war on cannabis will take some time to reprogram, but that change is coming. The success of Oceanic Releaf— under Giovaninni’s command—stands as a testament to the triumph of determination, innovation and the human spirit. Strong leadership, coupled with long-term vision and a lot of heart, breathed life into an old factory and transformed it into a symbol of progress and healing.

“We now reside in rural Newfoundland with our eight-year-old son and a cattle farm, and I wouldn’t change a thing,” Giovannini says. “We want to continue our love of cannabis while also supporting food security on this Island.”

It’s all about product. Here are our team’s top picks:

1. Oceanic Premium Craft Flower

From the unspoiled shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, premium Craft Black Cookies is a heavy-hitting indica-dominant cross between fan favorites Blackberry Kush and Girl Scout Cookies. When smoked, this hybrid boasts a robust kush and berry aroma. Expect a full entourage effect with a consistent 4-5% terpene profile. The whole plant is hang-dried, hand-trimmed and selectively hand-packaged with a two-way humidity control pack for the perfect nug every single time.

2. Seaweed Full Send Distillate Pre-Roll

We paired our best cultivars with a potent distillate to deliver a powerful pre-roll that’s sure to make you go full send. Infused with fruit punch and watermelon terpenes, this distillate infused pre-roll is the perfect entry point for anyone who’s curious about concentrates but doesn’t want to break the bank.

3. HIGGS Craft Cannabis

Made popular in California and sold exclusively under license by Oceanic Releaf in Canada, Higgs craft-grown strains are sold in fully recyclable 4oz jars with humidity packs to maintain optimal freshness and preserve each unique terpene profile. This hybrid flower is the perfect SoCal-style night cap after a long, productive day.

4. Booty Tropical Punch

Booty’s Tropical 510 vape cartridge is a burst of flavor on a budget. Loaded with tropical flavors, this sativa-dominant offering proves that you don’t need to leave the comfort of your home to feel like you’re on a tropical island.

Burin, Newfoundland, and The Culture That Sets Oceanic Releaf Apart

Three and a half hours southwest of its capital, St. John’s, is an area of Newfoundland called the Burin Peninsula aka “The Boot” (due to its strong resemblance to a boot on a map). Within the Peninsula lives Burin, known for its ties to Al Capone and a strong fishing background, which is where Canadian licensed producer, Oceanic Releaf, calls home.

“We knew there was something very special about this town the moment we discovered it,” says Taylor Giovannini, CEO at Oceanic Releaf. “My partner and I, both exhausted with big city life, wanted a change to raise our son in, and we got that in Burin.”

Oceanic Releaf headquarters is a sprawling 60,000-square-foot factory living on the side of the unspoiled shores of the Atlantic Ocean, in one of the most eastern areas of Canada. Employing roughly 35 people in the cultivation facility, the ex-fish processing plant, once known for Highliner frozen fish patties and the forever-iconic McDonald’s Fish Filet now acts as the home for the fulfillment of all the various SKUs that Oceanic ships across the country and internationally.

As one would expect entering a small-town factory that employs mostly locals, once you’re inside the doors, you’re family. “When you live here, everyone knows everyone and wants to help each other,” Giovannini says. “Often my partner Colin will be working on some necessary renovations and one of his crew will bring in a cousin to help out where needed. There’s always work to be done and there’s always someone new coming in to lend a helping hand.”

And that family feeling runs deep. While only visiting for 24 hours, the Cannabis Now team made fast friends with a few of the facility staff who were very eager to show us around. They beamed with pride as they shared how they’ve helped play a part in growing the brand that’s also building up their community. One of the said staff who went out of his way to get friendly was Oceanic’s master grower, Dillon Beck.

“I am a local and come from a long history of legacy growers,” Beck said. “I couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw the lights of the factory flick on a few years ago. I knew I had to be part of this dream with Taylor and Colin, and I am thankful that they gave me the opportunity to do something special for this community and fulfill my lifelong dream.”

Meticulous and nuanced with his approach to cultivation, Beck made sure to point out that, while he loves the plants, he is fortunate to have the ability to make developing them his life’s work. He’s also very excited about the future.: “I simply cannot wait for our expansion,” he says. “The cannabis plant produces so much more than just flower, and our expanded facility—25,000 square feet to be exact—will allow us to expand our in-house offerings to fresh-frozen live rosin, various types of hash (shouts to Frenchy Cannoli!), 2.0 products (edibles, capsules, etc.) and beyond.”

And beyond is right. Newfoundland, with all its incredible panoramic ocean views, has a lot of land, so we made one more stop that Giovannini had been promising since we arrived: a trip to the farm. As we drove up a seemingly mundane dirt path, through a mixture of mud, grass, and rock, we arrived at a small hill that we ever-so-slowly eased up in Giovannini’s VW Atlas. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a massive field opened up. “We call it Abel Cattle Co”, exclaimed Giovannini with energy only really shown during our tour of her facility. “We want to be known for more than just cannabis and we see this cattle and horse ranch as a legacy to leave for our son”, referring to the eight-year-old boy she shares with partner Colin. “There are beaches, horses, and farm animals to care for and a whole lot of soul here to help people heal. Working this land has humbled us in the most beautiful way and I believe others can benefit from it.”

As we continued to drive, seemingly directly into the waterfront, we were met by a baby calf, a few cows, and several incredibly affectionate horses. “Her name is Dolly and she is a big suck.” said Giovannini. “Show her love and she’ll give it right back”. We felt the love connection quite instantly.

One would think a quiet, small, harborside town in one of the furthest corners of Canada would struggle to stand on its feet in an over-saturated Canadian cannabis market, but Oceanic is carving its own path and has a very bright future ahead.