The right light for cannabis retail provides good vibes for all

Circa 1818 cannabis dispensary is based in Cobourg, Canada. When owner Brandon Hartmann decided to open a locally owned cannabis dispensary in Northumberland County, he knew he wanted the shopping experi- ence to feel organic, highlight the local history and have great lighting to show off what he likes to say “budding feel-good vibes in the feel-good town.”

“We created this entire store in honor of Cobourg and there are a lot of cool pieces that are a nod back to the community that I’ve lived in for 27-years,” said Brandon Hartmann, owner of Circa 1818.

From the outside to the inside, Hartmann has created a business that incorporates many different things about Cobourg – including the name of the business which is the year Cobourg was named. In order to accomplish the cozy, hometown feel - the store and lighting design were extremely important.

The Challenge and Solution

Circa 1818 offers a wide variety of products, from vapes, pre-rolls, edibles, flowers and drinks. The store design had to be attractive to all types of audiences and environmentally friendly for the cannabis product.

“We’ve got products from people who are just beginning to use cannabis as well for people who have been using cannabis for their entire life,” says Hartmann.

Well-lit cannabis displays are essential in cannabis dispensaries. Proper cannabis display lighting can make displays more appealing and lead to more sales. Research indicates that the lighting should be bright, low heat, energy efficient LED lighting without UV. So how does Hartmann choose the proper lighting to show off the cannabis in a healthy environment as well as align with Circa 1818’s store design?

He called on STL Lighting, sales representative to various lighting manufacturers in Canada, to assist him in choosing the right lighting. Eric Teacher, Specification Sales at STL Lighting has years of experience specifying and designing lighting for hundreds of projects from retail to commercial. Teacher ultimately selected Xicato’s linear and smart controls. Here’s why.

Solution

Xicato’s Flexible Linear (XFL) has CRI above 95 that renders the closest to natural colors to visually enhance the cannabis in the display cases. Teacher chose the Full Spectrum XFL which has a fuller, wider spectrum of light that more closely matches sunlight. Full Spectrum XFL is designed with violet 420nm LEDs and an appropriate mix of phosphor for pc-white that produces improved spectral performance. The award-winning Full Spectrum XFL is engineered to specifically avoid the hazards of blue light altogether resulting in a healthier light output that promotes wellbeing with a positive impact to people’s circadian rhythm.

Additionally, Teacher designed a completely black light fixture with a regressed lens, which allows the lighting to blend into the black ceiling when the lights are off for an organic look and feel. The installed lighting fixtures featuring the Full Spectrum XFL are “tunable” which helps with circadian support for staff that work in the early part of the day. Light can be tuned to the highest CCT value such as 3500K.

“The lighting can also be tuned down as low as 2400K, for late afternoon and evening hours in order to be devoid of the blue spectrum and create a more relaxed light environment. We chose this type of lighting by Xicato as it helps to prevent circadian disruption.”

- Eric Teacher, Specifications, STL Lighting

Xicato’s smart controls allows for the right light level to be maintained based on lux levels in the store depending on the time of day and occupancy. Wireless, app-based controls can be used on all smart-phones and provide the store owner the ability to control multiple retail locations as the chain grows with minimal financial investment into the future.

Result

Overall, the cooler, high quality spectrum of the XFL lighting in the cannabis glass displays brings out the green and blue colors of the buds. The natural light balances out the store environment as it can be “tuned” depending on the light levels throughout the day. This helps to visually enhance the cannabis colors making them pop and the buds glisten with the least amount of artificial light as possible.

“I had no idea that STL Lighting and Xicato could actually achieve the design that I desired. The ability to fine-tune the lighting, adapt the color of light to the store

environment, and create the best light to highlight the cannabis was all achieved with minimal time and effort. I am thrilled with the results and so are my customers.”

- Brandon Hartmann, Owner, Circa 1818

The lighting is a key element bringing a modern feel to the store design of Circa 1818 and highlighting the artwork and decor that educate visitors on the history of the surrounding region. The added benefit of the XFL lighting is that it helps to provide a healthy environment for both plants and people.