Serena Donovan
A few years ago, Serena Donovan found herself out of options. Suffering from debilitating migraines, which occurred as many as 16 days each month, she had exhausted the pharmaceutical resources available through traditional medicine. After a six-day bout with pain so bad she couldn’t even write her last name, and a recommendation for antidepressants from her physician, Serena decided that something had to change. She turned to a cannabis doctor for help, and after using CBD/THC oil for four months, her migraines have been reduced to just 2-3 days every 2-3 months. “I wholeheartedly believe in the power of this plant. She gave me back my life,” she says. Serena turned her passion into Because You Cann, a micro-cultivation/micro-processing facility, which, in February 2020, became the second Health Canada-licensed micro-cultivation facility in Alberta and the twenty-fifth in the nation. Joined by her daughters, the company is woman-owned, and family operated, with the goal of empowering women and their cannabis use, while tearing down the associated stigmas.
As one might expect from a strong, independent woman like Serena, and her drive to help others, she jumped at the opportunity to expand her business. She created the MaryJane Manor, Canada’s first cannabis boutique hotel, a 15-bedroom hotel and consumption lounge, designed to be a safe place to talk, learn and network in an atmosphere, free of stigma. The terpene themed rooms offer education and rest for your mind, body, and soul. Located inside the MaryJane Manor, Serena added her own Because You Cann Cannabis dispensary where you can purchase her woman grown cannabis products. Tours are available of the cultivation/processing facility adding a level of transparency lacking in the industry.
Through Because You Cann, her dispensary, and the MaryJane Manor, Serena has created a fully integrated, harmonious combination that takes a product relatively new to the public from cultivation to distribution and to consumption. In doing so, she has not only created jobs in a small community, but also created a safe, judgement-free place for people to learn about the ways cannabis can help them. “I’m so blessed to have a great team,” she says. “Our passion for this plant, with their support and dedication allow my dreams to come true every day!”
Serena Donovan
Owner and President — Because You Cann/MaryJane Manor/Because You Cann Cannabis
Website: www.becauseyoucann.com, www.maryjanemanor.ca
LinkedIn: Serena Donovan
Facebook: BecauseYouCann; MaryJaneManor
Instagram: BecauseYouCann; MaryJaneManor