New Cannabis Store Shivas Headed to Venice

Los Angeles-based Hemp Twins Abigail and Noemy Cuevas hope to open a new cannabis retail store in Venice by the end of the year. In applications filed with the city, the two are proposing opening Shivas Venice in a 2,550-square-foot space on Lincoln Boulevard.

The store will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. six days out of the week and from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Hoping to be an option for a low-income and underserved demographic, Shivas will offer cannabis flower to customers at a lower price than competing brands and will not cater exclusively to experienced cannabis users. It plans to offer a variety of products for those in underserved segments of the market such as women and senior citizens.

Owner Abigal Cuevas thinks Shivas will stand out with its eco-friendly approach.

“Ours will be a different kind of retail store,” she said. “We want to eliminate most of the plastics used in the industry and go for biodegradable environmentally-friendly options instead.”

Cuevas and her twin sister have experience using hemp as a construction material and intend to build an eco-friendly cannabis store, using hemp for insulation and cement, as well as for the furniture and retail displays.

“You can still consume cannabis and worry about the environment,” she said. “We really care about the waste coming out of our industry.”

Founders of the LATTC Industrial Hemp Alliance, Cuevas, and her sister produce industrial hemp buildings and designs to help society regenerate and become sustainable. The two architecture technology students will bring that knowledge to their dream venture, Shivas.

Cuevas believes that Shivas will give the neighborhood an immediate and convenient location to purchase cannabis goods.