Opened on April Fools’ Day 2024, owners Mike Moussalli, Rachel Xin and Matteo Tabib navigated rough waters putting together the project, which first started around 2021, but the result has been a beautiful store nestled near the Newport pier. Each of them have backgrounds in Cannabis, but it wasn’t until they worked together on a cultivation facility for Xin that they discovered a shared dream for a retail location. This combination of partners working on their own projects as well as High Seas helped them create a store that is decidedly unlike most Cannabis retail.
“From the start, we knew we wanted to create a different experience,” Moussalli told Leaf, “and we wanted something that involved how near we are to the water.” Growing up with a passion for scuba diving and ocean conservation, he said the idea came out of his mouth naturally. “I joked, ‘What about a bunch of fishtanks?’ And they took me seriously.” Moussalli said the retail floor was actually designed around the placement of three large saltwater tanks installed in the building. These aquariums house a selection of fish as impressive and diverse as the over 2,000 products on their shelves. There’s even a section on their website showing what’s in each tank.
Education, be it about clown fish or Cannabis, is as important as the tides to High Seas. The store has their own guidebook for employees to get them acquainted with what Cannabis is, the various products and the departments that work together. Along with this, Moussalli said they try to keep their staff on a constant course of education. We have to shout out their new Hash Club program, which offers staff and existing clientele information on types of hash and ways to dab as well as highlights their heavily curated menu to the local dabbing community.
Keeping it local is something Moussalli said they focus on through partnerships, which have created a monthly in-store yoga class as well as brought kombucha and cold brew on tap to receptions. The three partners know that these types of give-back programs are part of extending that unique experience beyond their walls.
With their handcrafted menu, specialized environment and style of staff training, it’s no wonder High Seas refers to its store as a Cannabis Boutique. “When we talk about High Seas, to us it’s a brand,” Moussalli said. “Cannabis is what we sell, but we always envisioned a retail store that could sell things by creating a feeling. We sell Cannabis because that’s what we’re good at, but we want this to be a place where you could put any product in the store and shopping would be that same unique, comfortable experience.”
