Rita Hall is anticipating starting up her marijuana production facility in Corner Brook by early December.
Seeing the opportunity in marijuana growth, from both a financial and a research perspective, Hall announced her plans to become a licensed producer of medical marijuana almost a year ago.
Originally from Corner Brook, she moved back to the city from Ontario in January as the project got into full swing with renovations to the former NL West SPCA building on the north shore highway.
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Medical marijuana production facility planned for Corner Brook
Hall bought the building through another of her companies, Turtle Technologies. Her production facility, BeeHigh Vital Elements Inc. (BeeHighVE), of which she is president and CEO, will rent the space.
When it comes to the medicinal value, Hall said Canada has opened the door for research into something that she has faith will help people.
She said legalization has changed the tide.
“No one should be ashamed of using it. It’s legal.”
Hall, who’s done some online studies in facilities management and production of medical marijuana, was back in Ontario on Monday to set up a meeting with Health Canada on the status of her application to grow under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations.
Once that comes in she’ll need to have two batches of her product tested by Health Canada prior to receiving a licence to sell.
Hall will be growing medical marijuana that will go to the recreational marketplace.
Starting out her clientele will be the retail outlets which sell to the public and her focus will be on supplying retailers here in Newfoundland and Labrador. She said she has buyers lined up waiting for her to go into production.
She has plans to add a retail outlet that will enable her to sell direct to the consumer.
The Health Canada approval is not the only approval that Hall is waiting on. The project was registered on Oct. 23 under the provincial environmental assessment regulations. The public has until Nov. 29 to comment on the undertaking and a decision by the minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment is due by Dec. 7. The undertaking is registered with Turtle Industries as the proponent.
BeeHighVE will operate out of a 9,000-square foot building
It will be able to produce 1,200 kilograms marijuana per grow
A grow can take 12 weeks depending on the strain being cultivated
The company will use an aeroponic system
It will employ 8-10 people at the start and more once its retail outlet opens
