The first marijuana cultivation facility in Ohio officially broke ground yesterday with a ceremonial event at the future site of Cresco Labs in Yellow Springs. The new project will include a 50,000 square foot greenhouse designed to grow and harvest specific strains of marijuana plants for dispensaries across the state.
“We’re excited to be the first to break ground and move one step closer to providing relief to patients across the state,” said Charles Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs. “This is the launch of the most thoughtful and balanced regulated medical marijuana program in the country – the result of a truly engaged government that cared about getting it right for its citizens, a community that embraced being a part of this project and a company that puts patients first and is setting the standard for how this industry develops. We are all celebrating today.”
Chicago-based Cresco Labs was just one of the 12 businesses awarded licensing to grow marijuana in Ohio earlier this month, and is the closest to Columbus, located just 50 miles west. The licensing distribution is a result of the 2016 bill signed into law by Ohio Governor John Kasich in 2016.
The location of the first facility in Yellow Springs may sound like an ideal fit to many Ohioans, who primarily know the town for both its laid back hippie culture, and for its celebrity resident and marijuana enthusiast, Dave Chappelle.
“Medical cannabis is a great fit for Yellow Springs as it combines our local strengths and values of agriculture, wellness and a progressive approach to medicine,” said Karen Wintrow, Yellow Springs Village Council President. “We look forward to working with Cresco as they build and staff their new facility and know they will be a valued contributor to the quality of life in Yellow Springs with jobs and community support.”
credit:columbusunderground.com
