Enniskillen, Ontario will soon be home to Tilray‘s second cultivation facility.
The Nanaimo-based licensed producer invested $25 million in the new location through an affiliate company, and has projected that its two facilities will generate a combined amount of 51 metric tons of cannabis per year by the end of 2018.
The company hopes that this growth will enable them to respond to not only increased demand in Canada when legalization comes into effect next summer, but also to provide medical cannabis to the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.
‘As governments around the world increase access to medical cannabis, and as Canada prepares to legalize and regulate cannabis for responsible adult consumption, this investment will enable us to serve the rapidly expanding global market for quality-controlled, rigorously tested medical cannabis products,’ said CEO Brendan Kennedy in a press release.
Currently, Tilray products are available in seven countries around the world. (Tilray was the first LP in Canada legally allowed to export medical cannabis to the four regions mentioned above.)
The company’s flagship $30-million facility in Nanaimo opened in 2014, and produces eight tons of medical cannabis annually.
The new facility will be located on a 100-acre property and will incorporate 13 acres of existing greenhouse space, which is currently being used to grow peppers. Tilray hopes to create between 200 to 250 jobs in the area over the next five years.
A neat twist: Some might recall the toaster oven discussion presented by MP Marilyn Gladu during a reading of Bill C45 in early June. Funnily enough, Tilray’s new facility is located in her riding.
‘I am pleased to welcome Tilray to Sarnia-Lambton,’ she said in a press release. ‘This new facility in the township of Enniskillen will create good jobs and growth for our community. It is an important step in diversifying our industry and will be a great help to Canadian patients.’
