Pubdate: Sat, 22 Feb 2014
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: John Miner

BIG BUZZ ABOUT BUD BIZ

The Country's Largest Grow-Op Is Set to Open in Old Tobacco Plant

LONDON, Ont.- A firm setting up shop in old Imperial Tobacco plant in 
Aylmer, Ont., is set to become country's biggest legal grow-op.

A town in which hundreds of tobacco jobs were snuffed out when its 
processing plant closed last decade is hoping there's a future in pot.

"It's a win-win situation," Malahide Township Mayor Dave Mennill 
said. Weed MD Rx Inc. is taking over part of the massive Imperial 
Tobacco plant that was shut down in 2007.

The company is joining a rush of firms across Canada competing to set 
up medical marijuana production facilities under new Health Canada 
regulations that kick in April 1.

Weed MD expects to hire as many as 100 people over the next two years 
for the Aylmer plant.

"That's good news for local employment and tax revenue. It was going 
to go somewhere, and why not in Aylmer?" Mennill said.

Weed Md CEO Bruce Scully said the company has received a pre-approval 
licence from Health Canada to produce the marijuana and is completing 
arrangements for $3 million in financing.

Weed Md had hoped to start production April 1, but there have been 
delays. "We are well under way and we shouldn't be too long after 
that," Scully said.

The priority will be hiring local people, he said.

"Aylmer itself as a town has been very warm and receptive. We are 
very fortunate to be in this community," Scully said.

The Weed Md team includes growers and scientists working to develop 
new marijuana strains.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom