$12M to fund medical marijuana site Secure faci

The birth of a new industry for the region was announced Tuesday with a $12-million investment in a high-security facility that could employ 50 people by the end of the year to grow medical marijuana.

"We stand ready to meet every expectation that Health Canada has for the safe, highly controlled, professional management of this medicinal tool for doctors," said Joe Byrne, board chairman of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation and an investor in CEN Biotech, a subsidiary of Michigan-based Creative Edge Nutrition.

Leasing a 27,000-square-foot barn a half-minute's drive from the Essex County OPP headquarters, CEN Biotech president Bill Chaaban said the plan is to add a 58,000-square-foot growing facility in the spring and have the operation "up and running seven months from now."

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At the announcement were, from left, Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain, CEN Biotech investor Joseph Byrne, CEN Biotech president Bill Chaaban, CEO WindsorEssex Economic Development Corp. Sandra Pupatello, and CEN Biotech head of corporate security Don Strilchuck. Plans for the project were announced at the agribusiness operations on Tuesday.

Nick Brancaccio, The Windsor Star

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"CEN Biotech is the first out of the gate, but I expect more," WEEDC CEO Sandra Pupatello told The Star. She said she can't divulge details, but last month another company, Startup ECGreen, received rezoning approval from Tecumseh town council to set up a similar but smaller commercial grow op in the Oldcastle Business Park.

A Health Canada spokeswoman cautioned, however, that there are more than 380 applications currently being processed, with only three - two in the Toronto area and one in Saskatchewan - licensed so far to grow, package and sell marijuana to registered patients.

Pupatello said CEN Biotech recently obtained a "ready-to-build" letter from Health Canada, which she referred to as a "critical step in the very gruelling process" toward being licensed by the federal agency.

Pupatello, who was part of the official announcement at the Jim Shaban farm off Manning Road just south of Highway 401, said CEN Biotech is part of a new growth sector in the local economy, producing goods for the "life sciences" market.

"Walk into any grocery store or pharmacy - natural products are expanding," Pupatello told The Star. She also said a growing number of doctors are recognizing the benefits and prescribing marijuana to help treat the effects of everything from glaucoma and nerve pain to chemo-induced nausea, seizures and multiple sclerosis. Also at the news conference was Donald Strilchuck, who retired as a detective after 33 years with the Windsor Police Service and who was introduced as head of corporate security for CEN Biotech.

Byrne, a lawyer, businessman and former town and county politician, said security at the Lakeshore facility will resemble that of a federal penitentiary, with double perimeter fencing, 24/7 on-and off-site monitoring including night-vision cameras, as well as guards, including two former city police officers and an off-duty uniformed OPP officer.

The business proponents have received RCMP clearance, and nobody gets inside without criminal checks, according to the principals.

"It's just one more crop ... with special rules," said Chaaban. Upwards of 40,000 marijuana plants will be grown hydroponically from seed, with up to 1.3 million pounds of medical marijuana to be produced annually, subject to demand. The product, all electronically tracked, is grown, harvested, dried and packaged on-site and then sent by courier to the patient/client.