WeedMD to Expand Production with Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation at its Licensed 98-Acre Strathroy Property
2019-03-27 07:29:52 AM ET (GlobeNewswire)
WeedMD Inc. (TSX-V:WMD) (OTCQX:WDDMF) (FSE:4WE) ("WeedMD" or the "Company"), a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis, is pleased to announce it has applied for an amendment to its Strathroy licence to expand beyond its existing cultivation with an initial 25-acre, large-scale, low-cost, outdoor cannabis grow operation with the capacity to increase up to 50 acres. The Company confirms it has secured the support of the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc for its planned outdoor grow expected to be completed in two phases. In 2019, Phase I will be brought online, representing more than 25 acres of production, with an additional 25 acres planned for Phase II in 2020. Pending Health Canada approval, the outdoor grow is expected to increase WeedMD's total production footprint to upwards of 2.7 million square feet with the potential to yield over 100,000 kgs of cannabis in 2020 together with greenhouse cultivation.
WeedMD's outdoor grow will be situated on organically-certified* soil on its 98-acre Strathroy property which also houses the Company's 610,000 sq. ft. modern greenhouse facility. Outdoor grow video here.
"Our municipality is proudly home to a thriving agricultural community which has long supported our local businesses and we're pleased that WeedMD continues to expand its local footprint in a progressive and economically-viable manner," said Mayor Joanne Vanderheyden, Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc. "We welcome and wholly support its push for outdoor expansion along with the job opportunities, sustainable cultivation and community engagement it will bring for the continued long-term growth of our municipality."
"In November 2017, we initially selected this 98-acre property in Strathroy because of its expansion potential, which included low-cost scalable outdoor production that is strategically located alongside our licensed state-of-the-art greenhouse propagation operations. WeedMD, with its proven cultivation team, genetics bank and propagation capabilities, has positioned itself as a first-mover in the industry," said Keith Merker, CEO of WeedMD. "With our outdoor grow site, we will continue producing cannabis products at an expected lower cost, in a supportive municipality that will complement our existing robust production platform with our first outdoor harvest expected in fall 2019."
"With the anticipated demand for extracted products and cannabis concentrates, our experienced cultivation team and proven outdoor grow genetics are expected to generate high yields at very low cost. The addition of an outdoor grow will ensure that WeedMD is positioned to meet the needs of its patients and customers in the ever-expanding cannabis market," said Derek Pedro, Chief Cannabis Officer of WeedMD. "Our methodologies and standardized innovative practices have been derived from more than 15 years of outdoor growing experience under Canada's legal cannabis programs. With cannabis plants being readied for transplant in June 2019, WeedMD is optimally positioned to rapidly scale production and is already being recognized as an industry-leader and expert in outdoor cultivation."
Highlights of WeedMD's Large-Scale, Low-Cost Outdoor Expansion
-- Phase I of the outdoor grow is more than 25 acres. Capable of producing more than 25,000 kgs of cannabis, WeedMD has already commenced retrofitting the highly-secured space and its first outdoor harvest is expected in fall 2019.
-- Phase II will bring the total outdoor grow to 50 acres in 2020. Increases WeedMD's total production footprint to over 2.7 million square feet with the potential to yield more than 100,000 kgs of cannabis in 2020.
-- Industry-leading production costs. With the cultivation of outdoor cannabis, WeedMD expects its production costs to be amongst the lowest in the industry.
-- Experienced leadership team with leading methodologies to revolutionize outdoor cultivation. WeedMD's skilled cultivation team is led by industry pioneer and Chief Cannabis Officer Derek Pedro who together have more than 40 years of combined outdoor, indoor and greenhouse cultivation experience.
-- Outdoor grow complements WeedMD's greenhouse cultivation in Strathroy. With the outdoor grow adjacent to its state-of-the-art 610,000 sq. ft. hybrid greenhouse facility in Strathroy, the Company can utilize existing, on-site storage and packaging as per Health Canada regulations. Also, WeedMD will leverage its existing site for its propagation, genetics and clones ahead of the outdoor growing season to take into account the longer growing period for its proprietary outdoor genetics.
-- Sustainable growing practices. Cultivated in a natural environment using sustainable growing practices such as direct sunlight, pre-tested live soil that is certified-organic*, onsite water reservoir, appropriate ventilation, natural bio-security practices and state-of-the-art irrigation mechanisms already in place, Strathroy is positioned to become the standard of excellence for outdoor cannabis cultivation.
* Organically-certified soil as accredited by the Centre for Systems Integration (CSI), a division of the Canadian Seed Institute.
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