Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jan 2018
Source: Truro Daily News (CN NS)
Copyright: 2018 The Daily News
Contact:  http://www.trurodaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1159
Author: Harry Sullivan
Page: A3

TRURO MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROW OPERATION ALSO TO SERVE AS RESEARCH FACILITY

Today begins a series on Nova Scotia business people who are looking
to become involved in the marijuana industry that will soon be
sweeping the entire country. This is the first in a series of stories
focusing on people in Nova Scotia who will be delving into the
marijuana industry.

 From a business perspective, it seemed like a no-brainer.

But for Evan Price, getting involved in the medical marijuana
production industry wasn't entirely about growing his bottom line.

"Far too many family members and neighbours in this area are coming
down with harsh (medical) diagnoses," the Valley resident and
businessman said.

After losing an uncle to cancer and seeing others suffer, Price said
his interest in medical marijuana was piqued when Health Canada
announced in late 2013 that it was in the process of creating a $1.6
billion cannabis industry.

"And I'm sitting on the sidelines saying I know there are some
options, that if this was more readily available, they would be more
affordable to them or they could have a better treatment and life," he
said. "And the only way you get around that, is you jump in."

So jump in he did.

Price, who has developed other successful enterprises involving hops
and fiddleheads, put together a business plan and formed a team of
medical, security, construction and pharmaceutical experts, as well as
someone with decades of experience in growing medical marijuana. He
brought on private investors and local entrepreneurs with expertise in
financial management and eventually the Truro Herbal Company (THC) was
formed.

"I think we've been very careful about picking the investors we have
so that they agree on both fronts," he said, of both business aspects
of the operations and medical benefits.

"It is a good financial opportunity because we are taking a large
portion of the black market and legitimizing it," he said. "I mean the
world is waking up to legalized cannabis, or medical cannabis, at the
very least."

The company has now cleared all but the final stage of the approval
process and construction is under way in the Truro Business Park on a
modern 20,000-sq.ft. cannabis production facility. Following
completion, a routine inspection by Health Canada is the final step
toward the facility becoming a licensed producer of medical marijuana.

Construction is expected to be complete by early 2018 and Price
anticipates the first crop of medical marijuana will be available
between February and March.

One of the key differences between THC and some of the other producers
that will be coming on stream,

Price said, is it will also be licensed for product
development.

"We're not just going to be a producer of dried cannabis facility. We
actually have a quite extensive research and development lab in there
for quality assurance," he said.

And that factor makes the venture especially exciting for Emily
McDade, THC'S assistant director of Quality Assurance.

"There has to be a better way than just giving a pill bottle," she
said, of the prospect of medical marijuana replacing high-priced and
sometimes debilitating pharmaceutical drugs to treat any variety of
illnesses.

"There has to be something else that allows you to have that quality
of life back as well as combat any sort of illnesses that you face,"
she said.

"There is something that we need to explore that I think is really
going to return a lot of life to people. And once that stigma is gone,
I think we're going to be in much better shape overall as people and
enjoying our life a lot more."

Price said everyone involved is eager to reach the production and
operation stage to prove THC is all it promises to be.

"We're excited for 2018. The Truro Herbal Company is going to be
putting its mark on the cannabis industry and we really look forward
to building a strong team," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt