Canada Approves Opening of the World’s Largest Legal Cannabis Plantation
According to recent reports from Canada, the country’s government has officially approved the conversion of the world’s largest agricultural greenhouse, located in Delta, British Columbia, for commercial cannabis cultivation. As a result, Canada will soon be home to the world’s largest legal cannabis plantation, covering approximately 1.1 million square feet.
The facility will be owned by Village Farms International Inc., a major agricultural producer, in partnership with Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc., a company specializing in the cultivation and processing of therapeutic cannabis.
“Producing any agricultural product on a large scale, while maintaining high quality and affordable prices, is a challenging task—even for the biggest and most experienced companies,” said Michael DeGiglio, CEO of Village Farms International, who made the decision to convert the massive greenhouse, previously used for growing tomatoes, for commercial cannabis production. “Our partnership with Emerald Health Therapeutics aims to set a high standard for the quality of both therapeutic and recreational cannabis products, a standard that other Canadian cannabis companies can aspire to. In addition, we want to build a reputation as a reliable supplier of large cannabis batches for both retail and wholesale clients.”
The company’s board of directors expects that production will begin distributing its products as early as July 1. The greenhouse covers an area equivalent to about 19 football fields and is capable of producing up to 75,000 tons of cannabis buds per year, according to conservative expert estimates.
The first phase of production is set to start in early April, following the completion of the initial section of the plantation, which covers approximately 250,000 square feet. After that, the company will gradually open new sections of the greenhouse for cannabis production. The second phase of the conversion is expected to be ready by mid-autumn, while the final two phases will be launched over the following year.
“It’s clear that with such a large cultivation area, we’ll be able to supply not only Canadian consumers but also the company’s international clients,” Dr. Avtar Dhillon, director of Emerald Health, told reporters.
This project is just the first step in Village Farms’ expansion plans. As Mr. DeGiglio stated last year, the company’s total cultivation area is expected to increase by another 3.7 million square feet over the next two years. Dr. Dhillon confirmed on Monday that his company fully supports the proposed expansion plan.