Aqualitas Inc. can now start growing test crops of medical cannabis at their site at Port Mersey in Liverpool.
Health Canada granted the company a licence to cultivate yesterday.
Myrna Gillis, CEO of the company, says it’s been a long time coming.
“We’re very excited to be at this stage, everybody has worked a really long time to get here, we’re happy to be in the community,” says Gillis.
Aqualitas uses a combined process of hydroponics, soil-less growing of plants, and aquaculture to grow cannabis.
They’ve been waiting for three years for the licence.
“Once you’ve shown and demonstrated that you can grow a crop that is safe and has the qualities and perameters that are required by Health Canada then they will authorize you to sell product.”
Work on their test crops, needed to get a licence to sell from Health Canada, will start in the next couple of months.
Gillis says over the next few weeks they’ll increase hires to accomodate for growing the test crops.
She has stated in the past the company will likely hire around 60 employees for the plant, which is housed in the Port Mersey Commercial Park – the former Bowater Mersey mill site.
The company held an information session back in November to inform the public about the types of positions they’re looking to hire.
Everything from aquaculture experts to horticulturalists to office administrators are needed.
If Aqualitas receives a licence to sell, it will make them the second licensed producer in Nova Scotia.
People who use medical marihuana and cannabis products currently have to go through Health Canada’s mail order system and can only buy through approved producers.
