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WINCHESTER, Ky. — Momentum is growing in the state’s medical marijuana rollout. On Tuesday, one of the first large-scale cultivation operations, Cresco Labs cut the ribbon on its first Kentucky facility.
Cresco Labs has more than a decade of experience in the marijuana industry. This will be the ninth state it operates in.
“So phase one will be the build out of approximately 5,000 square feet of canopy to start, and then we’ll scale up from there as the program scales up,” said Charlie Batchtell, CEO of Cresco Labs.
Cresco Labs cuts the ribbon on its first Kentucky-based marijuana cultivation facility in Winchester. (Spectrum News 1/Mason Brighton)
Cresco Labs will operate under a tier III cultivator license. This is the largest volume license awarded to companies during a lottery late last year, allowing them to 25,000 square feet of growing space. Just two companies currently hold this license. In total, 16 cultivator licenses have been awarded.
In compliance with state law, all medical marijuana products sold must be grown in Kentucky.
“We expect towards the fall to be operational with phase one, bringing product to market this year,” said Bachtell.
Medical marijuana officially became legal in the commonwealth Jan. 1.
No dispensaries are open as of late April. Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., estimates product will be on selves by late summer or fall.
“This is going to help a lot of people who have been harmed by that opioid epidemic,” said Beshear.
Once fully operational, the company will employ around 100 people at its Winchester facility.
On April 17, State Auditor Allison Ball, R-Ky., announced her office would investigate the state’s medical marijuana program and the lottery system which awarded business licenses.
Some business owners have expressed concerns about how the selection process was handled. The governor addressed the investigation on Tuesday.
“So by starting small, it means people are going to be disappointed in the beginning that want to be a part of the industry, but that hopefully we can grow into it,” Beshear said. “So I’m not concerned about any audit because the whole thing was on TV.”
The governor also addressed concerns surrounding several dispensary and cultivator licenses partnering with a single out-of-state company to operate.
“What you see are different companies with different owners that are contracting with different groups to run operations. Basically, these are Kentucky businesses that say we have grown cannabis or processed cannabis before, and we are going to contract some experts to come in and help run our facility,” said Beshear. “But these are all individual companies that are formed, that are all Kentucky companies and they all have to abide by all those rules.”
“}]] Founded in 2013, Cresco Labs will now operate in nine states, including Kentucky. Read More
