A former chicken processing plant in Paris has a new lease on life.
After a $10-million renovation, the facility is now home to Kindcann – Canada’s newest licensed producer of medical marijuana.
Unlike illegal grow-ops, it wasn’t a matter of finding some quiet space and planting some crops.
Health Canada requires growers to meet strict regulations for security.
As a result, the Kindcann plant has a controlled-access security system, perimeter fencing, and nearly 40 surveillance cameras.
CEO Maxim Zavet says he understand why the government mandates such strict security measures.
“They want to make sure that the product’s not being diverted from the facilities and ending up on the street,” he said.
Further to that end, the plant includes a 200-square-foot vault made of steel and concrete, which is where the finished product will be stored.
Security isn’t the only thing Zavet and his team have to keep a close eye on.
They’re also required to ensure their product is consistently of a high quality.
That’s where Steve Dinka comes in.
As Kindacann’s director of production, he ensures the facility’s humidity, temperature and light levels are all at just the right levels to foster optimal growth of the marijuana.
“Consistency is really important for the end user. They want to be sure that they’re getting what they’re asking for,” Dinka said.
Right now, only about seven people are employed at Kindcann. Zavet hopes to increase that number to 20 or so by the time everything is running at full capacity.
There are 26 licensed marijuana producers in Canada, and an estimated 30,000 registered users of the drug.
