Health Canada Approves 100-Acre Outdoor Grow

Health Canada has approved 48North’s 100-acre, 250,000-plant outdoor cannabis cultivation facility in Brant County, Ontario, according to a CTV News report. Once operational, the facility will immediately become the largest, legal, outdoor cannabis site in the nation.

48North already operates two indoor facilities in the province. Jeannette Vandermarel, a co-CEO and director of 48North, told CTV that the new facility could “likely” be the “world’s largest legal cannabis farm.”

Alison Gordon, another company co-CEO and director, called the site – which was once used to grow tobacco – “ideal” for cannabis cultivation.

“When you’re growing outdoor, you have a low-cost input and a quality input that you’re able to extract and turn into the vapes, and edibles, and all these products that both patients and consumers are really for in the Canadian market.” – Gordon, to CTV

The company is planning to install more than 100 cameras on the vast property for security, along with fencing and motion sensors. 48North representatives said they would employ about 200 seasonal workers and 50 full-time staff once the project is underway.

The approval for the site comes as Canadian cannabis regulators mull changes to the three-year-old industry including regulations for edibles, which are currently unavailable; changes to security requirements; and updates for Good Production Practices. Those changes are expected to be announced in the fall.