ABcann, a medicinal cannabis company, began its business in Napanee four years ago. Now that legalization is in sight, the company has set its own sights on the recreational use market. To meet the demands of commercial use, it will be extensively expanding its business in Napanee within the next two years.
ABcann recently rebranded the medical side of the company, calling it Beacon Medical, and recently acquired a medical cannabis clinic in Alberta, which is expanding as well. Due to expectations of a rapidly growing demand for recreational cannabis moving forward, however, they have decided to focus part of their business on creating products for recreational use.
“We’re launching a couple of very new adult-use brands in the not too distant future.”
ABcann CEO Barry Fishman says their push into the recreational use market is set for later this year.
To meet the company’s need for a wide range of cannabis products, ABcann has started a $30 million expansion in Napanee.
The current facility on Vanluven Road will double in size from its current 15,000 square feet once the expansion is completed, and Fishman says a new production plant is currently being built on a 65-acre property on Kimmetts Side Road.
According to Fishman, parts of the plant will be operational this year.
“We’re putting in air houses, and we’re putting in significantly-expanded capacity so we can meet the demand of both the medical market and the adult use market,” Fishman said.
ABcann currently employs 45 people, but according to Fishman, the expansion will bring 25 new hires to Napanee.
“We have significantly more full-time employees than part-time employees. We like full-time employees; they become part of the team.”
The full expansion plan is expected to take 18 months to complete, Fishman says.
“I think when all is said and done at our Kimmett Road locationm, we’ll have several hundred thousand square feet of cultivation space.”
Fishman says they will be able to produce about 30,000 kilograms of cannabis annually when the Napanee plant is fully up and running.