Atlas Growers ready to ‘really get going’ after getting permit to produce medicinal cannabis west of Edmonton

With just days to go until some believe marijuana mania will blow across Canada when recreational pot becomes legal, a major medical marijuana producer says it has just received the licence allowing them to cultivate cannabis west of Edmonton.

“What that means is we can now commence the cultivation of cannabis and Atlas is focused on the medicinal cannabis market — so it’s great news.”

Hole said the timing of the development couldn’t be better because the privately owned Canadian company’s new cannabis-production facility in Lac Ste. Anne County has just been completed.

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The 38,000-sq,-ft. facility is expected to produce 5,500 kilograms of cannabis each year.

“It’s a state-of-the-art facility and we just can’t wait to get the first plants growing and harvested,” Hole said. “We can now do everything from growing to now selling the cannabis and Atlas is focused on doing extraction as well, so providing the medicinal components of cannabis for sale.”

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Hole said Atlas is focused on serving markets beyond Canada’s borders as well.

“We’re pursuing the European market for medicinal cannabis,” he said. “That’s a market that has a high demand for the product and they have a demand for a very high-quality product so that is exciting we can now start to supply that European market.”

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Hole said while the process of acquiring the licence to cultivate was a lengthy one, he understands why it’s so thorough.

“The process is long but at the same time it’s important because consumers have to understand what they’re getting and be assured they’re getting a high-quality product that’s safe for them.”