A shuttered cannabis production facility in Fredericton will soon be up and running again.
Ontario-based cannabis cultivation company Purplefarm Genetics has purchased the facility from Canopy Growth.
“We are excited to return the facility to operations and to make our mark in the Fredericton community,” Jonah Clifford, COO of Purplefarm Genetics, said in a news release Tuesday.
“New Brunswick has become an excellent place to do business in the cannabis sector.”
Canopy Growth opened its $40-million Fredericton cannabis production facility in March 2019. At the time, they expected to cultivate more than 5,000 kilograms of cannabis per year.
Less than two years, in December 2020, the company announced it was closing the facility as part of “larger restructuring efforts.” More than 60 employees were laid off as a result.
Purplefarm said the Fredericton facility has an annual production capacity of 8,000 kilograms, nearly six times as much cannabis as its current facility in Johnston, Ont.
“This increased capacity will allow Purplefarm to execute and expand on its existing contracts and develop further premium product offerings. All Purplefarm-grown product has been consistently sold out since it started operating in 2020,” said the release.
Purplefarm said the investment and expansion in Fredericton will result in up to 70 new jobs once fully operating. The company will be looking to hire cultivation technicians, lab supervisors, post-harvest technicians, quality assurance personnel, maintenance technicians and logistics coordinators.
Mitchell Alswiti, founder and master grower of Purplefarm Genetics, said it is their view that the Canadian market is only just starting to grasp the true potential of cannabis products.
“Consumer preferences will continue to evolve over time as they learn and demand more from the products they buy,” said Alswiti.
No details were released on the sale price of the Fredericton facility.
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