OneLeaf hopes to lead in cannabis production
The head of OneLeaf Cannabis Corp. believes Saskatchewan has an exciting, green opportunity.
It’s Mike Templeton’s optimism in legal marijuana that led him to sell his oil and gas company last year in favour of this new venture. Compared to the ups and downs he saw in his two decades in the energy sector, including the recent slump, Templeton sees the cannabis industry rising — with its peak still to come.
On Tuesday, Templeton announced plans for a 44,000-squarefoot cannabis production facility just outside of the city on Winnipeg Street North near Inland Drive.
The facility, dubbed OneLeafOnyx, is the first phase of the company’s planned development. It plans to produce more than 9,000 pounds of cannabis per year.
OneLeaf plans to produce an additional 35,000 pounds when two more planned production facilities are finished. When operating at full capacity, Templeton says the company will create over 100 new jobs, ranging from high-tech to labour. Templeton says those jobs will stay local.
Templeton expects Onyx’s construction to be completed early this summer, with production anticipated shortly after, pending the company’s completion of Health Canada’s licensing process.
He explained the process is staggered, so licences aren’t granted until the building is standing and inspected.
But OneLeaf is already a “review stage” applicant under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations.
Templeton hopes OneLeaf will become the first licensed producer located in Regina or its surrounding area.
He wants to contribute to Saskatchewan’s reputation when it comes to premium agricultural products. Onyx will use environmental control systems and produce a pesticide-free product.
With the federal government set to legalize recreational marijuana use this summer, interest in the weed business is growing.
According to reeve Jeff Poissant, the RM of Sherwood didn’t have overall concerns about approving a cannabis production facility in the joint planning area it shares with the city of Regina. The joint planning area runs around the edges of the city.
The RM council unanimously approved a development permit for a medical marijuana facility in September.
“They’re going to exceed the federal requirements for the security of that building,” Poissant said Tuesday. “The way they put it to us is that it’d be harder to get into that building than into a bank vault.”
Poissant doesn’t expect Onyx to be the only facility of its kind in the province a year from now, but the fact that it’s first adds some pressure.
“It’s a little bit different usage than what we’re used to seeing n the RM, but we encourage all types of responsible development,” Poissant said.