Puro eager to grow jobs and medicinal cannabis
A Marlborough medicinal cannabis company expects it could create hundreds of jobs during the expected recession.
Since the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme came into effect on April 1, enabling the commercial cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use, Marlborough company Puro has been waiting on Ministry of Health approval so it can begin the next phase of development.
Puro managing director Tim Aldridge said the company’s operation had the potential to create 375 full-time jobs in the region in the next two years, but would need capital and licence approval.
‘‘We are asking [the] Government for some assistance to allow us to create these large number of jobs in Marlborough and to pick up some of the sizeable unemployment that has come up from some industries having a really tough time,’’ he said.
Aldridge said Puro had submitted an application on April 7, seeking a licence to grow cannabis in its facilities for commercial purposes. On Wednesday it received confirmation of the application but was still waiting on a licence.
The ministry had originally believed the licensing process would take four to eight weeks, but delays were likely because of the pandemic.
Aldridge said the fasttracking of medicinal cannabis licences would enable the company to create economic growth in the region. ‘‘We’re very understanding that delays are inevitable,’’ he said.
‘‘[But] we’ve obviously got a few concerns that delays are going to cost jobs, so the quicker they can do this, the better for everyone.’’
The jobs created by Puro, which could eventually reach 500 in number, were in areas in which Marlborough already had ‘‘phenomenal talent’’ due to the wine industry, such as growing and cultivating.
Puro was also establishing a headquarters at its Waihopai Valley site, 20 kilometres outside Blenheim. It had a building consent process under way for the multimillion-dollar facility, which would have a medicinal cannabis research centre, an indoor cultivation facility and a large farm.
Aldridge said the Covid-19 pandemic had not affected medicinal cannabis like it had other industries. Globally there had been an upswing in demand and a ‘‘positive movement in pricing’’.
A report from The Agribusiness Group said the domestic market could be worth $379 million each year if just 1 per cent of New Zealanders used medicinal cannabis.