BOWDEN - Two men have approached town council with a plan to set up a medical marijuana production facility just outside of Bowden.
Councillors reacted favourably to their idea, but noted the land where it would be set up is actually in Red Deer County, not within Bowden town limits, so they suggested the two men -- Ron Keller and Nirbir Grewal -- should take their proposal to Red Deer County for approval first.
Grewal and Keller told council the plan is to construct a 50,000-square-foot medical marijuana production plant on about 20 acres of land they own about 750 metres east of Highway 2, south of Highway 587. Keller said they acquired the property last June and live on about five acres of it.
The plan is to employ 40 to 50 people, not including those involved in construction of the building. They would harvest six to seven times a year and the product would be sold for distribution.
They would construct 20 to 25 modular units known as "rooms," and each one would produce 60 kilograms of product.
Keller was surprised to hear their land is not in the Town of Bowden.
He noted the quarter section next to them has been annexed by the town. Mayor Robb Stuart confirmed that.
"So ultimately it's going to be annexed into the City of Bowden -- eventually," Kelller said.
(Bowden is actually officially a town).
"Ummmm...well, that annexed land sat there for 10 years," Stuart replied.
"The facility itself will be in county land," Stuart said. "The only influence we would have is part of our municipal development plan. Anything that's built around Bowden we have input into it."
Grewal, who claimed he had two other medical marijuana facilities, told council the plan is to register a company called Bowden Pharmaceuticals. But before they do that and begin construction, etc., they need to show they have support from the municipality.
He said it could take six to eight months to receive clearance from Health Canada. Once they obtain that approval, they will then start building the plant, a process they believe will be done in about six months.
Grewal said once the plant is built and operating, it will have its first harvest in about three months. But they can't sell it then. Health Canada has to inspect it before it can be sold. They hope to begin distributing their product within a year.
