Sunnyvale trailer park’s infamous growers Julian and Ricky would undoubtedly be jealous at the sight of Sundre’s new cannabis production facility.
Candre’s operation — which was officially unveiled last week during an invite-only tour for more than 100 people including local officials, press and investors — features state-of-the-art technology and cutting edge techniques that the company has promised will result in quality product that rivals the best buds on the legal market.
Although the company was still waiting last week for Health Canada to issue a cultivation licence so it can begin growing test crops, the company anticipates production to be underway in the coming months.
The science involved in the operation is, in a word, impressive.
In a few more words, the roughly 44,000-square-foot multi-million-dollar structure puts to shame a thousandfold anything Julian and Ricky ever managed to conjure up during their ill-fated, harebrained schemes to get rich quick.
The painstaking planning, attention to detail and visionary foresight to minimize the environmental footprint of the massive operation while maximizing the resources involved was laid bare for those who had the opportunity to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
From air scrubbers that reduce odour emissions to water recycling tanks and everything in between, no expenses seemed to have been spared.
Having previously read stories about retailers expressing concerns about the price of legal cannabis — which typically costs at least as much as and often even much more than the black market, thereby not exactly compelling consumers to make the transition — I started understanding why.
Recognizing that prices should be as competitive as possible to achieve one of the main goals of ending cannabis prohibition — undermining black market control of the trade while generating taxed revenue for public programs and services — these operations represent a big investment.
Meanwhile, black market producers, who obviously don’t offer tours and certainly aren’t concerned with health licences, operate in a regulatory vacuum in unknown conditions.
So although there is a legitimate complaint about the cost of legal cannabis, there’s an equally legitimate rebuttal that the street corner dealer probably has no idea what he’s selling.
That being said, as more and more facilities come online — Candre is among many that are cropping up around the country — and supply finally starts catching up with demand, perhaps price points will dip.
Because if prices on legal product are artificially kept high by regulatory agencies despite an abundance in supply, amounting to what some would argue is consumer gouging, the door will be left wide open for unregulated entrepreneurs like Julian and Ricky.
