Cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility in the works in Grand Rapids, Minnesota
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. -- Minnesota is getting ready to put up millions to grow marijuana right here at home. HWY35 Cannabis plans to open a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility inside the 138-acre building which used to house a Lumber Mill in Grand Rapids. The mill closed in 2008 and city leaders have been seeking a use for it for years.
"Kind of a bucket list for me in terms of bringing an industry, some jobs back to where I grew up," HWY35 Project Partner and Investor John Hyduke said.
The project is expected to cost an estimated $67 million. The company hopes to grow a diverse range of cannabis strains that could be used in gummies, beverages, topicals, and more. Then, they'll sell them to dispensaries. They don't plan to sell on site and will be seeking two licenses: cultivation and manufacturing.
"All products will be created there and hopefully put in dispensaries across the state," Hyduke said.
The project is expected to bring around 400 union jobs to the iron range. The state has approved two $10 million loans should the company get licensed.
"The gummies are being made here and they will be sold in the state. That's encouraging to me because the product stays in the state and the circles just keep getting bigger," Republican Rep. Roger Skraba said.
But not everyone on the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board was sold on the idea. The loan passed with a vote of 5-3.
"I don't think it's fiscally responsible for this agency to encumber that kind of money this early before we even know what the regulatory outlook is," Republican Sen. Justin Eichorn said.
The company said it will adhere to all of the regulations and quality control measures. The state's new Office of Cannabis Management is still being set up and it could be 2025 before the industry gets rolling and products hit the shelves.
"There will be plenty involved in this industry and we want to ensure that this industry gets stood up in a good, positive way," Hyduke said.
