With the Canadian government poised to legalize marijuana, a Cowichan Valley business is gearing up to garner its share of what will be a multi-billion dollar market.
Harvest One operates out of a 10,000 square foot facility south of Duncan on Cowichan Tribes land, and has 30 employees on the site.
Speaking to a Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Ian Baille, Harvest One’s vice president of corporate communications, says a 15,000 square foot propagation facility is being added and another 30 or 40 employees will be hired in the coming months.
With Monday’s news that a Senate committee has approved two dozen amendments to the federal government’s cannabis legalization bill, legalization is just one step closer.
That’s positive news for Harvest One.
“We have complete confidence that legalization will pay dividends for our country and Harvest One will be there for the entire journey,” Baillie says.
Harvest One is an international company, based in British Columbia with roots in the Cowichan Valley. Its subsidiaries include Satipharm, a medical biotech division that sells medical cannabis based products throughout Europe and Australia.
The company recently acquired a consumer packaged goods operations, Dream Water, that sells non-prescription sleep aids in over 30,000 stores throughout North America.
“United Greeneries, our cultivation division that is based outside of Duncan, currently provides cannabis to the medical market and will be a supplier for the recreational market,” Baillie says.
Baillie told the Chamber gathering that it wasn’t just the scenery and moderate climate that brought Harvest One to the Valley.
“In many ways, whether you like it or not, Vancouver Island has a bit of a reputation for being the home of B.C. Bud,” he noted.
“The history is rich and Vancouver Island has a prominent history and sterling reputation when it comes to the cultivation of cannabis.
“For all these reasons and more, we are proud to call the Cowichan Valley the birthplace of our business.”
