March 14, 2016
1611
Advanced Medical Marijuana Canada (AMMCan), a subsidiary of Supreme Pharmaceuticals, has been licensed to grow medical marijuana in the greenhouses at the Bruce Energy Centre, located in the Municipality of Kincardine.
John Fowler chief executive officer of Supreme, said the company is proud to announce that AMMCan is the 30th licence to be granted by Health Canada, and the 17th in Ontario.
“AMMCan will soon commence cultivating premium, artisanal medical marijuana which is sustainably produced in our hybrid greenhouse,” he told the Kincardine Record.
Fowler said Supreme Pharmaceuticals began years ago when Peter Herburger (now AMMCan chief executive officer) got his first licence to produce legal medical marijuana which was helping manage the fibromyalgia symptoms his daughter, Sarah, suffered.
“Now, Peter and Sarah are about to get to work producing SunGrown medical marijuana for the Canadian market and we couldn't be more excited,” said Fowler.
“When Peter and I first came to Kincardine in 2014 to start the project, we weren't sure what to expect with our business,” he said. “However, over the past two years, we've hired a dozen staff at the greenhouse, created a network of amazing local contractors and trades, and enjoyed a feeling that the whole community is behind us. We are proud to be a part of Kincardine and to have put down roots in Bruce County.”
AMMCan's facility is approved for only cultivation, said Fowler. As with all licensed producers under Health Canada's Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), a licence to cultivate is initially awarded several months prior to a sale licence. A producer must then grow out several crops to harvest and process and pass testing before being granted the opportunity to attain an approval for sale. This process allows Health Canada to ensure all new entrants into the market have had an opportunity to work out production issues prior to dealing with retail sales and potentially even product recalls.
The company has more than 340,000 square feet of hybrid greenhouse space at the facility, although it has sought licensing for only the first 40,000 square feet.
In 2014, Supreme Pharmaceuticals purchased the seven-acre tomato greenhouses, located on 16 acres of land in the Bruce Energy Centre, just east of the Bruce Nuclear site, and has spent a significant amount retrofitting the initial square footage for marijuana production.
Fowler described it as an indoor facility with a 100-per-cent skylight.
“I have to be honest, I am not a huge fan of traditional greenhouse marijuana grown in Ontario,” he said. “I loved the economies, efficiencies and sustainability of the greenhouse, but all that doesn’t matter if the product quality is not there. What my team has developed is truly remarkable: We believe it is the world’s first hybrid greenhouse which combines the best practices of indoor cultivation, such as HVAC, CO2 enrichment, direct injected fertigation and intensive sanitation procedures, with all the benefits of free, natural sunlight. We didn’t set out to change the way marijuana is grown in Canada – but if we perform up to our expectations, I think that just might be the case.”
Fowler said the company’s philosophy has always been to aspire to do better: not just in terms of product quality and economies but also patient experience.
“Supreme’s team is chalked full of individuals with medical marijuana histories which we believe will help Supreme connect with its future patients,” he said. “Marijuana is going through a transition and for some, it’s a daunting task to transition from their current supplier to an LP like us. As a company, we try to recognize that struggle and do what we can to make the transition easier.”
Working at AMMCan, are Matty Middlekamp, sanitation manager; Keith Cleveland, facilities manager; Cailin Gehlsen, director of finance and Supreme's interim CEO; Matt Rogge, production and processing director; Cindy Wieldich, security manager; Peter M. Herburger, CEO; Alan Moodie, maintenance manager; John Fowler, Supreme CEO; Paul Safr, IT director; Sarah Herburger, vice-president; Navdeep Dhaliwal, director, Supreme; Al Robertson, security director; and Ram Davloor, quality assurance director. All are local to Kincardine and Bruce County, except Fowler and Dhaliwal.
For more information, check the AMMCan website at www.ammcan.com.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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