Skip to content

Cannabis facility proposed for Clearwater County

Cannabis production facility proposed south of Caroline would produce 30,000 kg of cannabis a year
12412125_web1_180614-TDT-cannabis

Company wants to build cannabis facility

A cannabis company is proposing to build a production facility in Clearwater County.

Calgary-based Element GP Inc. has submitted an application to rezone 40 acres of agricultural land to light industrial on a quarter section along Hwy 22 about 15 km south of Caroline. Element has applied to Health Canada to become a licensed producer of medical cannabis, read a planning report to county council.

If approved, construction would begin on the 55,000-square-foot facility next year for a fall completion, reads the company’s proposal. The plant would employ about 200 people involved in overseeing 11,000 plants that would generate about $150 million in annual sales.

High-tech odour control and security systems will be in place and power will be drawn from the nearby Shell Caroline gas plant.

County council gave the rezoning application first reading last week and a public hearing will be held on July 24 at 9 a.m. at the county offices in Rocky Mountain House.

Like many municipalities, Clearwater County recently updated its planning regulations in anticipation of cannabis production applications.

This will be the first application since the changes were made, said county senior planner Kim Gilham.

The land-use bylaw restricts the facilities to business parks and industrial-zoned areas, a recognition that cannabis production is not your usual agricultural endeavour. All marijuana applications are discretionary, meaning they must get approval from the county’s municipal planning commission.