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On Sunday, a couple hundred people gathered near the Oakland Airport for a celebration of the grand re-opening of the country's largest cannabis-friendly hydroponics superstore, weGrow, the company which was formerly known as iGrow.
The new branding is part of an ambitious national expansion. In less than a year, weGrow has become the first hydroponic superstore, sometimes jokingly referred to as the "Home De-Pot" of hydroponic stores. Oakland Local reported on iGrow as part of a 6-part Cannabis Business series in March. Now weGrow has an operational store in Burlingame, one soon to open in Sacramento, and over 70 franchise stores already under contract across the nation.
In other parts of the country an event called "Hemp Evolution" would not likely draw many politicians. But several local and distant elected officials showed up to support weGrow, including City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Jean Quan (who crafted Oakland's first dispensary ordinance), Councilmember Larry Reid (in whose district the company operates), and Councilmember Desley Brooks. State Senator and mayoral candidate Don Perata also attended, saying that since we already have four medical marijuana facilities, "Oakland is a natural for the industry sprouting up." Even a State Senator from New Mexico, Cisco McSorley, came in to offer his support.
But all of this was staging for the real sales pitch: a proposed 60,000 square foot marijuana cultivation facility. WeGrow intends to apply for one of Oakland's four permits for large-scale medical cannabis cultivation through its sister company GROPECH. In July, the Oakland City Council became the first city to approve a plan for the building and operation of up to four large-scale industrial cannabis farms within city limits. The permits are likely to be issued in January.
The cannabis farm is estimated to produce about 350 pounds of marijuana a week, or approximately 20,000 pounds a year. Twenty-six year-old founder Dahr Mann said that the opening of his store has already created 50 jobs and boosted local retail. Mann suggested that the new grow facility will create 200 more jobs and with revenue from all four proposed permitted grow facilities, Oakland's $50 million deficit could be cut in half.
The proposed facility would also be the first LEED-certified marijuana-growing building. Lead architect Eddie Piatt spoke about the green building elements of the facility, saying it integrate clean room and clean energy technologies, leading to 40% reduction in energy use than a conventional building. A large flat-screen TV placed prominently behind the stage gave attendees a glimpse of the design of the new plant.
Such scaling up of "pot-trepeneurships" perhaps is to be expected. Taking them public might be the next natural step on this trajectory and so weGrow co-founder Derek Peterson announced that is exactly what they intend to do next year. If all goes according to plan, the company will start offering public shares to investors.
GROPECH also has a non-profit foundation arm, whose "aim is to leverage the not-for-profit medical marijuana industry as a funding vehicle for various philanthropic efforts," according to the website. On Sunday, a few grant winners were announced, including Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, Community Rejuvenation Project, Oakland Food Connection, and Planting Justice.
It's no mystery why council members and mayoral candidates showed up. Whatever else it represents, weGrow means jobs, city tax revenue, a state-of-heart LEED facility for the city, and perhaps, more chill neighbors.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source
aklandlocal.com
Contact: 2010 oaklandlocal.com
Copyright: Contact | Oakland Local
Website:Proposed 60,000 sq. ft. Marijuana Growing Facility in Oakland Announced | Oakland Local
The new branding is part of an ambitious national expansion. In less than a year, weGrow has become the first hydroponic superstore, sometimes jokingly referred to as the "Home De-Pot" of hydroponic stores. Oakland Local reported on iGrow as part of a 6-part Cannabis Business series in March. Now weGrow has an operational store in Burlingame, one soon to open in Sacramento, and over 70 franchise stores already under contract across the nation.
In other parts of the country an event called "Hemp Evolution" would not likely draw many politicians. But several local and distant elected officials showed up to support weGrow, including City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Jean Quan (who crafted Oakland's first dispensary ordinance), Councilmember Larry Reid (in whose district the company operates), and Councilmember Desley Brooks. State Senator and mayoral candidate Don Perata also attended, saying that since we already have four medical marijuana facilities, "Oakland is a natural for the industry sprouting up." Even a State Senator from New Mexico, Cisco McSorley, came in to offer his support.
But all of this was staging for the real sales pitch: a proposed 60,000 square foot marijuana cultivation facility. WeGrow intends to apply for one of Oakland's four permits for large-scale medical cannabis cultivation through its sister company GROPECH. In July, the Oakland City Council became the first city to approve a plan for the building and operation of up to four large-scale industrial cannabis farms within city limits. The permits are likely to be issued in January.
The cannabis farm is estimated to produce about 350 pounds of marijuana a week, or approximately 20,000 pounds a year. Twenty-six year-old founder Dahr Mann said that the opening of his store has already created 50 jobs and boosted local retail. Mann suggested that the new grow facility will create 200 more jobs and with revenue from all four proposed permitted grow facilities, Oakland's $50 million deficit could be cut in half.
The proposed facility would also be the first LEED-certified marijuana-growing building. Lead architect Eddie Piatt spoke about the green building elements of the facility, saying it integrate clean room and clean energy technologies, leading to 40% reduction in energy use than a conventional building. A large flat-screen TV placed prominently behind the stage gave attendees a glimpse of the design of the new plant.
Such scaling up of "pot-trepeneurships" perhaps is to be expected. Taking them public might be the next natural step on this trajectory and so weGrow co-founder Derek Peterson announced that is exactly what they intend to do next year. If all goes according to plan, the company will start offering public shares to investors.
GROPECH also has a non-profit foundation arm, whose "aim is to leverage the not-for-profit medical marijuana industry as a funding vehicle for various philanthropic efforts," according to the website. On Sunday, a few grant winners were announced, including Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, Community Rejuvenation Project, Oakland Food Connection, and Planting Justice.
It's no mystery why council members and mayoral candidates showed up. Whatever else it represents, weGrow means jobs, city tax revenue, a state-of-heart LEED facility for the city, and perhaps, more chill neighbors.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source
aklandlocal.comContact: 2010 oaklandlocal.com
Copyright: Contact | Oakland Local
Website:Proposed 60,000 sq. ft. Marijuana Growing Facility in Oakland Announced | Oakland Local
