Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
When customers enter the Theory Wellness dispensary they are given a menu.
It lists various strains and forms of medical cannabis — pre-rolled joints, chews, salve, flower, capsules, extract, cartridges, sap and tinctures.
On the menu are strains like Star-Flight Guava — may help with chronic pain or anxiety — and Sunshine Daydream — used by those with nerve pain, chronic pain, or high stress.
But where does it all come from.
It is actually grown within the Theory Wellness building in Bridgewater, 1050 Elm St.
Theory Wellness, the state's newest medical marijuana dispensary, gave The Enterprise a behind the scenes look at how they grow, harvest and produce their cannabis.
"We (produce) everything in really small batches," Brandon Pollock, the CEO of Theory Wellness said. "It allows us to pay attention to more detail."
But, before even entering the 10,000 square-foot growing facility, the employees must take the proper precautions to keep any contaminants out.
That meant putting on Hazardous Materials-style suit, changing into new socks and shoes and wearing gloves, hairnets and a mask.
"We have the cleanest and best standards here," said Ben Handwerger, the director of quality control said. "We will never compromise our quality."
Once the proper outfit is on, employees enter an air shower — a chamber that blasts air to dislodge any mold or other contaminants.
The first stop of the tour was the seedling room.
Inside were an array of marijuana plants just beginning the growing process.
Each plant has an irrigation system running through it that pumps water and nutrients, Pollack said.
The plants receive about 18 hours of light a day in the climate-controlled room.
Once the plants reach an appropriate size and are at the beginning of the flowering process they are taken to a new room.
In the second-stage room the plants, which ranged from three to four feet, are closely maintained, giving them the optimal environment to flower and employees constantly check the plants for any signs of contamination.
The plants, although several feet tall, have only been growing for a few months.
"It's amazing," Pollock said. "They can actually grow four or five inches a day."
In the third room there are more than 200 towering plants that have reached four to six feet tall.
Inside the room, the aroma does not have the stereotypically "skunky" smell but rather smells like citrus fruit, a result of the strains being grown, Pollock said.
As Handwerger walks down the aisles of green to get a better look at the plants, he is not focused on the widely recognized marijuana leaves. Instead, he is observing the flowers.
"The flowers are were all of the cannabinoids are produced," Handwerger said.
Throughout the process, each batch of medical marijuana and marijuana-infused products are independently lab tested, Pollock said.
When the plant has reached the peak of its flowering phase, the flowers are harvested and then dried.
The trim team will then take over, carefully removing the leaves and branches, until it is just the flower.
The marijuana is then either packaged to be sold for smoking or vaporizing or it is brought to an extraction room where the plant is processed into oil using a high pressure machine.
The oil is used to make medical marijuana products sold at the dispensary things such as chews, salves and tinctures.
"A lot of chemistry goes into this," Pollock said. "The whole process is really incredible."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bridgewater's medical pot facility clean, and green - News - Raynham Call - Raynham, MA
Contact: Contact Us - Raynham Call - Raynham, MA
Photo Credit: Gavin Young
Website: Raynham Call: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Raynham, MA
It lists various strains and forms of medical cannabis — pre-rolled joints, chews, salve, flower, capsules, extract, cartridges, sap and tinctures.
On the menu are strains like Star-Flight Guava — may help with chronic pain or anxiety — and Sunshine Daydream — used by those with nerve pain, chronic pain, or high stress.
But where does it all come from.
It is actually grown within the Theory Wellness building in Bridgewater, 1050 Elm St.
Theory Wellness, the state's newest medical marijuana dispensary, gave The Enterprise a behind the scenes look at how they grow, harvest and produce their cannabis.
"We (produce) everything in really small batches," Brandon Pollock, the CEO of Theory Wellness said. "It allows us to pay attention to more detail."
But, before even entering the 10,000 square-foot growing facility, the employees must take the proper precautions to keep any contaminants out.
That meant putting on Hazardous Materials-style suit, changing into new socks and shoes and wearing gloves, hairnets and a mask.
"We have the cleanest and best standards here," said Ben Handwerger, the director of quality control said. "We will never compromise our quality."
Once the proper outfit is on, employees enter an air shower — a chamber that blasts air to dislodge any mold or other contaminants.
The first stop of the tour was the seedling room.
Inside were an array of marijuana plants just beginning the growing process.
Each plant has an irrigation system running through it that pumps water and nutrients, Pollack said.
The plants receive about 18 hours of light a day in the climate-controlled room.
Once the plants reach an appropriate size and are at the beginning of the flowering process they are taken to a new room.
In the second-stage room the plants, which ranged from three to four feet, are closely maintained, giving them the optimal environment to flower and employees constantly check the plants for any signs of contamination.
The plants, although several feet tall, have only been growing for a few months.
"It's amazing," Pollock said. "They can actually grow four or five inches a day."
In the third room there are more than 200 towering plants that have reached four to six feet tall.
Inside the room, the aroma does not have the stereotypically "skunky" smell but rather smells like citrus fruit, a result of the strains being grown, Pollock said.
As Handwerger walks down the aisles of green to get a better look at the plants, he is not focused on the widely recognized marijuana leaves. Instead, he is observing the flowers.
"The flowers are were all of the cannabinoids are produced," Handwerger said.
Throughout the process, each batch of medical marijuana and marijuana-infused products are independently lab tested, Pollock said.
When the plant has reached the peak of its flowering phase, the flowers are harvested and then dried.
The trim team will then take over, carefully removing the leaves and branches, until it is just the flower.
The marijuana is then either packaged to be sold for smoking or vaporizing or it is brought to an extraction room where the plant is processed into oil using a high pressure machine.
The oil is used to make medical marijuana products sold at the dispensary things such as chews, salves and tinctures.
"A lot of chemistry goes into this," Pollock said. "The whole process is really incredible."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bridgewater's medical pot facility clean, and green - News - Raynham Call - Raynham, MA
Contact: Contact Us - Raynham Call - Raynham, MA
Photo Credit: Gavin Young
Website: Raynham Call: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Raynham, MA