MUSKEGON, MI - Mark Schneider knows a thing or two about growing Christmas trees, but growing medical marijuana will be a new venture for the Lansing-area farmer.

Schneider, owner of MTC Enterprises and Michigan Tree and Produce, recently purchased 6.5 acres of land off Seaway Drive from the city of Muskegon, where he plans to grow and sell medical marijuana.

The investment could mean 22 new jobs at the provisioning center and 70 new jobs at the growing facility, according to city planning documents.

The city designated the area known as the Seaway Industrial Park as its medical marijuana overlay district in May. The district is the area between Seaway Drive and Park Street on the west and east, and Hackley Avenue and Young Avenue on the south and north.

Schneider of Dewitt said he soon will file applications with the state's medical marijuana licensing board to become a certified grower and the operator of a provisioning center, or dispensary.

The $300,000 sale of both lots is contingent on Schneider securing licenses from the state board, according to city planning documents. Additional time needed for state approvals will be granted only if Schneider pays the city a non-refundable $3,000 a month toward the purchase price at closing.

Schneider said he's excited to start growing a different shade of green.

"I have quite a bit of experience growing things," Schneider said. "Obviously the Christmas tree industry went to hell. The fake trees have kind of taken us out. (With medical marijuana), I think there's more profit in it.

"I think my chances are pretty strong, but you never know."

If approved, Schneider expects to first build a 2,500-square-foot medical marijuana provisioning center estimated to open in late summer 2019.

Next, Schneider said he'll start planning for a 60,000-square-foot grow operation that can help produce medicine to be sold at the provisioning center.

Construction on the growing facility could start as early as late 2019.

Until then, Schneider said he would have to find medicinal marijuana from another source to sell at his provisioning center, but that could prove difficult. He said there are too few growers providing too few products to new dispensaries.

"They've only approved a few places that can grow at this time," Schneider said. "I don't know how everyone's going to get their product ... A few places have had to shut down because they can't get product."

Schneider said he also scouted for property in Egelston Township, which has allowed for two provisioning centers and eight growing facilities, before purchasing property in Muskegon.