The Colorado Hemp Institute, one the nation’s first research and treatment facilities utilizing medical hemp, is officially for sale. The seventy-acre property in Parachute went on the market March 1, and is currently listed for $6,875,000.

Owners John and Jody Lyons created the Hemp Institute as a place where hemp consumers and medical patients could find every hemp experience they need at one location. The property borders the Colorado River and includes a hemp cultivation building, a walk-in clinic and an assisted-living center where patients receive cannabis-care treatment plans.

“The whole philosophy John had was that it would be a one-stop shop for everything someone would need for hemp,” says Tina Holtz, office manager for Cheryl & Co., the real estate agency selling the property. “He wanted to have an on-site clinic, restaurant and assistant facility. Basically, you could find everything there.”

After training horses for forty years, John was ready to retire and sell the property in 2016 when he was approached by a group of investment partners who wanted to buy the land for cannabis use. Although both John and Jody held an anti-cannabis stance at the time, they were convinced by the partners to attend a medical marijuana conference in Eugene, Oregon, where their perspective on the cannabis plant changed.

“John and Jody used to carry a big stigma around cannabis until they went to the convention,” Holtz recalls. “When they came back, their entire viewpoint on it changed. John figured he had helped people before with horse training, but could help even more people with the hemp industry.”

Marijuana Deals Near You

And after four years of running the Institute, the Lyonses are ready to retire for good this time. It’s unclear what their plans are for retirement or what led them to it, as they weren't available for comment — but they hope that future owners of the property continue working in the hemp industry.

“Hopefully someone buys it and continues the service John and Jody started,” says Claire Smith, marketing manager for the Hemp Institute. “It depends on whoever buys the property on what they want to do with it, but it’d be great if they keep all the employees and keep the Institute going.”