The new world of medical marijuana growing has arrived in Norfolk County in the form of a 20-acre operation in Walsingham.

And it comes tailored to new tougher federal regulations governing legal grow-ops that come into effect April 1.

It is a highly-secure site with tall fences topped with a foot of barbed wire surrounding multiple greenhouses. High-definition cameras are everywhere, recording on tape everything that happens while infrared sensors can detect prowlers at night. The drying and packaging facility is “built like a bunker” and includes a vault where the finished product will be stored.

The only thing missing is 24-hour onsite security personnel.

The facility, owned and operated by the pharmaceutical company Maricann, represents the birth of a new era in legal pot growing in Canada and Norfolk.

Gone is the old system in which licences were issued to growers to produce relatively small amounts and do their own security. Some of them set up in greenhouses on area farms and drew the concerns of police.

The Maricann operation is moving into an existing legal grow-op. It has spent $800,000 so far expanding and bringing it up to the new standards and is keeping the current grower on staff for his expertise, said company vice-president Peter Saunders.

What used to be an 8,000-square-foot facility is now 80,000-square-feet, he told Norfolk council Tuesday night.

Production will start sometime this May or June. About two tons of pot will be produced a year and 20 full-time jobs will be created with a combined payroll of $1.5 million a year.

Saunders said his company looked at a number of possible sites in southern Ontario but settled on this one in part because of the growing conditions here — lots of sunshine and sandy soil.

Medical marijuana holds out economic promise for Norfolk County, Saunders told council.

“You guys are in the business of agriculture,” he said. “It can generate new opportunities for citizens and the surrounding area . . . This is a great opportunity to develop new business.”

Saunders assured elected officials that having personnel onsite at all times isn’t necessary.

“Nothing anywhere in the facility is not being monitored,” he explained. “We believe the level of detection and response time from local police should be adequate.”

Houghton Coun. Betty Chanyi pointed out that police “are not stationed right in the area. We don’t have a station close at hand. Because of the proximity of a certain institution (a high school), I recommend you go with full-time security.”

Maricann did not require approval from elected officials to set up its site but decided to come to council because it wants to “build a relationship” with town hall, said Saunders.

Port Dover Coun. John Wells expressed concern that council has “very little input” and “very little control” over medical marijuana grow sites.

“Our ratepayers will hold us responsible,” warned Wells. “It reminds me of the wind turbines. We get the flak without any of the input.”

Daniel R. Pearce

519-426-3528 ext. 132

daniel.pearce@sunmedia.ca

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