Cresco cultivation agent Jerico Castillo pruned plants yesterday during a tour of the facility. (Photo by Megan Bachman)
An inside look at Cresco Labs
- Published: October 9, 2018
On Monday, Cresco Labs of Yellow Springs opened its doors to local media and public officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tour of the medical marijuana grower.
Visitors saw cultivation agents tending 30 strains of marijuana planted three weeks ago after Cresco received its certificate of operation by the State of Ohio. The first crop of plants will be ready in January, according to Cresco officials.
Present were elected officials and employees of the Village of Yellow Springs, Yellow Springs Schools, Miami Township and Antioch College along with State Rep. Rick Perales (R–Beavercreek).
In a press conference, Karen Wintrow of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce reflected on the process of vetting Cresco, which she said is a “right fit for Yellow Springs.”
“The community recognized what a treasure Cresco would be,” Wintrow said.
The Village sold Cresco land at the Center for Business and Education on the western edge of town in June 2017. Following Cresco’s approval last November as one of 12 large-scale medical marijuana growers in Ohio, they began construction on the 50,000-square-foot facility. The building was finished this summer.
Cresco CEO Charlie Bachtell said at the press conference that Cresco’s opening is a significant moment that will benefit many different constituencies.
“This is a big deal for Cresco, a big deal for Yellow Springs, and also a big deal for the patients of Ohio,” he said.
Bachtell also expressed gratitude for the community’s support, calling the relationship “remarkable.” And he said he hopes that medical marijuana can help address Ohio’s opioid crisis.
Cresco plans to continue expanding as the state allows, according to Bachtell in a later interview. Currently, the facility has 25,000 square feet of hybrid greenhouse space, which could increase to 75,000 square feet in a few years.
Additional processing space may also be needed. While Cresco was not one of the 11 medical marijuana companies to receive a processing license, the company recently responded to the state’s request for more information on its application and is still hopeful the processing license will eventually come through.
According to Bachtell, Cresco currently employs 14 people in the facility. Cultivation agent Jerico Castillo, who brings more than 20 years of experience working with plants to the job, said the work involves pruning and managing the plants’ nutrients and water intake. Each plant drinks about one gallon of water per day, he added.
Among the strains Cresco is growing are Gorilla Glue #4, Pineapple Express, Snow Lotus, Clementine and Yellow Springs Kush, a strain cloned specifically for the facility, according to growers.
To read previous News coverage visit: https://ysnews.com/news/2018/09/cresco-labs-planting-moving-ahead
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