MMJ BioPharma Cultivation just joined forces with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe to develop 20 acres of tribal land into a cannabis grow. The land is in upstate New York near the border of Canada.
The partnership was MMJ’s idea, and tribal officials agreed to the plan, as the land was previously set to become a business park.
“The project isn’t a typical medical or recreational marijuana deal where cannabis is grown and sold in the commercial market,” members of the Tewáthahón:ni Corporation Board of Managers say in an official statement.
Because this grow will happen on tribal land, they should be able to get special permission from the DEA under the DEA Importer Permit allowing the grow. They will only be able to sell cannabis to medical facilities and labs, as well as universities or other organizations that are using the cannabis for research.
Under the Importer Permit, MMJ will be able to bring plants from Canada, where they will be grown, and Jamaica, should they choose to grow cannabis there. The grow will be indoor, and can produce up to 40 tons of dry cannabis per year after completion. The facility will contain about 20 acres of cannabis plants.
Next Steps
The next step is for MMJ to get the permit, as they are already planning to invest funds, time, and resources into the project. In order to get the license, the facility must be inspected to ensure all requirements are being met.
“MMJ’s investment in the project will include all costs to design and construct a 500,000 square foot federally licensed cultivation, extraction, and lab facility.”
Additionally, the company must prove that they are capable of providing products that are worthy of being included in research projects.
“MMJ BioPharma Cultivation has executed an agreement with MMJ International Holdings to supply marijuana extracts for Pharmaceutical manufacturing of its oral gel cap for its FDA clinical trials in Multiple Sclerosis and Huntington’s Disease,” Boise said.
Once the DEA finalizes their criteria for the site, MMJ and the Mohawk Tribe are then left to wait for the DEA to complete any investigations they see fit, on their own timeline.
“Our understanding of the timeline is that it could take many months for DEA to do its investigation and then make a final decision,” Tewáthahón:niBoard members claim in a statement.
They add, “the project with MMJ falls in line with our Tribal priorities, specifically in regards to healthcare, the treatment of chronic disease and the diversification of our investment portfolio.”
The tribe did not have to invest any money into this venture; MMJ is putting up the money. In turn, MMJ gets the special designation to grow cannabis.
“An extremely valuable side benefit will be jobs that are created and tribal companies that will be involved in the construction,” tribal officials claim.
As of now, this agreement spans the next 25 years. What will happen after that remains to be determined, but hopefully both the tribe and the company will find themselves in a more cannabis-friendly climate.
