Taneytown cannabis cultivation center completes expansion, offers job openings

A cannabis cultivation center in Taneytown announced this week its 20,000-square-foot expansion is complete.

Grassroots Cannabis expanded its facility to 55,000 square feet, increasing production capacity to grow more medical cannabis plants, with the aim to produce more than twice as much cannabis products.

According to Andy Cohen, Grassroots Cannabis partner, ever since the coronavirus pandemic spread throughout Maryland and the U.S., there has been quite an increase in demand for medical cannabis, not only for Grassroots but nationwide as well.

“The human impact of the virus certainly raised people’s stress levels and, because it is a medicine, because people are concerned and worried and maybe struggle with sleep or anxiety, or just being able to settle their mind down; there’s been a huge increase in the demand,” he said. “We’re seeing it not only as a manufacturer, but also as a retailer."

[ First medical cannabis dispensary in Carroll County opens in Westminster ]

The expansion was completed in early February, but the cultivation process took some additional time. Now they have fully finished, and that extra product is “rolling off the assembly line,” according to Cohen.

According to a Grassroots news release, the expansion also “provides a unique opportunity in this unprecedented time to provide jobs.” The company will be increasing its headcount by 35 percent. There are job positions ranging from senior management to hourly workers that will be helping the company either in the garden, trimming department, packaging, driving or security.

Due to the pandemic of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the company has taken provisions to ensure the safety of their employees. These steps include increased use of hand sanitizer and increased hand-washing in terms of frequency; educating employees on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and if someone doesn’t feel well, they follow a strict protocol for employees to stay home for a certain amount of time, according to Cohen.

“One of our core values is ‘Our community, our world,’ so we are, as always, especially focused on what we can do for the community,” Cohen said. “We understand and know there’s lots of folks out there that are furloughed or laid off, whether it’s folks from retailing backgrounds, restaurants, gyms, things like that, which are all part of the service industry, which is also what we’re all part of. So, we’re trying to focus as much as we can on trying to get these folks in and becoming a part of our team.”

[ 62,000 Marylanders file for unemployment in first drop in jobless claims since coronavirus reached the state ]

The positions are posted on various job sites, along with the company’s site at www.grassrootscannabis.com/careers, according to Cohen.

The company says it has invested in the latest technology to enhance the new expanded cultivation center with equipment such as HVAC units, humidity controls, filter systems, extraction systems and infusing systems for their manufactured products.

By May 1, Grassroots Cannabis plans to have more than twice as much product available to service and reach the same amount of patients, according to the release.