Fort McMurray First Nation (FMFN) has started the process of building a marijuana growing facility on its land near Gregoire Lake.
Construction of the 250,000 square foot facility is expected to start in the spring.
Brad Callihoot CEO, Fort McMurray First Nation said since they have the business capacity and partnerships, they’d like to build it themselves.
He said the cannabis sector is an economic opportunity that will allow them to care for the community without relying on government funding.
“Oil prices are down and that affected our business immensely, so we had to diversify our businesses.”
He said they’re looking at a “seed to distribution” model to not only grow, but also distribute the product at distribution centres on and off the reserve.
The $150 million dollar facility is expected to create 50 to 60 full-time positions once complete.
