Vertical Enterprise is close to completing its medicinal marijuana manufacturing and cultivation facility in St. Joseph.
“To go out there and see the ductwork and see that there’s actual walls, it’s dangerously close to time for us to move in and we’re so excited,” said Tammy Puyear, director of marketing for the company.
The facility, located at 3101 Townesouth Court, measures 62,000 square feet and was built from scratch. Company officials are hopeful of going through the state of Missouri’s commencement in January so the facility can begin growing product.
The company also will have a dispensary location across from East Hills Shopping Center on the North Belt Highway. Vertical Enterprise officials anticipate the dispensary location will open in late April, which will give the company the chance to market its brand before it begins selling.
Puyear said that the company’s choice to build its own facility from the ground up is different compared to other multi-state operators. She said part of the drive behind the decision is because there are things that companies can do differently as technology changes.
“For us, building our own facility and getting purpose-built equipment so that we have less of an environmental impact that’s negative, there’s just a lot of really diligent thinking and planning in everything we do,” Puyear said. “We know that it takes us longer to get to market because of those decisions, but we truly believe it’s the right way to do things.”
Vertical Enterprise will join several CBD businesses already operating in St. Joseph. Some may think the two industries that are not too far apart from each other will be competing, but two CBD business owners already have expressed their approval of a medical marijuana company coming to the city and what it does for their business.
“I’m actually really happy about it,” said Muhammad Khan, owner of Hemp Victory Garden. “You could look at it as competition, but I think it’s more spreading the word out and letting people try it.”
Mark Jones, owner of Sacred Leaf Zero, agreed.
“I actually think it’s gonna open people’s eyes more to the product. I think it’s great for business,” he said.
