With spring in the air, Iowans will soon start planting corn, soybeans and — for the first time — legal marijuana.
The state’s first authorized producer of medical marijuana plants is racing to transform a 64-year-old Des Moines warehouse into a high-tech agricultural facility. The company, MedPharm, expects to start growing plants in a month or so, and to start harvesting them about five months later. Under the medical marijuana law that legislators passed last spring, MedPharm is required to have products available for distribution by Dec. 1.
Lucas Nelson, who is helping run MedPharm’s project, led reporters and photographers on a tour Wednesday. Saws, drills and air compressors provided background sounds as he explained how his company is spending more than $10 million to construct a facility that will meet strict quality and security requirements.
Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
