Operations Manager of Taneytown's Curaleaf dispensary location, Chris Loveridge, introduced a plan to expand their marijuana growing business into an outdoor growing space. This concept would not be the first in the state, as Loveridge described the outdoor growing of marijuana currently succeeding at multiple sites in Maryland.
Six years ago, when Curaleaf opened its 55,000 square foot location, they had six rooms for processing. Since then, they have added an additional eight more rooms for growing indoors. With the recreational legalization of marijuana in July, Loveridge explained, "We don't have a big enough building to keep up with the current market. We are one of the smallest growers in the state."
Loveridge said, "We have a lot of our packing materials and other stuff stored in the hallways because there isn't enough space inside the building anymore." Although the additional growing space will help with keeping their product in stock, the warehouse will not see an increase in size.
The outdoor area for the growing of 5,000 legalized marijuana plants will be located on a ten-acre piece of property that backs up to the City’s athletic fields at Memorial Park.
Loveridge said that the company would be running the first year as minimally as possible and will reassess for next year. If successful, they may add greenhouses to further extend the growing season. Loveridige said a ten-foot security fence with privacy barriers and a 24-hour surveillance system with night vision will be installed around the outdoor growing area, which will help to minimize the need for bright lighting at night, preventing any light nuisance to neighbors.
Loveridge said the company intends on growing two different types of marijuana plants: "Autoflowering," which will be used at the beginning of the growth cycle because they essentially start growing automatically, and "Photoperiod," which will be used in the second half, as they require specific light conditions to flower. Photoperiod plants are considered to be more potent than Autoflowering. The plants will be either grown by seed or be cloned for three to four months before they can be harvested. Once harvested, the plants are dried and then frozen until they are processed.
Two 15,000-gallon tanks were installed to water the plants via an above ground irrigation system that is manually operated. Loveridge explained they would not be recycling the irrigation water, but would be looking into recycling the condensation off the HVAC system, condensation runoff from windows, rainwater collection, tapping into the City’s water and getting water delivered. He said they are currently unsure how much water they will use each month, causing concern amongst Council members about the option of utilizing the City’s water. "We are limited on the amount of water we can dish out," said City Council Liaison Chris Tillman. "That will be an important issue for you to have an answer to."
Resident and neighbor Bernie Knox questioned Loveridge on how Curaleaf intends on alleviating the odor naturally produced by the plants. Loveridge explained they would be using a system that creates a eucalyptus scented mist to "minimize the odor." Curaleaf Vice President George Schidlovsky pointed out that the plants’ natural odor does not emit active elements of the plant.
Loveridge pointed out that without the Planning Commission's approval, they would not get the State’s approval to continue.
