Medical Marijuana Production Facility Coming To Macon

Caption

The medical marijuana production facility in Macon is expected to create nearly 100 new jobs.

Credit: Pexels stock photo

Construction is expected to start soon on a 50,000-square-foot medical marijuana production facility in Macon that’s billed to create nearly 100 new jobs and infuse millions into the local economy.

FFD GA Holdings, doing business as Fine Fettle, was among six companies selected recently by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to grow marijuana for use in producing low-THC therapeutic oil.

The venture represents a $30-$50 million investment in the local economy, according to a Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority news release.

The facility will be located on 10.21 acres owned by the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority at 700 Joe Tamplin Industrial Blvd. The property is within the authority’s Ocmulgee East Industrial Park off Interstate 16 in east Macon.

“We are confident Georgia can and will become the premier medical marijuana program in America,” FFD GA Holdings CEO Jeremy Fort said in a news release. “We cannot wait to bring these positive elements to Macon, creating strong partnerships, bonds and economic growth to the community.”

Company plans

Some key takeaways:

• The new jobs are expected to be “well-paying” with a range of skill sets and offer health care and employee-sponsored retirement plans.
• The company also has committed to contract with over a dozen MBE-certified, Georgia owned-businesses.
• The company is a majority-minority owned business. FFD GA Holdings is 87% owned by Georgia residents, including military veterans.
• The indoor facility is expected to be up and running within a year, complete with an internal tracking system to guard against diversion and theft.
• Only employees and local law enforcement will have access to the facility, which will be under video surveillance both inside and outside.
• The oil cannot contain more than 5% THC, the psychoactive ingredient.
• The property has a zoning designation of M-2, heavy industrial, with a medical marijuana production facility considered a permitted use, which is why a public hearing was not required.

Additionally, the company has several planned partnerships and initiatives Fort identified in a letter to the state licensing commission. Those include:

• A community investment fund to be managed by an independent community advisory board and funded by “a percentage” of operating revenues.
• A partnership with Genuine Georgia, a group of Georgia peaches, pecans and citrus producers for the purpose of operating the medical marijuana production facility with agricultural excellence.
• Veterans education, outreach and employment partnerships with Georgia veterans organizations Warrior’s Alliance and Shepherd’s Men.
• Cannabis curriculum, research and employment partnerships with Central Georgia Technical College and Clark Atlanta University.
• Supporting substance abuse organizations such as River Edge Behavioral Health and Davis Direction Substance Abuse Foundation via educational programs and resources.

“Just as we do at our affiliated facilities across the country, we intend to provide Georgia patients with unadulterated, pharmaceutical-grade, evidence-based medicinal products that are both safe for patient consumption and safe to manufacture, stable in potency and purity, and effective for targeted medical therapy for numerous qualifying conditions,” Fort wrote in the letter.

“In order to do so, we will implement tightly controlled production standards and strict protocols to ensure all extracted products have been manufactured in a safe and clean environment designed for efficient operations. Simply put, our team is primed and ready to create a world-class medical cannabis cultivation and production facility that will serve as a source of Georgia pride and a pillar of the Macon-Bibb community for many years to come.”

Included in the application process was an ownership profile that required the listing of those who control 5% or more of the company, including Fort.

Also listed were Eric Michael Zachs, as advisor, and Benjamin Samuel Zachs, as director. Both have controlling interest in other marijuana production facilities, including FFD Enterprises MA, Hindsville, MA, and New Leaf LLC, Cranston Rhode Island.

The others listed include Lenardo Jay Smith, as director of social impact and government affairs; Darin Wayne Mitchell Jr., as chief financial officer; and Dr. Tammy Marie Allen, as chief medical officer.

FFD GA Holdings, which is a domestic limited liability company, was incorporated on Nov. 26, 2019. In late 2019, the company approached the industrial authority in their search for a suitable site, according to the release.

The company was among 69 applicants scrutinized by the state Access to Medical Cannabis Commission. The initial licensing fee was $100,000, with the annual renewal fee of $50,000.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with The Telegraph.