July 2019
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Spotlight Uncharted Territory: Navigating the Complex World of Cannabis Production by Emily Langner In 2016, Massachusetts residents voted to legalize recreational marijuana, four years after the state approved the use of cannabis for medical use, overturning a statewide prohibition that had been in place for over a century. After the 2016 vote, the state set up the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) for the purpose of “safely, equitably and effectively implementing and administering the laws enabling access to medical and adult use marijuana in the Commonwealth”. Nearly three years later, the commission now has well-established guidelines and procedures for individuals or companies interested in operating a retail, cultivation, or manufacturing facility in Massachusetts. One of those companies is Higher Purpose Corporation, led by Nathan Girard, CEO, and his two brothers, Ben Girard and Nick Girard, both chief operating officers of the company. They are currently in the design phase of a cultivation and manufacturing facility located in Lee, Mass.
Brian Anderson of Anderson Porter Design
Working with architectural designer Anderson Porter Design and general contractor Key Construction Solutions, Inc., led by George Mautner, Nathan Girard and his team have opted to convert an existing building, formerly a dental device manufacturing facility, into a 45,000sf indoor space for year-round cultivation and production of cannabis products for both medical and recreational use. These three brothers have done their homework, spending years researching how these facilities operate, and the last
www.high-profile.com
Exterior of Higher Purpose cultivation and manufacturing facility
18 months putting together a plan for their facility and assembling a team of experts in the field to bring it to life. With combined expertise in real estate, finance, science and chemistry, and IT and technology, Nathan, Ben, and Nick have
The regulations and guidelines being placed on a formerly unregulated industry, Anderson says, are creating opportunities for developing and utilizing technologies that contribute to operating a sustainable facility, like incorporating LED lighting instead of the commonly-used high pressure sodium lights that have a high-energy output but also a high energy expense. been able to merge their backgrounds and apply their experience and knowledge to this new and complex industry, but Nathan Girard says, “The important thing is then identifying the things we don’t know and hiring experts in the field to
ensure a successful completion.” With Massachusetts’ strict requirements, sustainability is Higher Purpose Corp.’s highest priority, along with putting out a safe and consistent product for it’s customers, but the energy requirements of an indoor facility designed to grow living plants makes that a bigger challenge than with most other commercial operations. Brian D. Anderson, co-founder and principal of Anderson Porter, has been an architect for 25 years, but has spent the last five designing for the cannabis industry. He currently sits on the Cannabis Energy Roundtable advisory board that reports to the Department of Energy and the CCC on topics like energy consumption,
sustainability, and best practices in water usage and management. The regulations and guidelines being placed on a formerly unregulated industry, Anderson says, are creating opportunities for developing and utilizing technologies that contribute to operating a sustainable facility, like incorporating LED lighting instead of the commonlyused high pressure sodium lights that have a high-energy output but also a high energy expense. Nathan Girard says that by using LED technology to grow the plants, “We’re spending 10 times more to be sustainable than we would have with less sustainable options,” but the investment is returned through subsidies and rebates from
(l-r) Nathan Girard, Nick Girard, and Ben Girard of Higher Purpose Corporation