Left: Timothy Foia, Owner/CEO of Artizen Cannabis gives a tour of one of the indoor growing rooms. Above, Foia in his office.
S
ome call it the Gold Rush of the 21st Century, while others compare it to the dot. com bubble of the late 20th Century. Just like those speculative explosions, the prosperity of this new industry will eventually experience a weeding out process, leaving only the businesses with solid plans and a viable long-term vision. The industry? We’re talking about cannabis — or marijuana — legalized for recreational use in November 2012 with the passing of Washington’s Initiative 502 "on marijuana reform". The first retail marijuana stores opened their doors July 8, 2014.
had a lot of power, air conditioning and systems for ventilation, moving air and odor mitigation.”
Since then, Washington has generated $576 million in sales, $160 million in excise tax and an additional $48 million in sales tax from the cannabis industry. Artizen Cannabis in Lacey is the third largest producer/processor in the state, with 10-months of sales totaling more than $4 million, according to Dab Software –an app developer focused on recording and tracking inventory and sales data within the industry.
“The City of Lacey was extremely gracious to us,” said Foia. “They went out of their way to show us they are a progressive city interested in having us locate here.”
It would be difficult to pick out Artizen’s 50,000-square-foot warehouse from its neighbors on Willamette Drive. It is a corporate district, home to nationally recognized manufacturers, pharmaceuticals and retailers.
Infrastructure of an Indoor Producer/ Processor
Location was also a deciding factor.
Artizen moved into the building on Jan. 1, 2015. Artizen is an indoor grower/producer, meaning that they grow cannabis in an extremely controlled environment. Rather than growing outdoors—which has fluctuations in temperature, humidity and airflow—indoor growing creates a consistent product, higher yields and what many believe is a superior product. Artizen’s plants breathe CO2-enriched air, drink filtered water and are exposed to precise temperatures. By using the industry’s best grow-light technology, the plants get maximum levels of photosynthetic energy.
Owner/CEO Timothy Foia and his partners—most from Seattle and northern California—chose Lacey and their headquarters with care.
Indoor growing is also expensive. It requires energy to power the lights, control humidity and temperature, and scrub the air for odor mitigation. As a result, indoor grown cannabis typically sells for 35 percent more than outdoor or greenhouse grown.
“Indoor growing is unique to conditions and space,” said Foia. “We got lucky because this building had existing infrastructure and we were able to use that infrastructure for our business. It
When Foia gives tours of Artizen, he is a farmer following the life-cycle of his plants room to room—from germination Continued on page 15
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Thurston County Chamber VOICE March/April 2016 13