HURON, Ohio — It has been nearly nine months since the sale of marijuana became legal in the state of Ohio. On Friday, 3News got a behind-the-scenes look at one of the state’s unique cultivation centers, Firelands Scientific.
"There's a whole backbone supporting this, and we are well over a hundred in the state of Ohio," said Sean Cifranic, Director of Operations at Firelands Scientific.
The center’s campus spans 60,000 square feet in Huron. Cifranic said they are combining science and art to address the changing landscape of marijuana cultivation.
“It’s not an easy bar to set, so cleanliness, standardized processes, and a strong understanding of critical control points are what will make or break a cultivator,” said Cifranic.
The marijuana goes through three stages of production — vegetative, flowering and post-harvest — all before being packed up and hitting the shelves of Ohio stores.
The once-stigmatized drug is now part of a larger conversation centered around people’s mental and physical health.
“There are a lot of therapeutic benefits, and we believe it can really offer wellness. We want to be able to offer good access to that,” said Cifranic.
Last year, Ohioans voted 57% in favor of adult-use marijuana, but it wasn’t until last week that the program went into effect, creating an impact on the state.
“We’re really excited that we can be a partner in generating tax revenue and all the benefits that will come from that. Knowing that we get to be a contributing member of that is really exciting for us,” said Cifranic.
Now the air is ripe with revenue, taking the product from seed to sale.
For more information on Firelands, click the link here.