The evolution of the cannabis industry in Orange County took a major step forward recently with the groundbreaking of a major project at the former Mid-Orange Correctional Facility property in the Town of Warwick.
A host of state, county and local dignitaries joined company officials for the Sept. 9 groundbreaking ceremony for the $150-million project by Green Thumb Industries.
Orange County Executive Stephen Neuhaus, New York Senator Mike Martucci and Assemblyman Karl Brabenec and Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton were among those in attendance, as were Green Thumb executives, including Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Kovler.
“It’s sort of a full circle moment,” said CEO and founder of Green Thumb Industries Kovler, according to a report in the Albany Times Union “The whole concept of the cannabis business built on top of doing what we’re doing for gainful employment does not make a lot of sense,” he explained, given the country’s historic criminalization of marijuana. “The fact there are still people in jail across the nation is a problem.” Kolver said that Green Thumb wants to continue to employ people who have been incarcerated, as they have done at other facilities.
The $150-million investment made by Green Thumb to refurbish and remodel the site will create hundreds of construction jobs and permanent employment in the region.
“There is massive opportunity upwards, from salaried positions with supervisors, operational roles, all the way up to general managers,” said Kovler of the jobs that will be housed at its campus once operational. “This is the time for people with passion and skills to learn it, and we can create a long-time career for folks.”
Green Thumb purchased the 40 acres of former prison grounds for $3.3 million in May of this year, after the Orange County Industrial Development Agency approved a 15-year tax abatement for Green Thumb. The $3.3-million purchase covered the town’s remaining debt on the cost of the prison property from the state, according to a report in the Albany Times Union.
For the full Albany Times Union story on the groundbreaking, go to: https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/news/article/New-marijuana-facility-breaks-ground-at-former-16446495.php
