A medical marijuana company says it is expanding production with a massive new grow facility at the Edmonton International Airport.
Aurora Cannabis said the airport is close to customs for importing the supplies and equipment it needs and the location will make it easier to export pot to its customers in Canada and eventually to other countries where marijuana is legal.
The company said the 74,000-square-metre facility, called Aurora Sky, will be larger than 16 football fields and will be capable of producing more than 100,000 kilograms of cannabis per year. Aurora vice-president Cam Battley said the new operation will help meet growing demand for medical marijuana and position it to supply recreational pot once it is legalized by the federal government.
"The demand is now about 130,000 patients in the medical cannabis system,'' Battley said Thursday.
"We need to expand to meet that demand and we also have our eye very much on the federal government's intention to table legislation in the spring to legalize the consumer use.''