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EAST LIVERPOOL -- Construction is under way at an East End building which will be the home of FarmaceuticalRX's processing, research and distribution operations in future months.
Rebecca Myers, the company's chief executive officer, said hiring efforts are expected to resume soon for its processing center at 2000 Harvey Ave.
"We will be hiring 20 to 25 people to start in July at our processing center and initially 20 to 25 for our cultivation operations," she explained. That number would eventually exceed 75 total after Thanksgiving, Myers noted.
In mid-May, FarmaceuticalRX, who operates the FRX Health dispensary on Dresden Avenue, was notified it received its Level 1 cultivation and processing licenses from the state, which positions the company to be a vertically integrated operator.
"The continued expansion of our operating base is a key component to the development of our therapeutics platform. This is another important step on our path to truly transform the way medical marijuana is developed and delivered in the area of cannabinoid therapeutics," she said.
"We intend to make Ohio a critical part of our continued innovation and Ohio patients the beneficiaries of our mission," Myers added.
FarmaceuticalRX says it is Ohio's only licensed cultivator growing in living soil, a pure and natural style of cultivation.
"Cannabis grown with living soil cultivation methods is generally regarded as the cleanest and highest quality in the world," stated Cassandra Maffey, company cultivation vice president.
In addition to producing high-quality cannabis flowers, FarmaceuticalRX will be producing a variety of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts through its processing business. With more than 300 medical cannabis strains sourced from all over the world growing in the East Liverpool cultivation facility, the company is positioned to develop a long list of medical marijuana products.
"Our extraction team is comprised of experienced chemists and cannabis professionals. This balances analytical precision with a holistic approach, which we feel is truly part of who we are as a company," says Maffey. "We'll come out of the gate with some of the highest quality medical marijuana products in the world and keep innovating as we listen to the needs of our patients."
Currently 29,000 square feet of the former Ferro building, which is 110,000 square feet, is being retrofitted to house the processing side of the operations, while cultivation will occur in the remainder, according to Myers.
Once the plants reach 18 inches high, she adds that the products will be processed and sold in company's East Liverpool and Farrell, Pa., locations, where they also are licensed, dispensaries.
The company is partnering in research and development with Marshall University, West Virginia University, Case Western Reserve University and Penn State University along with possible agreements with an unnamed Ivy League school. Initial efforts will include examination into the opiate addiction by the bio-tech company and WVU, Myers revealed.
Maffey said customers of their dispensaries participate in the research process for the maximum benefit.
"Now that we are vertically integrated, our cultivation and extraction teams will be able to take patient feedback as we decide which cannabis varieties to plant-or which products patients would like to see first," she said.
Pharmacist Joe Jeffries will work with the cultivation and extraction teams to help patients access the highest quality medicine for their needs, officials added. The FRX Health Dispensary is one of the highest rated in Ohio.
"My administration is looking forward to working with FarmaceuticalRX as they expand and grow to serve not only the local community but the entire state of Ohio," said East Liverpool Mayor Ryan Stovall.
Stovall said that the company has paid around a half million dollars in fees while applying for their cultivation and processing licenses.
Jobs generated by FarmaceuticalRX can generate living-wage jobs that pay a minimum of $15 per hour and benefits, according to Myers. For information on upcoming job opportunities, visit farmaceuticalrx.com.