When we were contacted by the owners of Maryland medical cannabis business Green Leaf Medical, LLC to talk about designing and building the cannabis cultivation facility of their dreams, it was like getting a call from an old friend.

We had already helped them with their state marijuana business application, and not only were they one of just 15 companies selected out of 145 applicants in 2015, but their application also received the highest score.

So we were well aware that they were ready to go, thanks to Next Big Crop’s comprehensive cannabis consulting guidance, which included:

• Business development
• Full architectural and engineering plans for the cannabis facility’s design
• Standard operating procedures for cultivation and harvest
• Staff training

We said we would help them take all the steps necessary to move forward with their construction plans as if they were going to be granted the pre-approval from the state. Because we kept the project moving forward, gLeaf had product on the market before many of its competitors, which wouldn’t have been possible if the team had waited to take any further action before receiving pre-approval.

And once they got the state’s approval, building started immediately, and Next Big Crop provided them support in every aspect of cannabis cultivation, including lighting, airflow, sanitation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), fertigation, packaging, distribution and compliance-focused inventory tracking as they began cultivating and processing in roughly 30,000 square feet of thoughtfully assembled space.

After the build-out was completed, Next Big Crop moved on to site management and the associated compliance work, bringing in a team of experts, working full-time at their cannabis cultivation facility, including an IPM specialist and a compliance officer.

We eliminated the guesswork for gLeaf employees tasked with operating a large new cannabis cultivation facility by creating SOPs for keeping the facility and plants in optimal condition and providing support in hiring, training, staffing and oversight of the workforce, with the goal of eventually handing off all duties to Green Leaf staff upon completion of our two-year operations management contract.

After a successful launch in January 2018, expansion is now underway. Next Big Crop is working on the second phase of gLeaf’s bid to add 20,000 square feet to the grow facility. We’ve also helped the company get its extraction lab in Ocean City up and running, including design, layout, compliance and staff training. Take a look through the facility with CEO Phil Goldberg Below:

It’s been gratifying to see this business come so far, so fast in the nascent Maryland medical marijuana industry, and we look forward to helping gLeaf with its continued growth.

Learn more about Next Big Crop’s array of consulting services.

Learn more about gLeaf and its medical cannabis facility and products. Get news and updates about Maryland medical marijuana when you like their Facebook Page and follow them on Instagram.

Watch: Take a tour of the facility with ABC-7 News – WJLA