305 Farms of Lawrence will be Michigan’s largest cannabis farm

Bridge Magazine has an in-depth feature on 305 Farms of southwest Michigan which will be the state’s largest marijuana farm when it opens later this month:

The operation known as 305 Farms is licensed to grow up to 80,000 plants a year in a 350,000 square foot facility that will be more than double the average size of a Walmart. This comes at a time when the state’s saturated marijuana market is stabilizing, and many investors view small towns as the best way to grow the billion-dollar industry.

…Donald Hanson, a Van Buren County commissioner who represents Lawrence, said the 40-acre site for 305 Farms was intended for a large housing development that residents welcomed. Like many ventures proposed in Lawrence, that fell through, Hanson said.

“There wasn’t much of a choice,” Hanson said. “The big homes and the stores that they wanted didn’t come through. The marijuana people had the money and they needed that money. But at least this is some progress.”

According to Hanson, the farm is giving Lawrence the money it needs to pay debts, like a bond it took out to build a new water tower. In a February statement, Lawrence Village President David Quick said revenue from the farm is funding much-needed programs and projects.

Matt Peon, 305 Farms CEO, said he will hire 200 people locally over the next 36 months to work at the farm for $20 an hour with paid vacation and benefits.

The state will earn $2 million in annual licensing fees for the campus and any of the company’s recreational products are subject to a 10 percent state excise tax.

You can read a lot more in Bridge, and be sure to check out some of their other coverage of Michigan’s cannabis scene including a related story about Michigan’s falling cannabis prices.

Also, if you’re looking for one of those 200 jobs, check out the 305 Farms Careers page!

photos courtesy 305 Farms on Instagram