A HIGH-SECURITY, multi-million dollar medical cannabis farm could be built on the outskirts of Tamworth.
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The $7.7 million operation proposed by Israeli-Australian company Cann Pharmaceutical would grow its lead product EP1, a proven treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy.
A development application is under review by Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) for a state-of-the-art facility near Appleby.
It will use "advanced greenhouse and automation technology" to produce medical cannabis for the treatment of epilepsy, autism, central nervous system pain, palliative care, PTSD and certain cancers.
It's not the first medical cannabis farm in the region. Cann Pharmaceutical was given development approval for an $8 million operation at Kootingal in 2018.
And Australian Natural Therapeutics Group owns a medical cannabis farm just outside the university town of Armidale, with 40-odd staff.
The new Cann Pharmaceutical development would hire up to 15 staff to work in agronomy, flowering, harvest, drying and curing the product inside the high-security facility.
Cann Pharmaceutical plans to build two greenhouses, a carpark, security building, and a production facility for intensive plant agriculture.
The nature of the product means strict crime prevention methods have to be followed to avoid ram-raids, staff taking cannabis outside the farm and the prying eyes of the public.
Any cannabis that isn't considered viable has to be transported under armed-guard by Tamworth police to a licensed incinerator in Silverwater.
A security guard would need to be on the premises 24/7 with constant CCTV surveillance.
Plans for the production greenhouse show it would span 21m by 41m and include a curing room, drying area, trimming room, package and distribution area, two break rooms, offices and amenities.
A manufacturing facility would adjoin that with a change room, lab rooms, packaging and distribution rooms and a safe area.
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The Israeli-Australian joint venture has been issued with a license for Medicinal Cannabis and Production from the Australian Office of Drugs Control.
A letter from Cann Pharmaceutical, included in the development application, argues the development is permissible with consent.
"The operations of the facility would not create any detrimental impacts on the area and is expected to provide economic and social benefits to the local economy and regional community," it said.
The application is being assessed by the council's development engineering team and environmental health officer.
Cann Pharmaceutical launched in Australia in 2016 and was founded to break into the international market for medical cannabis to treat epilepsy in children.
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