A marijuana growing company announced Wednesday morning that construction of its new production facility in Lumby is now complete.

True Leaf, which says it hopes to diversify the economy in the small North Okanagan town, broke ground on the facility last March.

READ MORE: Lumby hopes marijuana will help diversify local economy

The new plant includes a two-storey, 18,000 square foot central hub for the initial grow area, laboratory services, whole-plant extraction, and the production of therapeutic cannabis products.

It hopes to produce 2,500 kilograms of dried medical marijuana each year.

True Leaf is one of the world’s leading cannabis and hemp wellness brands for pets.

“With the completion of this initial phase of True Leaf campus, we are closer than ever to becoming a licensed producer of cannabis,” True Leaf’s founder and chief executive officer Darcy Bomford said. “Receiving our licence and having our own cultivation facility to grow medicinal cannabis and support the research and development of legal medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) products for pets will take our company to the next level. We will be the first cannabis-for-pets company with this advantage.”

True Leaf continues to work through the Health Canada approval process to cultivate and produce cannabis for its products.

The company said approval is expected mid-to-late 2019.

True Leaf has indicated it initially plans to hire 30 people.

Lumby has been hard hit financially over the years with mills and forestry revenue leaving the community.

It’s hoped the new employer will provide the community with a much-needed economic boost.

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