Peter S. Goodman of The New York Times reports that after supply chain disruptions that made critical medicines scarce, a federal effort is underway to ensure domestic stocks of pharmaceutical ingredients. Goodman writes:
Never mind that everyone calls him Groovy, or that the company he oversees — Bright Green — is preparing to grow cannabis and opium poppies inside greenhouses on the high desert of New Mexico. Gurvinder Singh would like it known that his business is a rigorous scientific enterprise.
Mr. Singh spends much of his time straining to dislodge the assumption that his company is part of the wave of retail marijuana shops popping up in many communities in the wake of legalization in many states. His 70-acre farm will be centered on producing raw materials for pharmaceuticals that use cannabis, opioids and additional medicinal plants to treat pain, depression and anxiety.
Bright Green has secured a rare license from the Drug Enforcement Administration to grow otherwise-illegal crops for use in research and the manufacture of federally approved medicines. […]
“This allows us to have a stable domestic supply,” said Benuvia’s chief executive, Terry Novak.
Assuming Mr. Singh can secure financing, his company could start bringing in $1 million to $2 million a month by next summer, he said, and as much as $5 million a month by the end of 2025. […]
The federal department vets and approve all hires at the site. Inside storage sites are constructed like bank vaults and armed with vibration sensors.
“This needs to be like Fort Knox,” Mr. Singh said. […]
But as Mr. Singh surveyed the works, he envisioned a harvest that could be only four months away.
“We can make this happen,” he said.
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