GARDEN OTM

VIREO HEALTH INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Vireo Health International, Inc. got a late start processing medicinal Cannabis in Maryland - but they’re making up for lost time. After a conditional renewal of its grow license in July of 2018, Vireo has expanded its reputation to include producing a high standard of Cannabis extracts. The Hurlock-based operations also became the first MMCC approved company to allow its employees to unionize this past January - joining the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 27 (UFCW27).

“As a ‘people-first’ business, Vireo is deeply committed to our employees and we are proud to be a union employer in Maryland and beyond,” said Kyle Kingsley, M.D., CEO of Vireo Health.

Now, Vireo is beginning to stock local dispensaries with some fresh flower: 1937 Cannabis.

The brand name, 1937, is a reference to The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 - the federal legislation designed to prohibit Cannabis use. As Americans across the country work to end

Cannabis prohibition, Vireo claims its 1937 brand “proudly stands for social justice and equality for all.”

“It’s an exciting time for all of us,” said Maryland-based Cultivation Manager Chris Baqir.

Baqir, 27, has been the head grower for Vireo for the past six months. With a bachelor’s degree in plant science, Baqir previously spent his days as an agriculture consultant, helping Eastern Shore farmers get the best out of their corn and soybeans.

“I used to work the fields right here in Hurlock,” he laughed. “It’s been a big transition, but it’s been nice. I miss the sunshine a bit being indoors, but we’ve got some awesome grow lights and great people to work alongside.”

Upon arrival, Baqir was quickly charged with the task of manning the rollout of Vireo’s 1937 Cannabis line, taking over a staff of 15. And he has proved to be quite capable of handling the challenge.

“We wanted our production capacity to meet the market requirements. So, that means maintaining diversity in the strains we’re offering,” said General Manager Brendan Sweeny. “It’s just a rough outline. Chris takes it from there and

lays out a production schedule for everyone. He’s done an awesome job at arranging that and keeping us on track.”

Sweeny, 36, is also a newcomer to the Cannabis industry, leaving the seafood industry behind in 2018 to become Vireo’s first operations employee in Maryland. A native of the Eastern Shore, Sweeny finds the faster pace of a full-scale Cannabis operation more to his liking. And of course, the smell.

“When I arrived, we had no staff, no plants and no production,” he said. “We’ve built it up, so when you walk around the facility, you see all the activity going on and you see all the rooms filled with plants. I take a lot of pride in seeing how far we’ve come and being an integral part in bringing that together.”

New practices have been put in place due to the coronavirus, with a premium being put on the safety of employees and patients. Providing a visual tour due to the company’s altered operations, Sweeny refers to the operation as “boutique style,” estimating they have 120 plants in each of the eight rooms.

“Compared to other operations, that’s pretty small I think,” he said. “But it lets us give more care to our grow process.”

Baqir takes the wheel, guiding the trip towards the mom rooms.

Vireo recently dove into some classic genetics such as White Widow, Maui Jack and Lamb’s Breath.

“I like to start here, because if you don’t have healthy mother plants, you’re not going to have a grow,” he said. “We like to keep our moms as healthy as possible, maintain those genetics and rotate those plants out every three months.”

Next up is the propagation room, which takes the plants through three phases, supporting the growth of clones and young plants. The 1937 line stays here for upwards of four weeks, before transitioning into the flowering room for the final three weeks, as Baqir and staff change the lighting to 12 hours on, 12 hours off.

“That’s when the magic really happens,” said Baqir, noting the process takes between 60 and 70 days - four months total when including the initial cut of the clones and the harvest.

Baqir prefers giving these tours in person, finding tremendous joy in seeing the faces of visitors light up looking at Vireo’s creations.

“When I was advising farmers, I’d go out, talk with them and come back to a finished product,” he said. “Here, we get to see that hard work growing in front of us every day. They’re Vireo’s [plants], but they’re mine, too. It’s a dream come true to come in here every day.”

Both Baqir and Sweeny’s passion for the industry has taken on a new meaning with the 1937 line, which now features 10 strains. Vireo recently dove into some classic genetics such as White Widow, Maui Jack and Lamb’s Breath. The operations also include newer genetics such as Ultimate Purple, Gorilla Girl and Candy Glue - with a promise of Jungle Wreck and Cream Caramel to follow in the coming months.

“I think the 1937 branding has really put a positive connotation on Cannabis and that’s a really good direction for us to go,” Sweeny said.

The choice to introduce genetics of the past was a hat-tip to older patients who made their way through the days of prohibition with strains like Moby Dick, as well as the aforementioned. The throwback grow also provides a chance for a younger generation to medicate with historical Cannabis strains.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on the 1937 [brand],” Baqir said. “I was at a dispensary and an older gentleman found out I was one of the head growers. He said he hadn’t had the Moby Dick strain for 20 years and was so excited to try it.”

This master grower knows a bad seed when he sees one, and has said that the racist roots of the 1937 initiative were as wrong as can be.

“It really means a lot for me to come back with that brand name,” he said. “Cannabis is not this devil plant that it was made out to be for so many years. And we’re trying to change that here at Vireo.”