Monday, November 15, 2021 || By Michael Romain || @maywoodnews || Photo by Rick Proctor on Unsplash
A business that was recently awarded a coveted state license to grow cannabis will host an open house of its Broadview facility this week.
Helios Labs, 2150 Parkes Drive in Broadview, was one of 40 applicants that won “craft-grow” licenses allowing them to “operate up to 14,000 square feet of cultivation space for marijuana,” according to a June 30 article in Crain’s Chicago Business.
“The road ahead is daunting,” Crain’s added. “Over the next six to 12 months, they’ll have to raise money, locate property, build out facilities and start lining up retail customers.”
They’ll also have to start educating the public, at least that’s the case with Helios, which will host an open house at its facility on Saturday, Nov. 20, noon to 3 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public to attend. Snacks and beverages will be provided. During the event, attendees will learn about craft cultivation, quality and safety standards, and economic opportunity that Helios Labs hopes to bring to Broadview, according to online marketing material.
The speakers, who are scheduled to start dialoguing at 1 p.m., will include Ambrose Jackson, the president and CEO of Helios Labs; Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson; Eric Ice-Gipson, the chief integration officer for Helios; Skyler Ellis, the cultivation manager for Helios; and Helios Vice President of Facilities Jim Reilly.
“Production is an overlooked part of the long-awaited expansion of the $1 billion Illinois weed industry,” Crain’s reported. “The nearly 200 new retail stores that are expected to open in the next year will need additional sources of marijuana, from smokable “flower” to gummies, which can’t be supplied by growers outside Illinois.
“Growers also are critical to the state’s promise that recreational cannabis will create wealth and jobs among residents of communities, such as the South and West sides of Chicago, that were hit hard by arrests and incarceration stemming from the war on drugs.”
Anyone interested in registering for the Helios open house can click here.
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