Youngstown medical marijuana cultivator could create 300 jobs

A building that once housed a toy company in Youngstown is one of the locations around Ohio chosen to grow marijuana under the state's medical marijuana program.

The Ohio Department of Commerce announced on Thursday that it has granted Riveria Creek Holdings a provisional license as a Level One cultivator of medical marijuana.

According to its application, Riviera Creek will grow medical marijuana in a building at 1275 Crescent Street.

The Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Kessler tells 21 News that they will perform some renovations and increase security at the former Maui Toy building.

Kessler expects the renovation process to take around fifty days.

“This is exciting for the City of Youngstown and will be a great thing for the city's future.  Patients will be the beneficiaries” said Kessler.

The state has authorized 24 companies to produce medicinal marijuana.

The system is expected to go live by next September and this will be a bit of an economic boom for Youngstown since the company plans to eventually hire at least 300 skilled trades employees at a facility that will operate 24/7.

Construction to get the company up and running could cost in the neighborhood of $10-million to $15-million according to Youngstown Mayor John McNally.

"Well certainly in the first year I think they're talking about 70 employees and somewhere up to 180 employees over time.  Those numbers of employees and the income tax dollars that they can contribute to the city's coffers will really be beneficial," Mayor McNally said.

The grow site located just off of Interstate 680 will then sell to dispensaries around the state of Ohio and here in the Mahoning Valley.

As for security, Kessler and his Uncle Brian Kessler plan to go above and beyond the state minimum that is required.

Youngstown Police Chief Robin Lees says at this point he has no reason to be concerned about the security, and a spokesperson for the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department said the state's vetting system had strict standards each corporation had to meet.

"Obviously we're going to have a security staff manned, and we're going to have the cameras everywhere and lighting everywhere and fencing.  The building itself is going to have vaults.  We're taking security very seriously.  We have a full security team that specializes in high value goods," Daniel Kessler tells 21 News."

Kessler says his company plans to produce a top notch product to relieve suffering for a special group of patients in need.

Below are lists of large and small growers.

LEVEL I CULTIVATOR PROVISIONAL LICENSE RECIPIENTS

Score - 179.28 Buckeye Relief LLC (Eastlake, Lake County)

Score - 173.44 Grow Ohio Pharmaceuticals LLC (Newton Township, Muskingum County)

Score - 173.28 OPC Cultivation LLC (Huron, Erie County)

Score - 172.72 Riviera Creek Holdings LLC (Youngstown, Mahoning County)

Score - 167.64 Pure Ohio Wellness LLC (Springfield, Clark County)

Score - 167.08 Columbia Care OH LLC (Mt. Orab, Brown County)

Score - 165.48 Terradiol Ohio LLC (Canton, Stark County)

Score - 161.28 Standard Wellness Company LLC (Gibsonburg, Sandusky County)

Score - 161.28 AT-CPC of Ohio LLC (Akron, Summit County)

Score - 159.80 Cresco Labs Ohio LLC (Yellow Springs, Greene County)

Score - 153.08 Parma Wellness Center LLC (Parma, Cuyahoga County)

Score - 142.04 Harvest Grows LLC (Hamilton Township, Lawrence County)

Score - 142.04 Harvest Grows LLC (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County)

LEVEL II CULTIVATOR PROVISIONAL LICENSE RECIPIENTS

Score - 178.92 Fire Rock Ltd. (Columbus, Franklin County)

Score - 178.92 Fire Rock Ltd. (Canton, Stark County)

Score - 178.92 Fire Rock Ltd. (Arkon, Summit County)

Score - 176.76 FN Group Holdings LLC (Ravenna, Portage County)

Score - 172.00 Mother Grows Best LLC (Canton, Stark County)

Score - 168.76 OhiGrow LLC (Toledo, Lucas County)

Score - 168.76 Ancient Roots LLC (Wilmington, Clinton County)

Score - 160.56 Ohio Clean Leaf LLC (Dayton, Montgomery County)

Score - 160.56 Ohio Clean Leaf LLC (Carroll, Fairfield County)

Score - 157.08 Ascension BioMedical LLC (Oberlin, Lorain County)

Score - 156.60 Agri-Med Ohio LLC (Langsville, Meigs County)

Score - 154.56 Paragon Development Group LLC (Huber Heights, Montgomery County)

Score - 151.28 Hemma LLC (Monroe, Butler County)

Score - 148.92 Galenas LLC (Akron, Summit County)

Score - 143.08 Farkas Farms LLC (Grafton, Lorain County)