The Emerald Plants Health Source (EPHS) website claims the company is “set to break ground” on a 1.2-million square foot growing facility in Merritt, B.C.

However, Merritt city planners say the project has yet to be approved or even applied for by the cannabis company.

Photo Credit: Emerald Plants Health Source – Facebook.

"I can confirm that there is zoning to accommodate that type of facility, but nothing has formally been submitted,” said Sheila Thiessen with the City of Merritt.

“Any discussion that staff members may have had with the company would have been confidential.”

According to a press release from EPHS, the company plans to break ground on a 56-acre parcel of land in early 2019, beginning with a 30,000 square feet of production and extraction facilities.

Photo Credit: www.ephsholdings.com

“What excites us is the economic development benefits that the Merritt Valley Cannabis project will bring to the City of Merritt,” said chief executive officer, Gianfranco Bentivoglio in a press release.

“Recent studies have shown that a one million square foot cannabis facility can produce up to 500 direct and indirect jobs and an estimated one billion dollars of economic benefits for the region."

While Thiessen contends that Merritt is open to any type of new business that can bring employment for residents, nothing is a done deal with an upcoming local election.

“We will have a new council with a fair bit of turnover so it's hard to say,” explained Thiessen.

“It's not official with us until they've actually put some money down and applied for their permits.”

With the 56-acre parcel of land already zoned for cannabis and technology infrastructure, EPHS must receive approval for a development and building permit.