$7 million marijuana facility planned for Canton

A local attorney is looking to bring a $7 million investment and more than 30 jobs to Madison County with a new 30,000 square foot medical marijuana facility in Canton.

Madison County Economic Development Director Joey Deason said that MCEDA is working on a deal to sell Kudzu Cannabis Company a 22-acre plot at the dead-end of the Commercial Parkway West in Canton. At their May 13 meeting, the MCEDA Board voted to give Deason the authority to sell the property for $330,000.

Deason said that the property has been in. MCEDA’s portfolio for “years and years” and he was happy to have someone do something with it.

Jared Kobs has been a lawyer in Madison County for almost two decades and is one of the partners in this medical marijuana venture. He said they hoped to have final documents squared away and the land purchased by the end of the week.

The goal is to build a 30,000 square foot medical marijuana cultivation facility on the site. He said they also own a property on Dees Drive in Gluckstadt that will act as a dispensary.

Kobs said they will not be selling any cannabis or purchasing any equipment until it is legal in Mississippi and they have a license. He said that they are taking a “calculated” risk. In their belief medical marijuana in the state is inevitable and they would like to have as much in place when it is legal as possible and they are licensed. He said going ahead allows them to begin getting permits and building the structure of their building while they wait.

“We are willing to wait,” Kobs said. “We have a lot of money and time invested in this operation.”

Kobs, a Hattiesburg native, is a co-founder of the company with his brother, Jay Kobs, who has experience in the growing of cannabis after years in Colorado and California. They are Joined by Jacob Allbritton who also has experience growing in states along the Pacific Coast. Jared Kobs said that his brother and Allbritton are master growers and have a combined 45 years in the business. Kobs said anyone else looking to open a cannabis cultivation facility in the state will be hard-pressed to find one master grower and expects they will be the only operation to have two on-site at launch. 

Kobs said they have met with the Canton Mayor and Board of Aldermen. He said they want to be “good neighbors” and do what they can to assuage any doubts people may have concerning their business.