Robinsons Cannabis in Kentville was busy expanding operations to add an outdoor grow site in Hortonville in 2019. - File Photo

KENTVILLE, N.S. — 

A Kentville company is growing a craft cannabis operation that it says is putting East Coast cannabis on the map.

Robinsons Cannabis opened its 2,573 square metre, state-of-the-art indoor cultivation facility in the Kentville Industrial Park in July 2020, after purchasing land for the plant in 2017.

Robinsons Cannabis is part of Auxly Cannabis Group, a publicly-traded company headquartered in Toronto. A spokesperson said Auxly operates some of Canada's most popular cannabis brands, including Robinsons, Foray, Back Forty, Kolab Project and Dosecann.

General manager Kevin Robinson oversees the Annapolis Valley operation. During a recent interview, Robinson said the local plant employs 77 people.

Robinson said some of the staff are Nova Scotians who left Atlantic Canada to go after opportunities out west.

“We have been able to bring people back to Nova Scotia who had left the province, to come back here and focus on a career with our team. That has been very positive,” Robinson said.

“A number of people on our team today are from the Annapolis Valley,” he said.

“I’m proud of my Valley roots. I was born in Kentville, where Robinsons is located and where I live today.”

Robinson said the company applied for a cultivation license to Health Canada in 2014 - something it finally received in 2019.

“It was a long journey for the licensing process,” he said.

Robinsons received a sales authorization license to sell directly to retailers and provincial boards in June 2020.

Robinsons has focused its efforts on producing small batches of “supreme quality” cannabis for connoisseurs — especially its top-selling strain called Purple Kush.

So far, Robinsons Cannabis products are sold in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

“From the beginning, the NSLC were strong promoters of local products,” Robinson said, noting it’s been good to work with them.

“We are trying to argue that Nova Scotia is home of premium quality cannabis,” Robinson said. “It’s great to be pushing across the country to show what Nova Scotia has to offer from Robinsons cannabis.”

In preparation for the launch of their products, Robinsons Cannabis commissioned a survey asking Canadians where they thought the best cannabis in Canada is grown. While cannabis from British Columbia came out on top nationally, the survey also showed Atlantic Canadians preferred East Coast cannabis, according to Brad Canario, the brand director for Auxly.

“The survey results support the idea that Canadians everywhere think their region is the best. We know this to be true in things like sports and cuisine — now we know that this applies to ideas about quality cannabis as well,” Canario said.

“We aim to put the East Coast on the map and hope Canadians nationally will try cannabis grown from this region.”

“East Coasters know their cannabis. Until recently, this has been something of a regional secret. But with Robinsons, the word is out, and all Canadian cannabis connoisseurs are starting to realize this,” he said.

“Robinsons represents a new benchmark for quality in the premium craft cannabis category,” Robinson said.

“Just like craft beer or local vineyards, craft cannabis, like Robinsons Cannabis, is made with meticulous craftsmanship. It needs experts in the field to perfect it. There has to be a tremendous amount of focus on the process and maintaining quality at every step.”

Robinson said the legalization of cannabis in October 2018 gave the company a platform to participate in the market.

“The beginning stages and the rollout of legalization appealed to new curious consumers, getting the attention of those not familiar with cannabis,” he said.

“For Robinsons and Auxly, this is our attempt to appeal to the connoisseurs with a product of supreme quality.”

Robinson said that even though cannabis legalization was three years ago, the company is still in the early stages of this industry.

“I think technology and equipment, as it transitions to be specifically tailored for cannabis, will enhance the ability to bring new and exciting products through in different forms we didn’t think could exist,” Robinson said.

“The future is bright,” he said. “We constantly are looking at the next challenge and looking forward. But it’s always great to look back and think about how far we have come. From a raw piece of land to now being in retailers across the country. It’s a huge progression.”