Canopy Growth hoping to do for Smiths Falls tourism, what Hershey’s used to
Residents and visitors to Smiths Falls now have a place where they can go to get a first-hand look at how medical marijuana is grown and prepared for sale.
Since the closure of the Hershey's chocolate factory, more than a decade ago, the town has lost somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 tourists each year.
CEO of Canopy Growth Bruce Linton told Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe, that has been a significant blow for the community.
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He's hoping these new tours, starting August 25, can help to fill the void.
It might even be a nostalgic experience for some who used to tour the factory years ago.
“When you come in the front door, it goes from having one of the chocolate-mixing pieces of equipment — a big copper pot that Hershey's left behind — to a progression through a history zone,” explained Linton. “[The tour] really does talk about, 'How did we get here?'”
Listen to the full conversation with Bruce Linton:
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The tour then moves on to more educational sections about cannabis, the science behind the drug and information about clinical trials being run with the Tweed product.
Continuing to deliver nostalgia, there is still the chance to witness chocolate makers too.
“You go up a set of stairs, which are the exact stairs Hershey's used to have where you could watch them make Nibs and pack chocolate. What you see in our area is, we have actually brought in a chocolate factory [and consultants from Almonte’s] Hummingbird Chocolate.”
You will no longer be able to purchase broken Hershey's chocolate bars at the end of the tour of course, but Linton is excited that they will be able to offer samples of their cannabis products on location come this fall.
Above all else, the CEO is hoping people leave their facility educated.
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Overall, he thinks the legalization of marijuana will be good for tourism across the country.
