Recently, we took a trip to Austin to check on the local cannabis culture that undeniably flows throughout the city. We visited smoke shops, health stores and cannabis social events. The live music no doubt keeps Austin a greenly weird. But our travels led us further south to Manchaca, a quiet community to the south.
There resides Compassionate Cultivation, one of Texas’ three liscensed companies authorized to produce low THC cannabis oil through the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). Currently, the only approved qualifying condition is intractable epilepsy. We received a personal invitation to tour the facility from CEO Morris Denton. One we were happy to accept.
Upon arriving, we didn’t notice anything special. Just a square, metal clad wharehouse building with the CC logo out front. Oh but the inside…
Just by opening the doors to the lobby we were embraced by the sweet aroma of freshly grown cannabis. It was comprised of an elegantly decorated waiting area and sign in desk. We were instructed to sign in and received visitor badges for our exclusive tour.
From there, Morris greeted us and guided us through a security checkpoint and into the cultivation area. What we walked into was nothing short of breath taking. Several high-tech machines running, and employees traversing through many different rooms with cannabis in different phases of growth. The scent was as if the plant were literally reaching out and kissing the nostrils.
The first thing Mr. Denton showed us was the proud display of patients that have greatly benefited from Compassionate Cultivation’s medicine. The heart of their business is the patient.
Morris explained he would show us how their plants go from seed to sale. We were kindly greeted also by VP of Operations Taylor Kirk. This is when we entered the “Honorable Representative Stephanie Klick” vegetation room.
We learned about the process of how they grow the seedlings into maturity and some of the techniques used to perfect it. Here we also chatted a little politics. Morris gave us great confidence that at least his business is indeed working to expand TCUP. He said he spends a significant amount of his time trying to educate legislators, regulators and other local officials about the safety, efficacy and healing powers of cannabis. They’ve invited all 150 State Representatives and 36 Senators to tour the facility. An invite every one of them should absolutely take if they truly wish to learn about this issue!
From there we moved to the flowering room. Wow! Someone who has lived through Prohibition in Texas would be brought to tears by the sight: hundreds of fragrant, voluptuous buds illuminating the room. Waterloo is the in-house strain genetically created to adhere to the specific standards of TCUP.
It was with great anticipation that we moved to the curing and processing room.
Hundreds of stalks of cannabis flower filled the room. So many in fact, we had to squeeze sideways through the rows to get all the way in. We were shocked to learn fewer than 700 patients were receiving this medicine. Morris estimated that if TCUP were to get full expansion, his patient base would soar from hundreds to millions. As for now, Compassionate Cultivation’s main focus is for patients with intractable epilepsy 100%.
We then journeyed to a state-of-the-art extraction lab where the medicine is made. Even through safety goggles, it looked like something from Star Trek. The science and technology employed here was astonishing. In every direction there were gadgets and gizmos, each with it’s own unique use for extracting cannabis oil. Perhaps the most interesting device was a machine that allowed their team to manipulate compounds at a molecular level. This was to ensure consistency throughout their medicine portfolio.
Finally we visited the testing facility. You probably guessed it, but the technology in this room was almost too abstract for those who aren’t specialized in chemical testing standards. Jason Hamilton, Director of Quality Assurance and Quality Control and PhD in Analytical Chemistry, gave us the break down of what exactly Compassionate Cultivation tests for and how they exceed regulations at the microscopic level. To prove their transparency, these testing standards are frequently posted to the Compassionate Cultivation website for all the public to see.
After the tour was over, we left with a very optimistic view for the future of cannabis in Texas. Our takeaway is as follows:
- Compassionate Cultivation is the only Texas owned and operated dispensary helping hundreds of ailing Texans and is genuinely invested in continuing to do so.
- Morris Denton and his team are dedicated to working on expanding the Texas Compassionate Use Program for millions of sick patients who could thrive with this medicine.
- Compassionate Cultivation is setting the industry standard for how a vertical cannabis business should operate. At every turn, they were exceeding regulatory protocols.
Where medical marijuana goes this Legislative Session is anyone’s guess. 7 medical marijuana related bills are due for a public hearing on Thursday, April 11th. It is now incumbent on Texans to engage their representatives and persuade them to expand TCUP so that this wonderful medicine can be accessed by those who truly need it.
Cover Photo Credit: Compassionate Cultivation