Business View Magazine November-December 2018

290 291 Boone: “One of the things I’m most proud of is that we saw the cannabis space moving into a value-added product market and that they were potentially going to change the laws in the future to allow for different types of cannabis produc- tion. So, what we set up, not without risk, was a very large-scale facility capable of producing a high volume.We designed it with various pro- cessing areas for different products. It is GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant and we will look to gain GMP Certification for the Euro- pean market, as well. “Back when I started the company along with two partners, we relied heavily on consultants in the industry, we were a small team. At the begin- ning of 2018, we had five employees. In August, we had 18 and I anticipate having 25 to 30 by the end of the year.We hired one person in western Canada, who was originally from PEI and moved back to take the role.We had another move here from Nova Scotia, our Chief Scientific Officer is from the U.K., and the balance of our team is from Prince Edward Island.” BVM: How do environmental concerns come into play in your facility? Boone: “When we took over the site, it was basi- cally just the shell of a building located in the Bio Commons Park in Charlottetown– an area spe- cifically created for science-related organizations. DOSECANN INC. They built the structure with the idea that they were growing the Park, but they never received a tenant in it.What that did for me, as an entrepreneur, was save me about a year’s time by not having to physical- ly construct the building because it was already there, and we could do anything required on the inside.We purpose-built and designed this facility, working with local engineering firms and consultants, to ensure we were meeting or exceeding any type of regulatory requirements pertaining to the environmental side of things. Any- thing that goes into our drains is checked before it enters the system.We also did an environmental assessment of the building – it was only four years old at the time and sitting empty.” BVM: What do you anticipate as the biggest challenges going forward and how will you differentiate Dosecann from the competition? Boone: “While, clearly, cannabis should be a highly regulated market, operating ef- fectively in that environment poses some challenges. But you can overcome those by having the right people in the right places. That is always how we differentiate our- selves from others in the space. I believe that every business comes down to people. And we’ve definitely assembled a world- class team with excellent skill sets.With that team, we will build a robust portfolio of IP around our products, not only on the medical pharma aspect of the business, but also on the medical and health and