From Portlandia to Potlandia is an easy commute, thanks to OG Spaces’ new cannabis industrial park.
Attention ganja-preneurs! Exurban pharming could be among the hottest new trends. At least if the agri-dreams of Oregon-based OG Spaces are any indication.
That’s because OG is building out and leasing steel grow-houses/work spaces in various footprints just a stone’s throw from Portland, to take full advantage of Oregon’s budding and legal marijuana industry. It makes sense. Because as with any other niche industry, if you could set up shop in a community of like-minded business colleagues who share many of the same challenges and specialized needs, why wouldn’t you?
A Very Hip Landlord
OG Spaces partners with a cannabis friendly landlord, Dewey Farms LLC, to solve many of the most difficult challenges facing marijuana production businesses. Emphasizing a sustainably sound combination of regulatory compliance and community outreach (not to mention philanthropy at the local, county and state level), OG Spaces is primed for massive growth with its large agricultural industrial park a mere 40 miles southeast of Downtown Portland. From farm to pharmacy has never been an easier commute.
“Dewey Farms owns the property—land and development—and OG Spaces is tasked with the community management for day-to-day operations,” says Jesse Kloberdanz, owner and president of Dewey Farms LLC.
“OG has really done a lot to help organize the paperwork for clients so it’s a win-win for everybody—businesses and the community and the government,” says Kloberdanz. “By marking out a clear path through the red tape, OG Spaces walks folks through the regulatory compliance process with authorities to make sure all the county and state laws are followed and all required permits are obtained. The OG staff are hands-on as needed with tenants to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.”
Hassle-Free Home Base
It’s a relatively turnkey solution for forward-thinking cannabiz types who may be wary of taking on too many details in a business with a history of interpersonal and legal hassles. OG Spaces and Dewey Farms’ built-to-order units (with dozens of plots to choose from) come in sizes ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet, and are constructed to meet or exceed local and state standards and regulations. (The OG Spaces website provides additional details, contact info, licensing requirements and access to their secure tenant portal once you sign up.)
“While there is some customization available, we’re trying to keep the place relatively uniform if not necessarily cookie-cutter,” says Kloberdanz. “People can modify their units of course, but everything must be done with authorized contractors.”
“We’ve done some things like the bulk-buying of air-conditioning units with a trusted supplier, just to make it less complicated and standardize some things. In a project like this there are a lot of moving parts, so the easier we can make it for our clients and our community the better it is for everyone.”
Back to the Land, Forward to the Future
“Part of what made this appealing to me,” adds Kloberdanz, “is that we’re out in this beautiful rural area. We want it to be friendly and community-oriented with people helping each other. Yet it’s also very important that it be safe. The nature of the cannabis business at this point is that many of these people have a lot of cash on hand. Security is huge for us.”
Of course a secure location is just part of securing a better future for a growing business sector that’s finally finding its place in the sun. But with options like OG Spaces leading the way for ganja-preneurs, it’s looking like that brighter tomorrow may already be here.
(OG Spaces will be at the Marijuana Business Expo in Las Vegas, November 15-18, at the CannaGuard display, booth #307/410.)
