TropiZen, one of Puerto Rico’s first licensed cultivators and manufacturers of medical cannabis, is working around the clock to open their facility after the recent string of hurricanes impacted the Island. TropiZen remains confident in their ability to open their facility before the end of the year.
“We understand the difficulties faced by Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community from the storms,” said Jay Meistrell, Founder and CEO of TropiZen. “As a result, we are doing everything we can to open our doors at a time where even the most basic of needs are challenging.” The Tropizen facility was largely undamaged during the storms and is pending final certifications and immediate opening upon their receipt.
“We are committed to helping Puerto Rico’s economy recover from this tragedy, and we believe the medical cannabis industry is key to making that happen. While much of Puerto Rico is still without power, and communications continue to remain a challenge, we are prepared to begin operations under generator power. We are proud to have our full team onboard after the hurricanes and dedicated to investing in Puerto Rico with us.”
The hurricanes’ impact has been felt by the fledgling marijuana industry as a whole. Lack of electricity, storm damage and flooding has resulted in near-total crop loss. Although Mother Nature has setback the Puerto Rican marijuana business approximately six months, the good news is that twenty of the twenty-nine dispensaries on the Island remain open.
“We are excited to get our medical cannabis products to market, made right here in Puerto Rico and incorporating local ingredients like mango, guava and coconut,” said Meistrell. “We are fully confident we will be operational by December and have products on dispensary shelves in January.”
Life, in general, has changed since Hurricane Maria and while estimates say 80{c9554c251ac6901107379280b59c29c1bbf533918b6fe37426927b56df5f8c8d} of Puerto Ricans are without power, companies like TropiZen are doing everything they can to help bring normalcy back to the Island. As jobs are lost and generator prices are skyrocketing, Puerto Rico’s people remain committed to shining once again.
Since Puerto Rico, which recently legalized medical marijuana, felt the brunt of the hurricanes, the government has prioritized the cannabis industry. Cannabis is viewed as a way to help those in medical need with chronic conditions, and also a way to create new jobs to help bring the Island back from a decades-long recession.
Legislators have temporarily waived a restriction requiring patients fill their prescription at one designated dispensary. In addition, the requirement of notarized paperwork to obtain a patient card was lifted. Renewals of patient cards and occupational licenses were also extended.
“We have known all along how important the cannabis industry is to our health and wellness, as well as our economy,” said Jay Meistrell,“ and it is unfortunate that a tragedy like Hurricane Maria will be what demonstrates the tremendous positive impact it can have on a state or territory. We have total faith that Puerto Rico will not only come back from the devastation from the Hurricanes but also excel far beyond where it once was.”
About TropiZen
Tropizen is one of the first licensed growers and manufacturers of medical marijuana in Puerto Rico, providing state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, quality control, and distribution to growers and dispensaries. The Tropizen facility is equipped with an in-house lab, commercial kitchens, and indoor growing rooms, with acres to expand. Tropizen produces an extensive array of edibles and concentrates, as well as related wellness products using extensive quality control procedures and rigorous testing standards.
Encanna, Tropizen’s subsidiary, produces the purest, freshest medicinal cannabis products, including oils and tinctures, cartridges and edibles, made from traditional Puerto Rican recipes.