Davis, California Approves First Cannabis Manufacturing Business

The city of Davis has officially approved its first cannabis manufacturing facility. The approved company, Blessed Extracts, manufactures cannabis products and already has operations in California as well as in Oregon. Additionally, it also has a research and development partnership with a physician who has experience in biotechnology. The company plans to hire 5-10 employees to extract and prepare cannabis for propylene-free vape pen cartridges, tinctures and oils.

“It involves essentially the same solvents and processes that are used for food manufacturing. It can be most easily compared to extracting oil from soybeans, or the process of making tofu. We are thrilled to be a part of the Davis community,” Blessed Extracts Chief Marketing Officer Amelia Paterson said. The business has already passed a state-mandated vetting process and, after it completes permitting requirements, will move in by the end of the year.

Although the business will exceed city cubic foot thresholds for hazardous gases and liquids, it will be subject to stricter measures and oversight from the city. The extraction process is estimated to use 7,666 cubic feet of hazardous materials and 248 of hazardous liquids including dioxide, ethanol, hexane and butane.

The 10,000 square-foot, non-descript business will be located in the Davis Commercial Park. It will be near other companies that use similar hazardous materials, and is right across the street from a swim school, cross fit and a dance company. According to KCRA, there doesn’t seem to be any local opposition to the company moving in. “I don’t have a problem with it as long as they follow the rules and the laws and the regulations that the state of California have put in place for them,” said Kelly Gorman-Marzolf, whose daughter attends the swimming school.

The city of Davis adopted a zoning ordinance earlier this year to allow commercial cannabis business in city limits. The ordinance added using volatile and nonvolatile solvents, distribution and testing of cannabis within city limits. The city already had allowed indoor and outdoor cultivation already for medical and personal use. The city is taking pre-applications until the end of this month to gage interest in opening dispensaries in the city, and what locations would be desired.