display

It is named after the famous English Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and is considered to have a balanced effect: No, it is not a cigar.

It is a cannabis plant that grows behind thick steel walls in a medicinal cannabis plant in Neumünster.

Churchill's flowers contain five to nine percent THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and cannabidiol (CBD) each.

The THC content is significantly higher in the Great Bear and Bienville varieties.

“We want to deliver for the first time in the first half of the year,” says Aphria managing director Hendrik Knopp.

If you want to get to Churchill, you have to pass several security levels in the highly protected facility in Schleswig-Holstein.

First it goes through an air lock.

A strong air current for 20 seconds is supposed to prevent possible contamination of the dozen planting chambers.

The Dutch chief grower Han Duijndam and his ten or so employees only enter the chambers in protective clothing.

display

Almost 16,000 tons of reinforced concrete, 24 centimeter thick outer walls and floor detectors and sensors ensure safety outside.

They register when someone approaches the system.

“This is Fort Knox here,” says production manager Thorsten Kolisch.

Sorted out cannabis plants are chopped up and burned, the excrement of the employees is shredded after using the toilet.

Since 2017, patients have been able to have their doctor prescribe cannabis for medical purposes on a regular basis.

In addition to Aphria RX from Neumünster, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices has also allowed Aurora and Demecan to grow it.

In total, it is about 10.4 tons.

In Schleswig-Holstein alone, doctors regularly prescribe medical cannabis for pain therapy to around 1,000 patients, as the managing director of the Chamber of Pharmacists, Frank Jaschkowski, says.

It is not only used in cancer treatment, but also in the treatment of cramps and seizures.

“If you're in a good mood, it doesn't hurt that much.” Medical cannabis is not smoked in a joint, but rather vaporized.

display

A ton of medicinal cannabis is to be grown in Neumünster in this and the three following years.

“We can harvest the flowers per chamber more than four times a year,” says Knopp.

A quick run-through makes this possible.

The first 150 mother plants of the Churchill variety and the plants of the other Great Bear and Bienville varieties never see natural sunlight.

They were imported from Canada.

Instead, LED lamps simulate sunrises and sunsets in eight flower chambers.

The artificial sun shines for up to 18 hours at a constant 28 degrees Celsius.

Ideal growing conditions.

Two combined heat and power plants, each with an output of almost 1000 megawatts, provide the necessary energy.

"In principle, anyone could grow cannabis in the basement or one or two plants on the balcony, if it were legally permitted," says Knopp.

However, medical cannabis with a consistently high THC and CBD content, as required for medical care, is much more difficult to grow.

"A small grower doesn't even see the small mold or other impurities on the flower."

"We can produce three to four tons of medical cannabis annually"

display

Visually, the 50 centimeter high plants are reminiscent of bonsai because of the thick stems for their size.

Head farmer Duijndam provides them with special nutrient solutions for every phase of life.

This lands directly at the roots via a hose.

The Dutchman has around 40 years of professional experience, but is growing cannabis for the first time.

A few days ago he and his team planted the first seedlings.

"He is probably one of the few Dutch people who has never tried cannabis," says his boss Knopp.

The North American company specifies the investment amount for the 12,000 square meter plantation with a double-digit million range.

"It is the safest and most modern system in the world," says Knopp.

And they have reserves.

"We can produce three to four tons of medical cannabis here every year."