Top-Of-The-Line Cannabis Provider To Open HQ In DeLand

DeLand, FL – A collaboration between Nick Conte, Economic Development Manager for the City of DeLand, and his staff and several other agencies is bringing COOKIES LLC, a leading provider of top-of-the-line cannabis products to DeLand.  The company announced today they are embarking on a project to launch their Florida headquarters, representing a $100 million capital investment, and eventually bring 400 jobs to the community. “On behalf of the City, I want to welcome COOKIES to our community,” said Mayor Robert F. Apgar. “COOKIES’ total investment will represent one of the largest in the commercial sector in our City’s history and will help create hundreds of high-paying jobs for our area over time. COOKIES is an outstanding organization, and I am looking forward to watching them become an integral part of DeLand.” The company, which acquired one of Florida’s 22 medical marijuana treatment center licenses last year, will grow, cultivate and distribute its product from the DeLand location. Their facility will be located in the Northwest Industrial Business Park at the facility once owned by Brunswick Corporation. At 400,000 square feet of operating space, it was one of the largest vacant locations available for a corporation to locate. COOKIES, founded in 2012, has an established presence in medical and recreational cannabis markets across the U.S. and internationally, with 43 retail locations located globally. “COOKIES will be redeveloping one of our largest unutilized properties in the city’s Northwest Industrial Business Park,” said Conte. “The company has chosen the DeLand location as its operational hub for the state of Florida and beyond, and we couldn’t be happier to have them as part of our community. Additionally, the company will be utilizing 20 acres of undeveloped industrial property as part of its new construction plans, which includes the hiring of over 200+ employees as part of their first phase.” The broad community effort to bring the company to Volusia County includes Tim Davis, SVN Alliance; O.J. Perryman, Perryman Associates; Heather Shubirg, Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation; Elizabeth Godwin, Duke Energy;  Michael Sznapstajler and Robert Doan with Cobb Cole Attorneys-At-Law, Eric Anderson, Enterprise Florida and The State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity. “The collaborative effort by all of our partners helped this project to fruition,” Mayor Apgar said. “Our area is primed for commercial growth. The addition of COOKIES to our community is proof of that and will likely be the catalyst for other companies locating to our city.” COMPANY BACKGROUND COOKIES began with two visionary founders: grow expert Jai, and music entrepreneur Berner, whose Girl Scout COOKIES (GSC) remains one of the most sought-after medical cannabis strains in the world. From the earliest days in a San Francisco garage to global growth, their goal has remained the same: authenticity and innovative genetics. As part of its Florida expansion plan, COOKIES and its family of brands are building a vertically integrated medical marijuana treatment center that will provide patients throughout the state of Florida with a wide variety of high-quality products. Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, Florida’s official designation for vertically integrated cultivation, processing, and dispensing of medical cannabis, are the only authorized outlets for medical cannabis in the state. COOKIES is the only minority-owned and controlled brand to own a Medical Marijuana Treatment Clinic (MMTC) license. Florida is a medical-use-only market that requires patients to obtain a recommendation for medical cannabis use from a qualified physician and apply for a state-issued ID card. Qualifying conditions to obtain a medical use card include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, PTSD, ALS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other comparable debilitating medical conditions like severe/chronic pain and anxiety. Medical cannabis was legalized in the state in 2014, and the program was significantly expanded by the passage of Amendment 2 in November of 2016. Since launching in 2012 in California, the COOKIES family of brands has established a presence in medical and recreational markets across the U.S. and internationally, including 43 retail locations in the U.S. and Israel.