An expansion of Figr's production facility on P.E.I. is almost complete, officials say.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Island cannabis company has added 210,000 square feet to its Charlottetown plant.&nbsp;

Edwin Jewell, the company's president and CEO, said about 46,000 square feet of the added space will be dedicated to processing and 164,000 square feet will be dedicated to growing.

The indoor growing facility was built specifically for cannabis and includes computerized monitoring systems and climate control.&nbsp;

The company has invested heavily in&nbsp;the Charlottetown plant with the aim of ramping up production, Jewell said.

FIGR expansion 

"Our processing building has been built to European GMP standards, which will allow us to ship product to Europe when the opportunity arises," he said.&nbsp;

"That's a huge deal and we're very excited." &nbsp;

1 month into legalization, P.E.I. Cannabis, Figr take on more staff to keep up with demand

It's been just over a month since Islanders could legally purchase cannabis online and at retail shops on P.E.I., and officials with P.E.I. Cannabis Corporation say its first month of operation has gone smoothly while also providing a number of opportunities to improve.

The corporation's Charlottetown location contributed to the majority of the province's cannabis sales with 60 per cent of the total sales revenue.

PEI Cannabis storefront

P.E.I. Cannabis says it will share its sales numbers quarterly.

After complaints, P.E.I. cannabis producer aims to change, reduce packaging

A P.E.I. cannabis producer will be rolling out new packaging that will be better for the environment.

Figr says it is working on new packaging, but hasn't confirmed what exactly it will look like. 

figr packaging 

Figr says it is working to reduce the amount of packaging it uses but couldn't give details of what customers can expect.

Jewell said the expansion will enable the company to produce 35 times more cannabis — which amounts to about&nbsp;43,000 kilograms per year.

FIGR expansion

He said he expects the expansion will also mean more jobs.&nbsp;

Currently, the company has about 119 employees. Jewell said he expects that number to grow to 200 by the end of the year.

"We actually started the company with a team of just four. We got our licence, our initial business plan&nbsp;projected we would need between 15 and 20 people," he said.&nbsp;

Figr is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of global agriculture company Pyxus International.

New Women's Network program aims to create more supportive workplaces

A program to encourage more supportive work environments on the Island is being offered by Women's Network P.E.I.

Jillian Kilfoil, the executive director of Women's Network PEI says it's seeing more and more women become business owners "in sectors where they're traditionally underrepresented.” 

Jillian Kilfoil

The Ignite Program is an opportunity for employers to go through a self assessment to identify how to create a more supportive work environment says Jillian Kilfoil, the executive director of Women's Network P.E.I. 

Performances announced for Canadian Folk Music Awards in Charlottetown

The Canadian Folk Music Awards will be held in Charlottetown for the first time, and on Wednesday organizers announced who will be performing.

Vishtèn performs during a news conference announcing details of the 15th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards which will be held in Charlottetown April 3 and 4.  

Vishtèn

Vishtèn performs during a news conference announcing details of the 15th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards, which will be held in Charlottetown April 3 and 4.  

CEO Edwin Jewell shows our camera around Figr's Charlottetown plant.

A peek inside the massive expansion at P.E.I. cannabis facility

35 times more cannabis

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